OCD

I've never been offended when non-diagnosed people have said that around me. Why bother? Why get offended? I found no reason to take it personally. I've seen other non-OCD folks take offence on our behalf though and I find that a tad amusing. But here's an insight I've come to realise: Make a casual remark about Cancer. Here's one: "Man, John bores me to death. His jokes are cancerous." You can make such remarks all your life and yet when you hear, "John was diagnosed with cancer," you will take it seriously. Very seriously. Because you know cancer has repercussions. But OCD? It's a joke. You can look straight into your childhood friend's eyes and say, "Hey bud, I was diagnosed with OCD." and it will never be a biggie. Why? The best answer I could come up with is: It is because OCD is unimaginable to a neurotypical mind. If you've pulled a muscle, you can imagine how painful a ligament tear could be without having gone through it. But OCD? It has no equivalent, no analogy, no base neurotypical experience that you can extend and explain. That is the "I am so OCD" problem. It is not the joke or how lightly it is taken. It is that I, a professional copywriter, having dealt with this monster for about 10 years, cannot convey in its true essence the horrendous and life-threatening experiences I have had with this disorder to a neurotypical brain.