We belong to the OCD Generation, one that panics without ultimate orderliness in every aspect of our lives. We accept the impossible expectations we put upon ourselves, try to do too much with too little time, and worry about the low probabilities of life.
We strive to achieve, to impress, to be perfect. We obsess over things big and small, but mostly small: often not life-changing decisions but daily administration - such as looking faultless in public, with flawless skin and perfect hair.
Or perhaps our obsessions are unwarranted and unrealistic: fear of infectious diseases, fear of rejection or embarrassment, even fear of stress (which inevitably causes stress).
Such compulsive worries lead to feelings of debilitation, panic attacks, even being unable to leave the house. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour is exhibited - and accepted - by a silent yet sizable proportion of adults today. The Phobic Trust of New Zealand, which helps people with compulsive disorders, estimates 25 per cent of Kiwis suffer from OCD and similar disabilities.
However, in our modern generation we often mistakenly self-diagnose OCD; accepting it as essential in a motivated and driven life. The modern world teaches us to over-personalise, over-generalise, jump to conclusions and catastrophise when we feel anxiety. Much of this is worsened by the internet.
An OCD thought starts as a little niggle, like a spot you want to squeeze. It's present in your mind, but barely noticeable until you give it a little thought. The thought then turns to worry, and the worrying mind wants solution.
You turn to Google, and type in your problem. "How much bacteria is on a toilet seat?", "Fatal rashes", or "Can you die from an insect bite?", and so on.
The Great and Powerful Google then overwhelms you with information and misinformation (particularly on message boards and forums), which opens your worry up to the point of no return.
Once you're confused you can't control your worry. You're in a cycle and you're overwhelmed. So if this kind of OCD happens to you, step back and seek help - or self-help, as it were.
There's a popular psychotherapeutic approach called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that can be provided through workbooks (many are free online) rather than a real life therapist. It enables you to realise it is anxiety that underlines OCD, not the other way around (hence the self-misdiagnosis).
Of course, anxiety can't be cured in a month. Anxiety can't really be cured at all. But it can be managed. CBT, in a nutshell, teaches you to think differently - more objectively, with evidence and alternative viewpoints - about your worries. It's the perfect antidote to our all-consuming modern life that fixates on internalisation and others' perceptions.
Put simply, anxiety, and subsequent OCD, is fuelled by fear. Deal with the fear, and the habit of thinking about the fear, and you deal with the obsessive worries. You'll fuss again and again about new things - the 21st century is full of perplexities to fret about - but as time goes by, you'll learn how to better process them.
Do remember, anxiety has purpose. American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, known as the father of CBT, explains it best: "Anxiety is not painful to punish you, but rather to wake you up and get your attention.
"[Either] you need to act differently, or you need to think differently".
- www.nzherald.co.nz
