People with OCD -Are you offended by jokes about OCD?

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I posted this in the Other conditions forum. Then I thought it would probably do here, because OCD, or at least obsessive, compulsive symptoms are often part of autism.

I have never been diagnosed with OCD, and don't need to be now, but there were times in my life when I became exceedingly ritualistic to the point where it interfered with my life.

But OCD seems to be cool. My friends are always posting jokes about it on Facebook. In these memes, OCD is when a person is being a little bit particular about how tidy things are.

Does anybody feel offended by these jokes? I'm still trying to figure out if I am.

I really don't like those kind of jokes. I have had OCD symptoms that made it impossible for me to go to school, work, or even leave the house at all. My mother has OCD too (but not Autism), and is also not fond of those jokes.

Where is the 'I think they're boring' option?

Greetings. For me, I find that it just creates stereotypes and stigma for mental illness. People laugh about a condition. It's like making fun of someone for never being able to use their arm again. Like "oh, I own a sports car, you want to take it for a spin? oh ya, you can't because your arm is disable, haha" (I don't feel like this, just an example because I couldn't think of something else). People don't say stuff like this anyone, but people will say this about mental illnesses, particularly OCD and AD/HD (not sure if AD/HD is considered a mental illness or not) I find. I have heard jokes about depression and separation anxiety before, but mainly the first two. I don't find it funny, but offensive. But I have been made fun of just autism before. At a meeting about accommodations for school, the principal who was there said an expression ("sign your life away") and then was like "I shouldn't say stuff around you, haha" (and was laughing with someone else at the meeting) and I was just confused because I knew it was an expression, but was so mad because you are laughing about something I can't control. I have heard SO many OCD jokes, and I get so angry. Though I'm not sure if I'm diagnosed with it (believe I am, but not sure), but I have violent intrusive thoughts, and people laugh about being a "grammar Nazi" being "OCD". I am fine if they actually struggle with OCD in real life, but people who laugh about a "perk" being "OCD". It gets me so mad. Some people don't care, I just don't want stigma and stereotypes about mental illness existing, that's all. This is something I really care about (as a topic).

If you can't make jokes about OCD in case OCD sufferers are offended, then you can't make jokes about autism either, or cancer, or being dead, or women drivers, or bad boyfriends etc etc. Something has to be the butt of a joke, to get offended because "your thing" is being the subject of a joke is incredibly narrow minded. People who are offended at jokes are simply joyless people looking to be offended.

"In Catholicism you're supposed to have fish every Friday. Eating the same thing every Friday? Doesn't sound like Jesus was the Son of God, more like someone with Asperger's Syndrome."
- Frankie Boyle (paraphrased by me)

on-topic:

https://youtu.be/tnzz-eFmKaw

i think the video is very funny (and very relatable, really!). i don't have ocd myself though, and i can see how someone could find it frustrating to see something like that. it's sort of an inevitable side effect of this kind of humor. those guys know very well that it's not ocd that they're making fun of though, they're exactly making fun of those people who have just any neatness-related little quirk / compulsive pet peeve and then go on to say that "it's their ocd"

they aired an episode of their talk show the next day talking about it (they left an explanation in the description). the wife of one of the guys has ocd herself, and they say that they "asked her for permission" before doing the video, and she thought it was funny and didn't see a problem with it. they also say how when they looked it up they found out that those little things are actually more related to ocpd rather than ocd:

https://youtu.be/-1QeJAmpvGk

@Chichikov: Oh wow, you made a joke about christian religion AND aspies. May the shitstorm begin...

No really. I dont get why people get offended by jokes? Laugh a little and get on with your life. For me, having humor is one of the most effective ways to cope with the pain. Laughing at something makes it easier to deal with it. As long as the joke isnt made directly to offend you on purpose, i think its best to not be so serious all the time. "Haha he has *insert anything here*" isnt funny but just insulting, but if its a clever joke im fine with it beeing on my account sometimes. If we start to censor humor because maybe someone could get offended jokes soon will be like "Knock Knock - Whos there? - Fun police"

And you know whats funny? A guy in a wheelchair, doing stand up comedy...

Peace
TK

i can picture someone with ocd complaining about it, and then a deaf person replying "i hear ya"

And the mute person thinking "i was about to say something about this"?

Ok seriously, we should stop, lets dont derail the topic

Peace
TK

Last edited by Tiankay on 31 Jul 2016, 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I may have a smattering of OCD, though it definitely couldn't be called severe. Predictably, I'm not offended by such jokes, but I can see why they could upset people who have the disorder in spades if the ailment caused them a great deal of misery, which I guess it can. I thought the YouTube jokes presented or linked to here were all pretty weak - you'll have to work harder than that to make me laugh. But I've seen bits of the TV shows "Monk" and "Doc Martin" that appear to take the mickey out of OCDers, and I laughed a bit at those. I laughed more at some of Doc Martin's Aspie behaviour, and could see myself in it, but then although ASD has undoubtedly made my life very painful at times, it might overall not be as devastating as being strongly obsessive-compulsive. I saw one the other day feverishly checking his car doors for security, and I feel his condition makes him a very troubled man - I can imagine how hurt he might be if anybody poked fun at his disability, and although he can be a royal pain in the butt, I'd have to be really angry with him to want to do that to him. Come to think of it, I think it might hurt me significantly if anybody ridiculed one particular aspect of my OCD-like behaviour, but I see most of my obsessions as fair game for a bit of fun.

I really didn't know this was a thing...what kind of jokes?

I think this is hilarious. Especially the end which I totally did not expect. lol

Ok...I get it that might be intending to make fun of people who just say they have OCD over any little thing...but to me it doesn't seem like that's what they are portraying.

Even the most trivial thing can become a real compulsion...it can seem like it's just a quirk and some of the time it might be. But then when I get overwhelmed with anxiety, that same little quirk or pet peeve can become a nightmare.

yes. i don't have actual ocd, or even ocpd for that matter, but that kind of obsessive-compulsive behavior you see in the video has many times been a serious hindrance anyway. i get pathologically perfectionistic about things that make absolutely no difference in reality, and it all just has to be right. it just HAS to be. and until it is, i can't do or think of anything else, and i can't explain why. it's actually one of the reasons why i'm unemployable (even though, fortunately, i'm capable of being self-employed, because it allows me to keep general stress under control)

and... yes, that is one of the reasons why i find it so funny. it's just very relatable (including the end )

I dont really feel offended because no hate is directed at the condition per say, sometimes people can make it seem like its not real or everyone has it but it doesnt offend me just the ignorace annoys me. Like when someone straightens something out and says "im so OCD" when thats not at all the case.

More annoyed than offended.