What the Media Gets Right—and Wrong—About OCD

OCD has been a pop culture buzzword for decades. From quirky characters on TV to influencers casually diagnosing themselves on TikTok, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been both spotlighted and misunderstood. As a psychologist who specializes in OCD, I often see how these portrayals shape what people believe—and misbelieve—about this very real and often painful condition.

Let’s break down what the media gets right, where it misses the mark, and why it matters.

What the Media Sometimes Gets Right

1. OCD Involves Repetitive Behaviors (But There's More to It)

   • Shows like Monk or The Big Bang Theory highlight ritualistic behaviors and a need for order. While exaggerated, these depictions do show how compulsions can take over a person’s life.

2. It’s Not Just About Cleanliness

   • Some stories have started to explore harm OCD, checking, or intrusive thoughts, especially in online communities. This reflects the growing awareness that OCD can show up in many forms—not just as a “neat freak” stereotype.

3. It Can Be Debilitating

   • The emotional distress some characters feel when their rituals are disrupted can give a glimpse into how exhausting OCD really is. When done thoughtfully, this helps reduce stigma and increase empathy.

What the Media Gets Wrong

1. “I’m So OCD” ≠ OCD

   • Being tidy, liking color-coded closets, or double-checking your email doesn't mean you have OCD. The disorder is not a personality quirk—it’s a chronic condition that causes real suffering. Using “OCD” as shorthand for being detail-oriented trivializes what people with OCD actually go through.

2. Ignoring the “O” in OCD

   • Media often skips over obsessions—those intrusive, distressing thoughts or mental images that drive compulsions. These are the heart of the disorder. Without them, it’s not OCD, it’s just a habit or preference.

3. Characters with OCD Are Often One-Dimensional

   • People with OCD are typically portrayed as eccentric, uptight, or overly cautious—and that’s where the character development ends. This flat representation misses the reality that OCD doesn’t exist in a vacuum. When OCD is reduced to a single trait, it dehumanizes people and reinforces stigma instead of fostering understanding.

4. Compulsions Are Shown Only as Visible Behaviors

   • Most media focuses on external rituals—hand washing, checking, arranging. But many compulsions are completely internal: mental reviewing, counting, repeating phrases in your head, mentally neutralizing "bad" thoughts, or constantly seeking certainty. These mental rituals are just as disruptive and painful, but often go unrecognized—even by some therapists. Ignoring mental compulsions leads to underdiagnosis and can make people feel even more alone in their experience.

Why Accurate Representation Matters

The way OCD is portrayed affects real people. It shapes how friends, partners, and even healthcare providers respond when someone opens up about their symptoms. When media oversimplifies OCD or focuses only on visible compulsions, it can reinforce the belief that OCD has to “look a certain way” to be real.

This has real consequences in therapy. Many of my clients were misdiagnosed for years—not because their symptoms weren’t severe, but because their OCD didn’t fit the stereotype. They were told their intrusive thoughts were signs of unresolved trauma, suppressed identity, or even personality disorders. Others were mistakenly reassured, encouraged to “trust their gut,” or told their fears were valid and worth acting on—all of which accidentally reinforced their OCD cycle.

Even well-meaning therapists can miss the mark without proper training. And when OCD is misdiagnosed, it delays access to evidence-based treatment and deepens the shame many clients already feel.

If You’re Struggling, You’re Not Alone

If you’re living with OCD—whether your thoughts revolve around contamination, harm, sexuality, relationships, or something else that feels too weird or shameful to say out loud—it’s not your fault, and it is treatable.

At Beyond Labels Psychotherapy, I offer individual therapy and a weekly OCD group that blends Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT).

If you're ready to feel seen, understood, and supported—whether for the first time or after a string of invalidating experiences—reach out. You don’t have to keep it hidden or fight it alone.

Torn Between Chaos and Control: When OCD and ADHD Coexist

Imagine a brain that won’t stop looping distressing thoughts... and also struggles to stay focused long enough to finish a simple task. It might sound contradictory, but for people living with both Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this is daily life.

While these two conditions seem like opposites—one marked by rigidity and control, the other by impulsivity and inattention—they often show up together. And when they do, the experience can be deeply confusing, especially when treatment is only targeting one part of the picture.

OCD vs. ADHD: Opposites… or Overlapping?

Let’s start with the basics.

• OCD is an anxiety disorder driven by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) meant to reduce distress or prevent feared outcomes.

• ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects executive functioning—things like focus, planning, working memory, and emotional regulation.

Here’s the twist: Both conditions involve difficulties with regulation. They just show up in very different ways.

• In OCD, the brain gets stuck—looping thoughts, rituals, and fears.

• In ADHD, the brain skips around—jumping from one thing to the next without finishing.

For someone living with both, it can feel like being mentally trapped and mentally chaotic at the same time. This internal push-pull is exhausting—and can leave people wondering what’s wrong with them when nothing seems to fit.

Signs You Might Be Dealing with Both

Because OCD and ADHD can mask or mimic each other, they’re often missed in assessments—or misdiagnosed altogether. Here are some common signs that both may be at play:

• Difficulty following through on compulsions due to inattention or forgetfulness

• Feeling torn between obsessively needing to “get it right” and impulsively rushing through tasks

• Trouble sticking with ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) or therapy homework because of ADHD-related avoidance or disorganization

• Rumination over “mistakes,” real or imagined—especially when executive functioning issues lead to actual consequences

When OCD Becomes a Coping Strategy for ADHD

For many people, OCD rituals start to feel like a way to manage their ADHD—especially if they’ve spent years being criticized for forgetfulness, lateness, or “careless” mistakes. Compulsions can offer a (false) sense of control in a brain that often feels out of control.

This can lead to a fear that treating OCD will make things worse.

“If I stop checking everything five times, I will make a mistake.”
“If I don’t obsessively plan, I’ll forget something important.”
“My OCD is the only thing keeping me functional.”

In these cases, OCD becomes a compensatory strategy—one that’s anxiety-driven and unsustainable, but also deeply tied to a fear of ADHD-related failure. That fear is real, and it deserves attention in treatment.

Treating OCD and ADHD Together

When both conditions are present, therapy needs to be flexible, compassionate, and strategic.

• ADHD treatment (like structure, medication, or behavior strategies) can help—but sometimes fuels compulsions if not monitored.

• OCD treatment (like ERP or ICBT) is essential—but may need to be adapted for brains that struggle with follow-through, focus, or internal motivation.

As a therapist who specializes in both OCD and ADHD, here are a few strategies I use in my work:

• Incorporating visual reminders, timers, and external cues for exposure tasks

• Breaking therapy goals into small, achievable steps

• Helping clients differentiate between OCD-related guilt and ADHD-related forgetfulness

• Validating the distress while untangling what’s driven by anxiety vs. executive dysfunction

• Supporting clients through the fear of losing their coping mechanisms as OCD treatment begins

This is where self-compassion becomes just as important as any skill or tool.

You’re Not “Too Much.” You’re Not Alone.

OCD and ADHD can make the world feel like a maze with no map. You might feel like you’re always behind, constantly second-guessing, or trying to do things “right” without knowing what that even means anymore.

But you’re not broken. You’re navigating a brain that processes the world differently—and it’s possible to build skills, find relief, and move forward without having to choose between chaos and control.

Looking for an OCD and ADHD-Affirming Therapist?

I specialize in working with people who live at the intersection of OCD and ADHD. Whether you're struggling with compulsions, attention challenges, or both, therapy can help you build clarity, flexibility, and self-compassion.