8 Tips for Writing Characters with OCD
"Yeah, I'm a little OCD."
We've probably all heard this phrase. It's so normal that we (maybe) just shrug it off and move on with our lives.
Unfortunately, this flippant treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder has led to a lot of problems. One such problem is the stereotypical OCD character that appear in stories from time to time. They're usually portrayed comically, or perhaps as psychos. Neither of these are accurate or helpful representations, so let's discuss some tips for writing OCD characters accurately and thoughtfully.
1. Understand what obsessive compulsive-disorder is. Most people think that OCD is just needing things to be clean and orderly. While this is an OCD subtype, it is not the definition of OCD or the only expression of it. OCD is an anxiety-related disorder where you have frequent thoughts, mental pictures, or urges (aka: obsessions) that often result in compulsions, which are the performing of repetitive actions (hand washing, double-checking things, smoothing clothing, confessing, etc) or thoughts (counting, repeating a phrase over and over in your head, praying, etc). This can be accompanied by the thought that if these repetitive actions/thoughts are not performed, something bad may happen to you, your loved ones, or people in general. Or one simply may performed these actions to soothe nerves and reduce anxiety. There are MANY different levels of OCD. You can be OCD while only having compulsions or only have obsessions, but not both (or having both of them, but to varying degrees). There are many other aspects to having an obsessive compulsive disorder, so be sure to do your research.
2. Don't make fun of it. Seriously. This is way overdone. Not only are you uncreative by doing this, but you are also labelling yourself as a pretty inconsiderate person. You have brought dishonor on your cow, and now deserve the cone of shame.
Don't create an OCD character specifically to play them off for laughs. Consider this: OCD is a legitimate disorder that people sincerely wrestle with. It can affect self-esteem, relationships, and careers. Does that seem like something you should be joking about? Yeah. I didn't think so.
3. Decide how your character's OCD presents itself. Do they have both obsessions and compulsions? What are they? How are they connected? Do they always give into their compulsions? Do they believe something bad will happen if they don't? As mentioned before, OCD presents in many different ways. Figure out how it presents for your character and stick with it. And also consider doing something other than "When they get stressed, they need to clean and organize everything." There are SO many other types of OCD. Consider broadening your representation.
4. Consider your character's triggers. There are certain events that can exacerbate obsessions and compulsions. Maybe your character heard about a break-in on the news, so now he's even more afraid of a burglar breaking in and thus has to double-check, re-check, and check-again to make sure he locked all his doors and windows. Maybe your character has to drive through a crowded city, triggering her obsessive fear of running over a pedestrian. Maybe he drew an unlucky number at the deli and now has to burn incense in every room of his house, while also staying away from friends to avoid passing on the bad luck. Maybe she has a really stressful exam today, so she needs to line up all her pencils in her pencil case so that she can do well during the test. The list goes on. Put thought into your character's triggers to add realism.
5. Make your character a real person with real interests. I said this when talking about how to write characters with anxiety. And how to write characters with depression. And how to write characters with a chronic illness. But I'm going to say it again here because it is very. very. important.
People with OCD are still people. Even if their OCD is very severe and rules their life, that doesn't mean they don't have things they enjoy. Do they like comic books? Enjoy making soap? Think biking is fun? Do they have a sarcastic personality? Are they super compassionate? Or super serious? Give them personality traits outside of their OCD. Write them as people, not disorders.
6. Avoid victimizing your character. Is it hard having OCD? Yeah, for some (most?) people. It can be time consuming, difficult on relationships, and really tough to handle mentally (depending on the level of OCD your character has). While it is important to represent OCD properly, it is also important to avoid writing your character as a sad, crazy person. Write them so that people can empathize with them, not so that readers can just feel bad for them. There are so many negative representations of people with OCD. Put some thought into writing a character that uplifts and empowers.
7. Decide whether your character knows they have OCD. Your character's level of awareness can play into how you write them. It will affect the way your character views themselves, and also the way you write about their obsessions and compulsions. And, if you are writing fantasy/sci-fi where OCD isn't a term, you'll have to take world-building into account: Are their actions seen as abnormal? Are they stigmatized for them, or praised? These are all things you need to be thinking about.
8. Go talk to people with OCD. Seriously. This is important. Don't know anyone with OCD? Go online. There are plenty of bloggers and youtubers who have shared their experiences. Read up, ask questions (if they've said they're open to that), and learn.
Have any extra tips or thoughts you'd like to add? Let's hear 'em!
Please note that, for some unknown reason, Blogger respond to comments (I keep getting logged out). So while I am reading (and appreciating) all of your comments, I'm unable to respond to them until this glitch is cleared up. And yes, this has been going on for a few weeks, thus the radio silence in my comment section. Thanks for understanding!
