Normalizing Mental Health

Mental health can feel like an island at times. It’s hard to realize that we are not alone in our experience. So, let’s do an exercise in normalizing mental health challenges by looking at something my practice treats - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

According to the NIH (National Institute of Mental Health) approximately 1.2% of adults living in the United States met diagnostic criteria for OCD over the past year. 1.2% doesn’t sound like a lot, right? Let’s put it in perspective.

Think of it like this. Lets say you make the average salary in New Jersey (approximately $76,000 according to northjersey.com). Let’s say the 1.2% of people meeting diagnostic criteria for OCD gave you $1. That pays your salary for a little over 39 years.

If we wanted to have a party and invite everyone who meets diagnostic criteria, we would need to rent out the entire city of Newark to host it…and then host it for about 10 more days to fit everyone.

If we lay everyone down from head to toe with OCD, they would cover the distance from New Jersey to California (probably a little more.)

According to the International OCD Foundation, it takes an average of 7 years from when symptoms show up for someone to be diagnosed with OCD. If we can say that right now, 1.2% of the population meets the criteria to be diagnosed with OCD and there are folks walking around who meet criteria, but haven’t been formally diagnosed; that 1.2% may be on the low end of the scale.

The takeaway here: you are, in no way shape or form, alone in your mental health experience.

For more information on OCD, please visit: https://iocdf.org/brochures-and-fact-sheets/ for a variety of materials to give you more information.

Contact us today to discuss treatment options for OCD or any mental health diagnosis. Our goal is to help, so even if we don’t have the experience or training necessary to provide the care you need, we can provide you with resources and point you in the right direction of a provider who can.

Please note Starting Line Counseling is not equipped to provide services to address situations that are life threatening and does not respond to calls, messages, or emails outside of normal business hours. If you or someone you know is currently experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911, utilize the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.