Anonymous asked:

Hey! I'm new here so I'll go anon, I hope you don't mind 👁️👄👁️ so I have this character, I'm still in the process of fleshing him out, and what I have of him is that he's a member of the army who lied in all of his psychological evaluations so he could get into the sniper team. Every time he shoots someone he Has to go and check if they're actually dead or at least shoot again, and if he doesn't he thinks they're not dead and are gonna come back for him. Is it considered OCD? Is it decent?

It’s definitely an unusual manifestation of OCD, and I don’t know if anyone IRL has ever experienced it, but I could potentially see that working for a fictional character!

The important thing here is that you shouldn’t just have them go check on the body once, or shoot the body again only once. OCD typically isn’t so easily reassured. He might feel like he has to check his victim’s vital signs over and over - what if his fingers weren’t in the right place to feel their pulse? What if their victim is holding their breath and is really good at playing dead?

He may also feel the compulsion to check on his victim a certain number of times before finally managing to force himself to move on - numbers can be very important in expressions of OCD.

You may also want to consider having other expressions of OCD in addition to checking the bodies. Check out my post here for some examples of what he might experience.

Disclaimer

#Anonymous #ocd #character critique #violence #gun violence #Obsessions #Compulsions #hypothetical #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice

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Anonymous asked:

Hey! I have an oc that has OCD, mostly they are worried about their belongings being stolen and are constantly making sure that nothing of theirs has been stolen. I haven't heard anything about this so I would like to know if this is realistic. Plus is it possible for people to have multiple types of OCD? Or for two types of OCD to blend together? Sorry about bothering you. ☀

This sounds reasonable to me! And yes, it’s possible to have multiple kinds of obsessions and/or compulsions that are unrelated to each other. Obsessions and compulsions can indeed shift or blend over time as well.

Disclaimer

#Anonymous #OCD #obsessive compulsive disorder #Obsessions #Compulsions #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice

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karkkidoeswriting asked:

Hi! I'm writing a story, where the MC has OCD. I've read a lot about OCD symptoms, but I've gotten kinda conflicting result. Some people seem to have only couple of really specific obsessions and compulsions, and others seem to have a wide range of them. My MC has obsessions about stabbing people and hurting herself and compulsions about counting, number 5, patterns and making sure she hasn't hurt anyone. My question is: is it realistic or should she have wider variety of obsessions?

CW: self injury, violence mentioned

As with many other mental illnesses, OCD is pretty diverse in how it can present! It’s highly individualized. Generally, as long as your character meets the criteria for diagnosis, your character is realistic.

Some people have extremely narrow and specific obsessions or compulsions, but even though there’s only a few of them, the intensity is such that it still negatively impacts their life.

Other people have a broad range of obsessions/compulsions that may be completely unrelated to each other.

It’s also possible to have a cluster of obsessions / compulsions that are related to the same overall theme.

Check out this post for some examples of the diverse ways OCD can present!

Disclaimer

#kittensartsbooks #OCD #Obsessions #Compulsions #obsessive compulsive disorder #violence #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #symptoms #character critique #Characterization

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readingdidyoumeanbreathing asked:

I am writinga character with ocd would it be okay if they for example had a specific connection to a number they say things a specific number of times etc?

This was a little unclear, but interpreting this as: “Is it okay for a character with OCD to have their compulsions revolve around a specific number”, yes, that’s extremely common. You’re good to go!

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#readingdidyoumeanbreathing #asks #OCD #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #Compulsions #character critique #Characterization

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Anonymous asked:

I want to write a character (in the Percy Jackson Universe) that has extreme trouble falling asleep. However, they are a child of Hypnos, God of sleep. What illnesses would prevent them from sleeping? Insomnia or Nightmare disorder maybe? And (if you want), how would his sleep problems interact with the fact that their dad is the god of sleep?

Major Depressive Disorder has insomnia built into the criteria. Insomnia is also a possible symptom of a manic or hypomanic episode, as part of a Bipolar I or II diagnosis.

