Self diagnosed OCD - A concept rooted in hypocrisy

Dear blog,

My roommates both claim that they are OCD. Let's see what the National Institute of Mental Health says about that disorder, shall we?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.

One roommate in particular has taken it upon his or herself to allow months and months of mail to pile up on the passthrough next to our front door. In my opinion, this is behavior is completely inconsistent with the aforementioned OCD-like tendencies to wash hands, count, sort, or clean.

Perhaps the roommate in question was referring to a completely different definition for the OCD acronym? Maybe he or she is self diagnosed with "Obtrusive Clutter and Disarray" or "Obviously Cool with Disorganization?"

In a world where everybody strives to prove (in vain) that they aren't hypocrites, some people are completely complacent with the fact.

Thank you