By Qaima Chatha
If you asked 13-year-old me what OCD was, I (like others) would have said ‘being really neat’. This is wildly inaccurate as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is far less aesthetic and far more exhausting.
And it’s affecting more young Australians than many realise.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 39 percent of people aged 16–24 experienced a mental disorder in the past year, with anxiety disorders being the most prevalent. OCD falls under the anxiety umbrella, even though it is more commonly dismissed as a personality quirk.
Among younger teens the grass still isn’t greener. Around 14 percent of Australians aged 12–17 have a diagnosed mental disorder. Let that number sink in – this is a lot of people quietly battling their thoughts whilst still in school.
For me OCD wasn’t about wanting to be neat. In fact, my room was usually a mess. It was intrusive thoughts pecking at my brain like magpies, rituals that stretched into early hours and the constant drumming fear that whatever I was doing wasn’t exactly right. It was about a deep, uncomfortable feeling that certain people or situations were ‘contaminated.’ It wasn’t logical, and it wasn’t something I chose. A fear response that felt impossible to ignore. But somehow the hardest part of the thoughts was the silence behind them.
This led me to wonder – why does OCD seem more common in today’s young people? A few reasons stand out.
Firstly, this generation is living in an ‘always on’ era. In a time where social media has others monitoring your every move – with endless notification dings – young people barely get a moment of real quiet. For those with OCD, the brain is wired to be more anxious and the constant stimulation makes the intrusive thoughts hit harder.
Then there’s the ever present perfectionism which has gone mainstream. Social media feeds especially are curated and designed to give the best glimpse into other’s lives – full of flawless routines, spotless rooms and the never-ending ‘productivity hacks’. In these traits OCD thrives.
And of course, there’s the classic threat of stress. With academic pressure, the cost-of-living crisis, climate anxiety and much more, today’s teens are navigating a storm that is pushing against them.
We also can’t ignore the pandemic leftovers. Even though the lockdowns are over, the psychological residue hasn’t budged. For some young people, contamination fears didn’t just disappear.
On the positive side, greater awareness will mean more young people recognise OCD for what it is. They have the language to describe it and are reaching out for help. Talking about OCD matters because silence is where it thrives – it shouldn’t stay the ‘invisible disorder’. And maybe that’s the point – the more we talk, the less alone young people feel, and the sooner they can get the support they deserve.