Related articles:
10 Tips for Writing Socially Awkward Characters
Writing Characters with Depression: What You're Doing Wrong
10 Tips for Writing Characters with Anxiety
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
We've probably all heard this phrase. It's so normal that we (maybe) just shrug it off and move on with our lives.
Unfortunately, this flippant treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder has led to a lot of problems. One such problem is the stereotypical OCD character that appear in stories from time to time. They're usually portrayed comically, or perhaps as psychos. Neither of these are accurate or helpful representations, so let's discuss some tips for writing OCD characters accurately and thoughtfully.
1. Understand what obsessive compulsive-disorder is. Most people think that OCD is just needing things to be clean and orderly. While this is an OCD subtype, it is not the definition of OCD or the only expression of it. OCD is an anxiety-related disorder where you have frequent thoughts, mental pictures, or urges (aka: obsessions) that often result in compulsions, which are the performing of repetitive actions (hand washing, double-checking things, smoothing clothing, confessing, etc) or thoughts (counting, repeating a phrase over and over in your head, praying, etc). This can be accompanied by the thought that if these repetitive actions/thoughts are not performed, something bad may happen to you, your loved ones, or people in general. Or one simply may performed these actions to soothe nerves and reduce anxiety. There are MANY different levels of OCD. You can be OCD while only having compulsions or only have obsessions, but not both (or having both of them, but to varying degrees). There are many other aspects to having an obsessive compulsive disorder, so be sure to do your research.2. Don't make fun of it. Seriously. This is way overdone. Not only are you uncreative by doing this, but you are also labelling yourself as a pretty inconsiderate person. You have brought dishonor on your cow, and now deserve the cone of shame.
Don't create an OCD character specifically to play them off for laughs. Consider this: OCD is a legitimate disorder that people sincerely wrestle with. It can affect self-esteem, relationships, and careers. Does that seem like something you should be joking about? Yeah. I didn't think so.3. Decide how your character's OCD presents itself. Do they have both obsessions and compulsions? What are they? How are they connected? Do they always give into their compulsions? Do they believe something bad will happen if they don't? As mentioned before, OCD presents in many different ways. Figure out how it presents for your character and stick with it. And also consider doing something other than "When they get stressed, they need to clean and organize everything." There are SO many other types of OCD. Consider broadening your representation.
4. Consider your character's triggers. There are certain events that can exacerbate obsessions and compulsions. Maybe your character heard about a break-in on the news, so now he's even more afraid of a burglar breaking in and thus has to double-check, re-check, and check-again to make sure he locked all his doors and windows. Maybe your character has to drive through a crowded city, triggering her obsessive fear of running over a pedestrian. Maybe he drew an unlucky number at the deli and now has to burn incense in every room of his house, while also staying away from friends to avoid passing on the bad luck. Maybe she has a really stressful exam today, so she needs to line up all her pencils in her pencil case so that she can do well during the test. The list goes on. Put thought into your character's triggers to add realism.
5. Make your character a real person with real interests. I said this when talking about how to write characters with anxiety. And how to write characters with depression. And how to write characters with a chronic illness. But I'm going to say it again here because it is very. very. important.
People with OCD are still people. Even if their OCD is very severe and rules their life, that doesn't mean they don't have things they enjoy. Do they like comic books? Enjoy making soap? Think biking is fun? Do they have a sarcastic personality? Are they super compassionate? Or super serious? Give them personality traits outside of their OCD. Write them as people, not disorders.6. Avoid victimizing your character. Is it hard having OCD? Yeah, for some (most?) people. It can be time consuming, difficult on relationships, and really tough to handle mentally (depending on the level of OCD your character has). While it is important to represent OCD properly, it is also important to avoid writing your character as a sad, crazy person. Write them so that people can empathize with them, not so that readers can just feel bad for them. There are so many negative representations of people with OCD. Put some thought into writing a character that uplifts and empowers.
7. Decide whether your character knows they have OCD. Your character's level of awareness can play into how you write them. It will affect the way your character views themselves, and also the way you write about their obsessions and compulsions. And, if you are writing fantasy/sci-fi where OCD isn't a term, you'll have to take world-building into account: Are their actions seen as abnormal? Are they stigmatized for them, or praised? These are all things you need to be thinking about.
8. Go talk to people with OCD. Seriously. This is important. Don't know anyone with OCD? Go online. There are plenty of bloggers and youtubers who have shared their experiences. Read up, ask questions (if they've said they're open to that), and learn.
Have any extra tips or thoughts you'd like to add? Let's hear 'em!
Please note that, for some unknown reason, Blogger respond to comments (I keep getting logged out). So while I am reading (and appreciating) all of your comments, I'm unable to respond to them until this glitch is cleared up. And yes, this has been going on for a few weeks, thus the radio silence in my comment section. Thanks for understanding!
Related articles:
10 Tips for Writing Socially Awkward Characters
Writing Characters with Depression: What You're Doing Wrong
10 Tips for Writing Characters with Anxiety
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
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