By The Moms with OCD Special Interest Group
A woman’s likelihood of having an increased risk of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptoms increases after a child is born, known as the perinatal period [1] This research article also recommends that moms have a conversation with their doctors about any symptoms that occur after the birth, adoption, or placement of their child. The challenge that multiple moms face is that OCD continues to have a stigma in the medical world. Far too many moms face this when their OCD and/or anxiety symptoms are shared; leaving these moms’ struggles to be unheard and untreated.
The members of the Moms with OCD Special Interest Group compiled a list of statements that they wish for their doctors (and all doctors) to know:
“I have OCD. I am a Christian. Do not just tell me to pray it away. Help me in a practical way.”
“I have OCD, and this makes me have really scary thoughts that I may have done something horrible in the past, but I believe I have not. I know these thoughts are not real but they still feel very scary.”
“OCD isn’t a catchphrase for people who are neat and clean. It’s serious and it hurts.”
“My OCD made me fear that they (other parents) might view me as unsafe or unstable, potentially preventing their children from interacting with mine.”
“My OCD does not disqualify me from being a parent.”
“I have OCD and I am a good mom.”
“I have OCD. I have been late for play dates and appointments because I felt like I had to turn around to go back and check if I closed the garage at home. I have canceled plans with friends because the worries of them possibly being sick were just too much. The hardest part was when people stopped inviting me to things because they knew I would probably cancel. What they didn't know was just how badly I actually wanted/needed to be there with them. I felt isolated and alone.”
“My OCD tells me to be afraid of myself as a parent instead of enjoying the joys of parenting.”
“Having OCD doesn't mean I don't understand or clearly see what's going on with me or my child.”
“I am terrified to share my really scary thoughts with you because I fear that you will not understand and might take my kids away or deem me as a "bad mom.”
“I have intrusive thoughts, images and urges surrounding my kids, and they are really distressing to me. I wish I could share this with you so that you can tell me why this is happening and what I can do about it.”
“I am not a bad person. I am a scared mom who is always trying my best. OCD makes everyday things more difficult, but does not make me a bad mom.”
“I have OCD and am terrified that I might accidently harm or sexually abuse my children. I know that I would never do this; please do not look down on me. Please know that I love my children more than anything and my OCD is focusing on who I fear I might become, not who I actually am.”
“I am a Therapist, mother, and an OCD survivor. “
For more resources on Perinatal OCD; please check out the Perinatal OCD Resource Center through the IOCDF.
You can find out more about the Moms with OCD Special Interest Group here. More information about Special Interest Groups is available here.
Sources:
- [1] (Fairbrother, N., Collardeau, F., Albert, A. Y. K., Challacombe, F. L., Thordarson, D. S., Woody, S. R., & Janssen, P. A. (2021). High Prevalence and Incidence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Women Across Pregnancy and the Postpartum. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 82(2), 20m13398. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.20m13398) ↩
I have thoughts all day long that I can’t handle being a mom and that I shouldn’t have become a mom. I google all day to try and prove to myself that this isn’t true and it makes everything even worse”