While not in the criteria, some anxiety disorders may prevent your character from sleeping because of their constant worrying. OCD could also work if your character is driven to perform time-consuming compulsions before they can go to sleep.

There is also a prion disease called fatal familial insomnia that causes insomnia; however, the lack of sleep caused by this disease is universally fatal, usually within one year after beginning to show symptoms.

In addition to insomnia or nightmare disorder, I have a bit of an unorthodox thing to suggest: central sleep apnea. Basically, the character’s brain forgets to tell their body to breathe while they’re asleep. While it doesn’t initially prevent someone from getting to sleep, it does mean that the character would be waking up frequently and not getting restful sleep. This may or may not work with your story, but I thought it’s a neat, unusual idea.

As for your last question, honestly, I have no idea. However, a certain proverb comes to mind: “The shoemaker’s children always go barefoot.”

Hope that helps!

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Replacements for Ableist Language - OCD

A recent ask made me realize that I should probably have some kind of series to help educate writers about ableist slurs / offensive uses of words relating to mental illness, and offer replacements to use for writers.

Note - It is ScriptShrink’s official opinion that anyone who has been the target of the ableist language used here is fully and 100% able to reclaim it if they so choose.

This was going to be a single post, but it started getting huge so I’m splitting it up. First up is...

OCD

Wait, Shrink, you might say. Why is “OCD” in a series about ableist language? Obviously it’s not a slur, right? True, it’s not a slur, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sometimes used in an ableist, demeaning way.

What it literally means:

It’s an acronym for “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.”

When you should use this word / phrase:

When you’re referring to the disorder itself and / or people who actually have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

When you should not use this word / phrase:

When you’re referring to people, behaviors, or things that are not related to the actual disorder.

Why you shouldn’t use this word / phrase:

OCD has a lot of symptoms that are often debilitating to the people who have it, and by associating this disorder with casual, non-clinical level symptoms (such as simply preferring being organized or being focused on details), you make it harder for people who actually have OCD to make their struggles heard and understood.

Examples of how to this word / phrase appropriately:

“She’s been diagnosed with OCD - she washes her hands for hours a day.”

“I have OCD. I have disturbing, intrusive thoughts and do compulsive behaviors in response to them.”

“In the DSM-5, OCD is in the same category as Hoarding disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder, Trichotillomania, and Excoriation disorder.”

Examples of how not to use this word / phrase:

“You actually fold your underwear? You’re so OCD.”

“I’m so OCD about brushing my teeth twice a day.”

What to use instead:

NOTE - I am not saying that any of these words are synonymous with OCD, or that people with OCD necessarily have these qualities. These are just alternatives that can help people describe what they really meant before they chose to use “OCD.”

All of these words have different meanings and connotations. Don’t just pick a word off this list at random - look it up and see if it’s the right one for what you really mean.

Cleanly Conscientious Controlling Detailed / Detail-oriented Disciplined Exacting Fastidious Finicky Fussy Meticulous Methodical Nitpicky / Nitpicker Orderly Painstaking Particular Perfectionist Persnickety Picky Precise Punctilious Scrupulous Self-controlled Squeamish Strict Systematic Thorough Tidy

So that’s it for the first part! What ableist language or slurs would you like to see me cover in this series next?

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#scriptshrink #text #ocd #obsessive compulsive disorder #obsessions #compulsions #ableism #ableist slurs #ableist language #replacements #replacements for ableist language #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice

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Anonymous asked:

can ocd change with age? Not going away or anything, but like the obsession? Could they veer away from say, cleaning their sinks, and start being fixated on something else, like cleaning their hands? Not necessarily related or the only options, but just what came to mind.

Yes, what you’re describing is indeed possible. OCD obsessions and compulsions can, over time, change their focus as well as increase or decrease in severity.

#OCD #Anonymous #asks #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #obsessions #compulsions #obsessive compulsive disorder #short answers #ocd fixation anon

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Demystifying the DSM-5

The character needs to be focused on and worrying about at least one flaw in their physical appearance that the character thinks they have. This flaw has to be either not actually there, or barely noticeable to other people.

