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Understanding OCD

The emergence of coronavirus and the subsequent pandemic has ushered in a very strange period of history. From extreme restrictions on travel to profound limitations on social contact, we have entered a new world where reduction of risk and prevention of contamination seem paramount.

Pastoral care Steve Midgley
Figure Image
photo: iStock

But when a government official invites us all to be a bit more OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) with our social distancing and handwashing, I can’t help wondering how that sounds to those who really struggle that way. For them reduction of risk and prevention of contamination may have been a life-dominating concern for years. Are they irritated by such casual reference to their difficulties? Or affirmed because people finally see just how dangerous the world really is?