The emergence of coronavirus and the subsequent pandemic has ushered in a very strange period of history. From extreme restrictions on travel to profound limitations on social contact, we have entered a new world where reduction of risk and prevention of contamination seem paramount.
But when a government official invites us all to be a bit more OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) with our social distancing and handwashing, I can’t help wondering how that sounds to those who really struggle that way. For them reduction of risk and prevention of contamination may have been a life-dominating concern for years. Are they irritated by such casual reference to their difficulties? Or affirmed because people finally see just how dangerous the world really is?
Yet, despite certain superficial similarities, these things aren’t really the same. Our coronavirus-driven determination for handwashing is voluntary. We need reminding to do it and struggle to see out the full 20 seconds. Handwashing associated with OCD needs no reminders – powerful unwanted thoughts and persistent unbidden fears compel a person to wash.
