Are you sure that you have OCD? Or you're just a neat freak? / Che Nooryohana Zulkifli

Have you ever been caught up in a situation where you were trying to clean or clear the clutters in your house or office more frequently than others that someone came to you and said you have OCD? Well, if it's a 'yes, then you're not alone, but there are many features that actually distinguish between being a person with OCD and just a neat-freak or a perfectionist. So, which is a disorder and which is a lifestyle? Let's start with the definition of OCD. According to Colon-Rivera and Howland (2020) from American Psychiatric Association, obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people experi- ence recurrent, unwelcome thoughts, ideas, or obsessive feelings that cause them to feel compelled to do something again and over again. Hand washing, checking on objects, and cleaning are examples of repetitive behaviours that can significantly disrupt a person's everyday tasks and social inter- actions. They don't seem content upon completion of a task, and they want to redo it no matter how good it feels or looks.