OCD and Being Considerate... or something like that

It's been awhile. I had my 5th baby. End of pregnancy and recovery was rough. Once I got past that, I can't say I felt like I was drowning, I just chose to put my focus elsewhere, like loving up on my baby! ;) Yet I still love the idea of writing and learning from my experiences, in addition to just living them and enjoying them.

Anyway, I've had some thoughts I wanted to vocalize, though as I type I have no idea what my goal is or what I think about it-just give me some outlet to express thoughts.

A friend of mine, (and I use the term friend loosely, she was an acquaintance in a past ward, ha) started a blog about OCD and being mormon. OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder. I think it has enlightened me a lot about the issue. Because I hear people throw out 'ocd' all the time. Any time they rearrange something or like something a certain way, it seems to always be followed by, 'I'm a little OCD.' Or even just using the word, 'obsessed.' We, as a people, use that word a lot. Your kid sees a new movie and they're 'obsessed' with it. Or a favorite chocolate, 'mmmm, I'm obsessed!'

I have never considered how terrible people that actually struggle with diagnosed ocd must feel to hear people claim they have it, or use the word loosely. Because they really are obsessed. They will spend hours and hours on something, hating what they are doing, knowing they shouldn't be obsessed, but can't let it go. They may miss something of great importance because they obsessively and/or compulsively are stuck doing something else, yet we give it the same definition as spending 15 minutes rearranging something. How terrible is must be to compulsively wash your hands, over and over and over, because they just aren't clean enough, until they are bloody and yet, they can't stop washing their hands.

Now to clarify, I don't think there is anything wrong with saying you're obsessed with something. It has taken on the definition, to not actually mean what it meant. Think of 'literally' or 'bi-weekly' - the definitions can now mean 2 completely opposite things?? So I get that. But I like bringing an awareness to it, to just be cautious. I guess, treat it with the same care as we do with people that struggle with infertility, who may have a hard time when they hear someone announce their pregnancy, or call it a blessing to finally have a baby, or how it brings joy you can't get anywhere else. Those are true statements and someone should be able to announce their expecting news with joy, even though it may be a dagger to someone reminding them of the pain they feel that they can't conceive.

So, I guess my point is that we should be respectful. Be wise. Be cautious. Be caring. Be considerate. Be patient. It takes understanding on both sides of the spectrum. We don't know situations of people around us and there is too much of  'my life, and you can just get over it' in the world.