Masking Your OCD to Save Yourself From Embarrassment
We've all seen that guy. The guy who's doing a not-so-discreet job of tapping almost everything he comes into contact to, or the guy who's carefully navigating around the cracks in the ground as if he was in a minefield. If you think it's awkward enough to have to watch guys like that, imagine being that guy. For any of you whom actually do suffer from OCD, chances are that you know what it's like to have to deal with the judgmental stares from everyone around you, or the awkwardness of explaining to children why you're acting strange. Luckily, I've developed a few ways over the years to set my compulsions to stealth - so even if my OCD wasn't any less prevalent, I at least had the decency of not being noticed.
1. Eat healthier foods
By eating healthy, I don't mean to go to the frozen food department and load up on weight watchers meals, but to find foods that have the building blocks for neurotransmitters that will reduce the prevalence of your compulsions. The three neurotransmitters that are the most responsible for this are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Although you can't find any of those in food, you can find the precursors to them, which are tryptophan and tyrosine, respectively. Meats such as chicken and pork are rich in these two amino acids, as well as seafood like tuna and shrimp. Flaxseeds are also a good option, since they not only contain a great deal of tryptophan, but omega 3 acids as well, which promote nerve cell regeneration. Be sure to stay away from sugary foods though, because although it will cause a temporary release of dopamine, there will be an impending crash.
2. Hide your OCD
The best way to hide your OCD from the public is to transfer your tasks to your head. For example, if your compulsion is to tap an object a certain number of times, try tapping only on your self, and once you become more comfortable, simply imagine you're tapping yourself in your head. If all goes well, you'll be able to carry out your obsessive compulsive symptoms purely in your head, which is much less embarrassing than on the things or people around you. In addition to this, simply avoiding something that will provoke your OCD is also a good idea if possible. For instance, if your compulsion is to not step on cracks in the ground, simply make a conscious effort not to look at the ground when you walk.
3. Don't be around other people with OCD
Being around others with symptoms of OCD or anxiety is not only annoying, but can actually exacerbate your own compulsions. If possible, try not to be around those that exhibit symptoms of OCD, since their compulsions will most likely make you more anxious and more likely to make a scene with your compulsions.
1. Eat healthier foods
By eating healthy, I don't mean to go to the frozen food department and load up on weight watchers meals, but to find foods that have the building blocks for neurotransmitters that will reduce the prevalence of your compulsions. The three neurotransmitters that are the most responsible for this are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Although you can't find any of those in food, you can find the precursors to them, which are tryptophan and tyrosine, respectively. Meats such as chicken and pork are rich in these two amino acids, as well as seafood like tuna and shrimp. Flaxseeds are also a good option, since they not only contain a great deal of tryptophan, but omega 3 acids as well, which promote nerve cell regeneration. Be sure to stay away from sugary foods though, because although it will cause a temporary release of dopamine, there will be an impending crash.
2. Hide your OCD
The best way to hide your OCD from the public is to transfer your tasks to your head. For example, if your compulsion is to tap an object a certain number of times, try tapping only on your self, and once you become more comfortable, simply imagine you're tapping yourself in your head. If all goes well, you'll be able to carry out your obsessive compulsive symptoms purely in your head, which is much less embarrassing than on the things or people around you. In addition to this, simply avoiding something that will provoke your OCD is also a good idea if possible. For instance, if your compulsion is to not step on cracks in the ground, simply make a conscious effort not to look at the ground when you walk.
3. Don't be around other people with OCD
Being around others with symptoms of OCD or anxiety is not only annoying, but can actually exacerbate your own compulsions. If possible, try not to be around those that exhibit symptoms of OCD, since their compulsions will most likely make you more anxious and more likely to make a scene with your compulsions.
Source...