OCD Isn’t Cute – It’s Your Brain’s 24/7Job!

Picture this: There’s a high schooler named Anna. Anna has a thing about germs. It started

when she was just nine years old after she got sick with the flu, and she started

worrying—what if it happened again? At first, she just washed her hands after she used the

bathroom or touched something dirty like anyone would. But slowly, the washing became

more frequent, and soon it felt like her mind was locked into a loop. Touching any surface

meant she needed to scrub his hands until they turned red. Even though she knew it didn’t

make sense, she just couldn’t stop.

That's what OCD does. For people like Anna, the mind grabs onto a worry, no matter how

irrational it may seem, and spins it repeatedly until it feels like the only way out is to

perform a specific action or ritual, like hand-washing. And if that action doesn’t feel just right,

they have to do it again… and again.

At its core, OCD is about obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. Obsessive thoughts

might look like a recurring idea, image, or urge that doesn’t go away and feels distressing.

It’s like a song you hate that’s stuck in your head, only a lot more intense and unsettling.

Compulsions, on the other hand, are the actions people take to relieve this mental

discomfort—even if the relief is only temporary.

This part’s still a bit of a mystery what actually causes OCD? There’s a mix of

factors—some genetic, some environmental. If you have a family member with OCD, your

chances of experiencing it yourself go up. Brain imaging has also shown differences in

certain pathways in the brains of those with OCD, which might explain why they get stuck on

specific thoughts and actions. Stress and trauma can also be triggers, like how Arjun’s fear

of germs started after a bout of illness. For some people, these fears fade over time, but for

others, they linger and intensify, often spiraling out of control.

OCD isn’t just inconvenient; it can get in the way of living. It can make everyday

things—going to school, hanging out with friends, even sitting through a class—feel like

massive challenges. People with OCD often feel embarrassed or frustrated because they

know their thoughts aren’t logical. They might even try to hide their symptoms. It’s

common for people to spend years trying to manage OCD on their own before they ever talk

about it.

The good news is, that with support and the right approach, OCD can be managed. Cognitive-

behavioral therapy (CBT), specifically a technique called exposure and response prevention

(ERP), helps people learn to face their fears without giving in to the compulsion. For some,

medication can also help balance the brain chemicals involved.

Understanding OCD is the first step toward breaking the stigma. When we stop thinking of

OCD is a personality quirk and recognizing it as a mental health condition, we make it easier

for people like Arjun to seek help and feel understood. And maybe next time we will hear

someone casually says, "I'm so OCD about my notes," we’ll remember the real stories of

those who live with it and face it every day.