Being diagnosed with OCD was something I knew would happen. I’ve always been someone who’s on the edge of my seat, looking for answers to everything and checking everything over and over before going to bed.
People with OCD tend to ask for reassurance, repeat things and check things. They can be obsessed with cleanliness and being neat. They’re also perfectionists and they like to tell themselves certain things over and over again.
After my diagnosis of OCD, self-acceptance was an important key for me, and this involved seeing the disorder as a blessing in disguise. Below, I’d like to share with you six more specific blessings I’ve experienced due to having OCD and explore the positive aspects of the disorder in more detail.
OCD makes me more alert and cautious
As someone who has OCD, I check different things simultaneously. Checking things over and over can be unhealthy if it never stops, but I’ve also realized that being alert and cautious is a good thing after all. I’m protecting myself and others from harm, and by checking things, I’m also giving myself the satisfaction that comes with knowing that I’m safe and everything will be OK. This makes me feel like I’m a big blessing to those around me, which is always nice to remember.
However, checking things once is better than checking things over and over again. Gradually, as I’m starting to limit the amount of times I check, my well-being is improving. I need to check things before I sleep, but I’m not going to make myself go crazy about it like I used to.
OCD has taught me how important it is to learn to trust myself, and calming my mind is one thing that makes this easier to do. That’s why I practice meditation—to limit my OCD and try to decrease my symptoms. Now, I’m at the point where I just check whether the door is locked and the gas is off once.
OCD makes me a great student
I’ve always been a perfectionist, and because of that, I used to not see the progress I was making. When it comes to school, I’ve done my best on my assignments by always striving for 100 percent, and that leads only to progress, even if it’s not immediately visible. I don’t settle for less than what I deserve and I work hard for what I want.
Being a perfectionist has consistently helped me be an honour-roll student. It has taught me the importance of hard work, dedication and discipline. I’m now more focused on progress and less on perfection than I used to be, but I still acknowledge that being a perfectionist can help me aim for the moon, even if it means landing among the stars. Even if you work on trying to be better, as opposed to perfect, you’ll still learn the value of hard work, discipline and dedication.
Thankfully, OCD only helped me become a better student and never affected my academic performance negatively.
OCD makes me cleaner and more hygienic
I can’t stand not doing any skincare or hair care. I feel like I’m out of place if I don’t, and when I do these things, I feel soothed and refreshed during the day. OCD makes me a cleaner person and helps me take care of my hygiene to the best of my ability.
OCD is tough, but it motivates me to be a proper and poised individual. I want to dress neatly, iron all my clothes and have my hair done nicely if I go out, so I look presentable overall. That’s the bright side of having OCD!
Furthermore, I’m always researching the right products for my skin—natural things that can help revitalize and hydrate it. Though it’s not necessary, it isn’t such a bad idea for me to do this, because it allows me to take care of myself and love myself more than I used to. I was never a beauty guru, and this research isn’t something I do all day, but I like to do it when I get the chance because it feels so good.
OCD makes me more health-conscious
Lately, I’ve been looking a lot at delicious and healthy meals. Since my diagnosis, I’ve been researching brain-healthy foods that will maintain and sharpen my memory and help my brain function properly in general; I also share my findings with others. OCD motivates me to take care of myself so I can then take care of others.
Aside from improving your diet, brain-healthy foods can also help cure your OCD, and the same goes for other emotional disorders. Taking all the major vitamins and avoiding any foods (such as sugar) that can cause more symptoms of OCD or any other saúde mental disorder is something you should seriously consider doing.
OCD makes me neater
I’ll often write something in my journal and then tear it out, writing it all over again. This can be frustrating because I crumple up the paper I don’t like the look of and have to throw it away. But then I tell myself that at least I care about how I write my friendly cards and letters, and how my essay formatting looks. I tell myself that at least I have the desire to do my writing tasks neatly.
That’s what OCD is like; you always want to erase and rewrite, then erase and rewrite all over again. You don’t like to make mistakes and you want to do the right thing. Nonetheless, making mistakes is human and unavoidable. It’s OK to not be perfect, as long as we do our best. OCD can help us work extremely neatly, though, as we tend to take tasks one step at a time when we have this disorder.
OCD makes me inquisitive
I ask a lot of questions, and the questioning sometimes seems never-ending. Although I don’t do this as much as I did in the past, I know it’s because of my OCD. It can often feel like the more you ask, the more new questions pop in. I try to remember that it’s OK to ask for help and reassurance sometimes, but there are times when I have to believe that I’ll be alright without asking others.
Along the same lines, it’s OK to give yourself days and times when you don’t worry at all and just enjoy the day. All those questions you have will eventually resolve themselves, and you can even plan to ask them at a later time if need be. Give yourself a chance to figure things out independently first, and if you’re still unsure, go for it.
OCD and the questioning habits that come with it can actually make us more intelligent than we realize we are, because of our constant curiosity and our desire to learn and grow.
Mental health issues aren’t always limiting
Sometimes we believe that our mental health disorders limit us, but that’s not always the case. Having a mental health disorder can be a blessing in disguise, and when you see it like that, you’ll be able to use your disorder to make your life better. If you want to make the most of your disorder, think about your weaknesses, and then think about how you can use them in different ways to turn them into strengths.
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