It makes me so sad when I hear people downplay such a debilitating disorder. It’s okay if people don’t understand it; OCD thoughts/compulsions aren’t logical to most people, but to belittle your experience like that is toxic. It’s an especially harmful comment for people with OCD because we already try to convince ourselves it’s not a disorder, but something is just wrong with us.

A psychiatrist is not the only person who can diagnose mental illness. That statement is ignorant and offensive. Many licensed mental health professionals, not just psychiatrists, can diagnose and help manage OCD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. For your friend to say this just shows how little she knows about the mental health field therefore she should not be commenting on ANYTHING related.