Trish, it really is an awful dilemma. My friends who have this symptom are also keeping it from their loved-ones. By bringing it to the public’s attention more people will understand and those with this kind of OCD are more likely to seek help. But, I am still receiving just as many messages opposed to raising awareness of this symptom (and not just in the form of a dramatization) as I am hearing from people who are very keen for it to be done.
I have just been reading the e-mail from a psychologist (I said psychiatrist in a previous message). Perhaps if I explain his message, you and others can say whether you would agree with his view.
Firstly, he agrees that it is vitally important to get the message about this symptom out there. But, he understands my concerns that such awareness could lead to the public mistakenly linking OCD to paedophilia. He doesn’t feel this is an inevitability, but he understands it could happen. He goes on to say that it is unfortunate that the word ‘obsession’ is used in a different form. The popular use of the word implies an attraction to something, albeit an excessive one.
By the way, I agree that this is one of our greatest problems, not just with the symptom we are discussing. The term ‘obsession’ is used to mean something entirely different by most of the public. No OCD obsession EVER gives pleasure. The public is not going to change its view of the word ‘obsession’ so maybe we need to change the name of our condition?! Perhaps we could return to the old term ‘anankastic’?
The psychologist went on to say that if a character in a play had the kind of OCD where the obsession is one of harming a child, there might be a more sympathetic response from the audience and those with paedophilia (OCD) fears could view the character’s problem as similar to his or her own.
My daughter and a friend with OCD cannot see why an audience would be more sympathetic towards someone who fears he or she will harm a child as opposed to sexually abuse one. I feel the same, and yet people with OCD have appeared on television to discuss a fear of harming their children. I have never seen anyone on the TV speaking about an obsession of sexually abusing a child. So, I think many people must feel the obsession of harm is somehow easier to speak about. They must believe the public would have more empathy. I’m not sure why. I recall a man speaking (on television) about how he feared he would attack elderly women. The audience certainly appeared to be sympathetic. I wonder if they would have been if he had said he feared he would sexually abuse women. The audience was made aware that it was the last thing he would do, but I have a feeling he might have received a different response.
Trish, It is terrible that you should feel such shame and guilt. Thank goodness your suicide attempts were unsuccessful.
Tricia x
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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