The character needs to have at some point done some kind of compulsive behavior or mental act in response to their worries about their flawed appearance (for example, checking a mirror, picking at their skin, asking others to reassure them, comparing their own appearance with that of others, etc).

The character’s worries about the flaw severely stresses them out or makes their life more difficult in some way.

The character’s worries aren’t better explained by an eating disorder.

One possible subtype of this disorder is:

With muscle dysmorphia: the character thinks their body is too small or not muscular enough.

You also should take note how the character reacts to their beliefs about their flaws.

With good or fair insight: the character realizes that their worries are probably not true.

With poor insight: The character thinks their beliefs are probably true.

With absent insight/delusional beliefs: The character is 100% convinced their worries about their flaw are true.

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#scriptshrink #text #body dysmorphic disorder #demystifying #demystifying the dsm 5 #dysmorphia #ocrd #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #compulsions #obsessions #demystifying the DSM 5

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Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder - Demystifying the DSM-5

Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)

This isn’t just plucking your eyebrows. We’re typically talking hours of time a week spent pulling out hair or resisting the urge to pull out hair.

The criteria are:

The character keeps pulling out their own hair. This has to result in hair loss.
The character needs to have tried to stop or reduce how much they pull out their hair.
The hair pulling causes the character stress (being ashamed, feeling like they’re out of control, etc.) or makes some part of their life more difficult.
The hair pulling / hair loss isn’t caused by a medical condition.
The hair pulling isn’t because of another mental disorder.

There are a couple things to consider when writing a character with trichotillomania.

The criteria specifies “hair loss”, but if your character is, for example, pulling out random hairs from all over their arms, it may not be immediately noticeable.

The hair can be from any part of the body – scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, body hair, armpit/pubic hair, etc.

Characters with this typically only pull hair in private.

The character might also have a specific way they pull out their hair – they may only want to pull out a certain type of hair, or feel compelled to examine at each hair after it’s pulled, or even eat them after pulling it.

Excoriation (Skin-picking) disorder

This isn’t just popping zits. We’re typically talking hours of time a week spent picking at their skin, or fighting off the urge to do so. This disorder often causes scarring and infection.

The character needs to keep picking at their skin, to the point where they get skin lesions.
The character needs to have tried to stop or reduce how much they pick their skin.
The skin picking causes the character stress or makes some part of their life more difficult.
The skin picking isn’t caused by a medical condition.
The skin picking isn’t because of another mental disorder.

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#scriptshrink #text #demystifying #demystifying the dsm 5 #excoriation disorder #trichotillomania #ocrd #compulsions #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #hair #skin #body horror #demystifying the DSM 5

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Kinds of OCD

There are a lot of different ways that OCD can be expressed. These are some of the most common, courtesy of https://www.ocduk.org/types-ocd

Under the jump because it’s an incredibly long post - but it’s a great one! :D

Keep reading

magicmoon65

My type of ocd is never exemplified…

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@magicmoon65

Oh no, I’m sorry! Could you give a brief description so I can add it to this post? I would hate to exclude anyone.

magicmoon65

I’d love to! This would probably be under symmetry and orderliness My body itself needs to be symmetric. If one side is touched, the otgerside needs to be touched in the same place in the same way. Whike I’m walking, if I step on a crack or something I need to step on it again/another with the other fit in the same position–only this includes not just cracks or a change beyween a hardwood floor and a rug, but also different colored tiles or paint.

scriptshrink

Thank you so much! :)

#OCD #kinds of ocd #reblog #addition #compulsions #obsessions #obsessive compulsive disorder #reference

scriptshrink

Kinds of OCD

There are a lot of different ways that OCD can be expressed. These are some of the most common, courtesy of https://www.ocduk.org/types-ocd

Under the jump because it’s an incredibly long post - but it’s a great one! :D

#ocd #obsessions #compulsions #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #lists #how do i describe #outside sources #child abuse #abuse #children #best of scriptshrink

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Demystifying the DSM-V

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness that has a relatively high level of media awareness for it. However, it seems like this level of awareness is typically limited to one type of OCD – the germophobic, cleanliness / orderliness obsessed kind.

