Founder’s Insight
OCD looks different in each of the people I love who live with it. We tend to picture a spotless house or everything in its place, but it can be as specific as how someone steps over a tile or eats a meal. When one of my boys was younger, his food had to be separated. Seeing how differently these patterns show up, even in one family, has taught me to get curious about what’s going on underneath.
I notice my own perfectionism most when I’m designing. I can be building a brand or working on a site, and if one little detail feels off, I find it so hard to leave it alone. Sometimes I wonder how much of that is about wanting control, or just wanting things to feel right. I know what that pull feels like for me, and I’ve seen how much more distressing and disruptive it can be for someone living with severe OCD.
You might see a tiny detail. Someone else might have spent half the day trying to move past it. That’s why I’ve learnt to ask, “What’s this like for you?” Sometimes they want to talk. Sometimes they need a little space. Sometimes it’s more helpful if you don’t acknowledge it at all. What helps one person may feel completely different to another.
And if you’re the one caught in that loop, I hope you can give yourself some of that same compassion. There’s room to be kind to yourself while you figure out what helps.
Founder - The Mental Wealth Hub
