Man With OCD Performs Heartwrenching Poem About Love

This video might be old news to some, but I stumbled across it again today and felt that I should share it for those who haven't seen it. A beautiful, amazingly worded, and powerful spoken word reading. Slam poet Neil Hilborn truly bears us his soul, and shows a man who is in pain without his love. However after watching that, it wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. You hear the term OCD thrown around a lot lately.

"Ugh the files on my computer were not named correctly, so I had to organize my whole hard drive. I'm kinda OCD like that."   "Yeah I organize my movies in alphabetical order. So you better put it back where you got it, I'm pretty OCD about it."   "My OCD kicked in today and i just started cleaning my whole house."

It seems like OCD is often getting confused with being picky, stubborn, or a neat freak. The reality is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is legitimate mental health concern. The Canadian Mental Health Association describes OCD as...

"...an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent intrusive ideas, thoughts, impulses or images (obsessions) which often result in performing compulsive rituals over and over again. Typical compulsions are washing, checking and arranging things, and counting. These actions give individuals with OCD only temporary relief from their anxiety. With early diagnosis and the right treatment, people can avoid the suffering that comes with OCD."

So saying you are OCD about something because you have attention to detail, is like saying you have Social Anxiety Disorder because you hate waiting in long lines at the movies. Having OCD feels like you're skipping on a record player, obsessing over things to the point where it effects their lives. They don't have a movie organizing method, they have life organization methods. Some so irrational and bizarre that they make little sense to obsess over. People with OCD can't not obsess over these things.  It's a disorder, not a quirk. I'm in no way saying we should look at people with OCD as different. I think we should be more conscious about their struggle and greet them with empathy, understanding and kindness. Because people like Neil Hillborn exist, and they need that from us.