There are a lot of things that people do not understand.
People do not understand having thoughts that are so unlikely but feel so real that you believe they must be true. People do not understand looking in the mirror and seeing, but not seeing, your actual reflection; seeing someone who seems fatter and grosser and more awful than you actually are, but it's your true and real reflection. But everyday, I hear people say things like, "yeah, I'm a little crazy OCD" or "I guess I should just go anorexic to lose the weight."
Let me preface, I do not get offended by these statements. I think more than anything it breaks my heart that these things are so misunderstood. Because I struggle with these things, sometimes when others offhandedly say things in such a blase way, it feels like I will never be seen. And it breaks my heart for the thousands of other people who struggle in the same way.
Tonight, I took my dog for a walk. When I came inside, I could have sworn that a spider had fallen on him. I immediately took my dog to the bathtub and doused him in Dawn dish soap. Then, fifteen minutes after completing the bath, I took him back to rinse him repeatedly to ensure that the residue from the soap wouldn't kill him when he licked it.
As I type this, I can see how ridiculous it sounds to a random, normal bystander. But this is my normal. I thought he was going to die...the one thing that has brought me such joy on earth. It is miserable. It is overwhelming. I do my best to logically fight against it. And when someone says "yeah I am pretty OCD," it just hurts. Not in a personal way. But in a "can you just try to understand?" way. OCD is obsessive-compulsive. Imagine being that way all the time. Obsessive thoughts trying to be eradicated by compulsive actions that don't r
When your struggle is everyone else's hyperbole, it feels like your struggle isn't real. And I am here to say that I see you, I feel you, and you are not alone.
To those who use these statements; please take one second to try to understand what this might be like. What OCD actually feels like. What anorexia actually does to you. How depression actually makes you feel. Before you sound off some random comment, just try to imagine. And if you cannot, just ask. Those who suffer with these things usually suffer in silence. We do not get offended, because it is another thing that we feel we deserve (a conversation for another day).
To the fighters, do not let the hyperbole get you down.
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