{"id":2291,"date":"2018-01-14T12:43:17","date_gmt":"2018-01-14T12:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ocduk.net\/?page_id=2291"},"modified":"2018-06-05T18:52:07","modified_gmt":"2018-06-05T17:52:07","slug":"the-language-of-ocd","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ocduk.org\/ocd\/the-language-of-ocd\/","title":{"rendered":"How we classify OCD and the language we use"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is clinically classified<\/a>\u00a0but we’re often asked if we consider OCD a mental health problem, so we thought it might be helpful to try and summarise how we classify and refer to OCD and the language that we use.<\/p>\n

OCD is considered an anxiety disorder<\/strong>, and technically anxiety disorders are considered mental health problems<\/strong>, however many users struggle with both of these labels.<\/p>\n

It is worth thinking about what a mental illness is and what the term \u2018mental health\u2019 means.<\/p>\n

Mental illness \u2013 any of various disorders in which a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviour are so abnormal as to cause suffering to himself, herself, or other people.Collins English Dictionary<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

Mental illness is a condition, which causes serious disorder in a person’s behaviour or thinking, so of course OCD can and does fit within this descriptive. The Collins English Dictionary defines mental illness as “any of various disorders in which a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviour are so abnormal as to cause suffering to himself, herself, or other people.”<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s important to remember everybody has \u2018mental health\u2019, which \u00a0is defined as \u201ca person\u2019s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.\u201d So whilst we all have mental health, \u00a0it’s estimated that 1 in 4 people will at some point have a problem with their mental health, so there really is no reason to feel you can\u2019t refer to OCD as a mental health problem. Ultimately, it\u2019s important to use the phrase that you feel most comfortable with.<\/p>\n

Whilst for some people receiving the label of OCD is important, for others the label of OCD or mental illness feels unhelpful. But it\u2019s important to understand that having the \u2018label\u2019 can be useful \u00a0in helping us access appropriate treatment, and rejecting diagnosis or treatment appointments won\u2019t help us if \u00a0OCD becomes more of a significant problem.<\/p>\n

Some people \u00a0fear the label<\/mark> attached to mental health problems, and we\u2019re frequently asked about how such a label (OCD) may affect their or their loved ones future employment prospects. Whilst this is an understandable concern, we generally advise people not to let a future potential problem (which is not yet a problem, and may never become a problem) prevent them from seeking treatment for something \u00a0that does exist in the here and now. \u00a0We \u00a0encourage people to focus on the problem they have today, \u00a0OCD and do all they can to get access to treatment, \u00a0to make sure \u00a0OCD doesn\u2019t actually prevent them working in the future anyway.<\/p>\n

So whilst it’s important to remember everybody has \u2018mental health\u2019, hopefully in the case of those of us with OCD our mental health problem is a treatable one, and that with the right support regaining our mental health remains a realistic proposition.<\/p>\n

Language Tip:<\/b> OCD-UK always uses the phrase a person \u2018suffers with OCD\u2019 rather than \u2018a person is OCD\u2019, this is because a person can\u2019t be a disorder, but they can suffer with the disorder.\u00a0\u00a0For a similar reason we will also never use the term ‘OCDers’, because people can’t be a disorder.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What to read next:<\/p>\n

<\/i> Understanding OCD<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
Clinical classification of OCD <\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n