I thought in today’s post I would give you an analogy; a little idea of what having OCD is like (if you don’t already know).

I think it’s fair to assume that most people are familiar with Harry Potter. If so, you’re probably also familiar with the concept of the ‘Boggart’; the formless creature that takes the shape of whatever its viewer fears the most.

Having OCD is a little like having a Boggart in the room with you everywhere you go. It’s there when you wake up in the morning, it follows you wherever you go during the day and it watches over you whilst you sleep; sometimes you even see it in your dreams. It’s a constant reminder of what you are afraid of and the danger it poses to you.

Every single person with OCD will have different types of intrusive thoughts. They may have a single, overriding fear or they may have several different fears. Often, the fear will change or evolve. Sometimes, you’ll be able to look back at fears that crippled you in the past and laugh at them. Sometimes, it isn’t so easy.

You might remember from the book or the film that the spell used to defend yourself from the Boggart is ‘Riddikulus’. I think it’s fairly easy to see what J K Rowling’s message was in this instance. Although it does not feel like it and it’s extremely difficult to believe when in the grips of OCD, the fears that OCD brings to the table are ridiculous. There is simply no way a person who fears causing harm to others, to the point where they are afraid to be around others, will ever act on that thought or urge.

So, we must handle OCD in the same way that we would handle a Boggart (should we all be witches or wizards). We must confront it face-to-face, allow it to take on its most terrifying form and then tell it how ridiculous it is.