You have probably heard your friend say, "I'm so OCD about my bookshelf because I keep it neat." Or maybe, "Everyone is a little OCD."

The truth is, OCD is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by unwanted thoughts, urges, and/or impulses known as obsessions. The actions to temporarily relieve these obsessions are known as compulsions.

There are many types of obsessions. The most common are contamination obsessions, though there are many other various types of obsessions. People with contamination obsessions may also be called germophobes because of their extreme anxiety around germs, but this isn't always the case.

Contamination obsessions can cause the sufferer to repeatedly clean surfaces or get really worried if someone coughs. Personally, I'm not afraid of germs, but rather dirty surfaces. Well, not afraid. More like anxious, IDK. 

Anyways, even though cleaning may be associated with OCD because of the contamination obsession, this is not always the case. As mentioned above, OCD is not always about cleaning, as it comes in a spectrum of obsessions.

Next time you hear someone say that they're a little OCD because they like things neat, tell them the real truth about the disorder. Increased awareness is important to just not people with OCD but other disorders as well.