This is definitely one way that OCD can present itself; however, it is far from the only way.

Despite what you may think, a character with OCD doesn’t need to have both obsessions and compulsions. They can have only one or the other!

So let’s see what we’re looking at here:

Obsessions

An obsession is both of the following:

Repeated, persistent thoughts, urges, or mental images that the character can’t control and doesn’t want. For most characters, these cause notable anxiety or stress.
The character has to try to ignore or suppress the obsessions, or else tries to neutralize them with some other thought or action.

Compulsions

A compulsion is both:

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the character is driven to do either because of an obsession, or because of a system of rules that have to be followed
The behaviors / mental acts are done to try to prevent / reduce the anxiety / distress felt by the character, OR to prevent some kind of bad thing happening. However, these behaviors / mental acts clearly aren’t connected to what they’re actually trying to prevent, or are clearly excessive and unneeded.

Note – child characters might not be able to tell anyone why they’re doing what they’re doing.

The obsessions and/or compulsions have be time-consuming (at least 1 hour a day), OR cause the character significant stress or make their life more difficult.

It can’t be better explained by another mental disorder.

There are some specifiers you have to look at when writing your character:

A character with OCD can have good or fair insight, which means that they can recognize that their OCD beliefs are not true, or think they are probably not true.
If they have poor insight, the character believes their beliefs are probably true.
If they have the absent insight / delusional beliefs specifier, it means that the character is completely convinced that their OCD beliefs are true.

You should also note if there’s a tic-related disorder.

So the stereotypical ‘obsessed with germs, compulsively cleans hands’ portrayal of OCD definitely fits the bill.

But let’s look at some possible ways OCD can be expressed that the media tends not to show.

Obsessions only – a character has repeated, unwanted thoughts about murdering the people around them. They do their best to ignore or suppress these thoughts, and HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO ACTUALLY KILL PEOPLE and experience no compulsions to do so. But the fact that they’re thinking about it so much causes them a significant amount of distress (‘What the hell is wrong with me??’).

Obsession and Compulsion - Unwanted mental images of graphic pornography that cause the character to feel guilty and ashamed. In response, they feel they must atone for their sinful thoughts through silently repeating a prayer a certain amount of times.

Compulsions only – the character must check that they have fully turned off their oven a certain number of times, or else they fear their house will burn down. They spend more than an hour a day going back to check that the oven is off, even driving home multiple times a day ‘just to make sure’.

[Shrink note - I’ll be going into a whole other thing on more ways to show OCD in a future post!]

As a personal aside, I really dislike it when people say “I’m so OCD” when they just prefer things organized and clean. OCD has a lot of symptoms that are often debilitating to the people who have it, and by associating the disorder with these casual, non-clinical level symptoms, you make it harder for people who actually have OCD to make their struggles heard and understood.

Please say something like “I’m such a neat freak!” instead.

As always, followers with personal experience with this disorder are welcome to submit their experiences! :)

#demystifying the dsm 5 #ocd #obsessive compulsive disorder #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice #demystifying #obsessions #compulsions #media stereotypes #demystifying the DSM 5 #best of scriptshrink

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Anonymous asked:

Is checking on a perfectly healthy loved one while they sleep (to make sure that they're still breathing) within a healthy range of human behaviour, or would it be more indicative of some deeper psychological issue?

That depends. Is the character checking in on the loved one once a night? Then they’re probably fine, if a little anxious.

If the character is checking in on someone multiple times every night, and are constantly thinking about it, that could be a sign of a potential issue, like OCD.

This doesn’t necessarily apply when the loved one being checked on has a medical condition (especially something like sleep apnea), or is an infant or child.

#character critique #characterization #compulsions #OCD #sleep apnea #underlying #Anonymous #asks #this is not psychological or medical advice #this is writing advice