Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

[drummergirl1]

Hi guys

Not quite sure if this is the right place for this - but many of you may be aware of the programme 'Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners' on Channel 4 in the UK. In my opinion it is very hurtful to people with OCD, and serves to mock and trivialise what can be a devastating illness. A quick look on twitter shows many people are saying things like 'I wish I had OCD, then my house would be clean' or things such as 'those people are crazy!' Clearly this is perpetuating the myth that (a) OCD is all about cleanliness and (b) it is a set of quirks, rather than a horrible illness.

There is a petition asking Channel 4 to remove the association with OCD, and instead just focus on obsessive cleaners (which is what the programme is really about, anyway). If you would like to sign, the link is here: http://www.change.org/petitions/channel-4-remove-associations-with-ocd-from-obsessive-compulsive-cleaners?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi DG, been a while, hope you are ok?

Has anyone posted it on OCD UK? I'm not on there but I'm betting a lot of those members won't be happy about programmes like that.

I've only ever seen bits of this and the Bedlam one that was supposed to be much better.

CH4 are what they are, they are chasing ratings out of shock value at the cost of anyone.

Wasn't there one where they took some of these obsessive cleaners and got them to clean up very dirty houses? I saw an advert for that and thought it was very disappointing as it made me think of the Victorian freak shows.

Something that always annnoys me is when we hear celebrities or non celebrities saying "I'm a little bit OCD". They wouldn't think like that if they understood what it's like.

It's a shame that we have a high profile campaign like Time For Change running and broadcasters are still promoting stigma.

Like one guy said on that petition, imagine if it was cancer.

I will sign it when I'm back on, just passing through tonight.

[drummergirl1]

Hi Terry - sorry I've just seen this! I'm well thanks, hope you are too?

OCD UK do know about it - they're hopping mad! Hopefully will make some difference but who knows.

xx

[Rennie1989]

OCD UK sent Channel 4 a letter after the first series to refrain from filming any further series - they ignored it.

As a mental health campaigner the only good thing C4 has done for mental health is My Mad Fat Diary, every other program on mental health have been derogatory, fulfilling stereotypes and misleading. I did a search on Twitter and, like you, found some awful tweets about wanting OCD so their house could be clean and tidy or how their mum should go on the show because they are 'a bit OCD'. This awful show is PROMOTING the stigma attached to OCD, it is not a personality trait that people desire, it is a debilitating illness. To those who wish they had it, I can only hope that they change their mind!

I wrote a blog on this, here:
http://positive-mental-health.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/obsessive-compulsive-cleanerss-negative.html

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, thanks DG...still plodding along with things.

It's a shame then that OCD UK aren't adding to the petition because it's still low. I would have thought their members would all be willing to sign it? Perhaps they need to get some threads or articles up to get peoples attention?

Rennie, I just read your blog on this and I remember reading some of the post show comments across the internet where the same was said. The issue resurfaced when Bedlam was aired but in this case the discussion was over how it was a more sensitive approach and put CH4's OCC to shame.

The trouble is that CH4 are going down this route of provocative programming for ratings as opposed to education. It can be seen in ridiculous programmes like Sex Box, Benefits Street, that one in the cabbies office and the nightclub toilet programme (although this did make me laugh as it brought back some memories of nightclubs in my younger days) and who can forget the bailiff one (the guy under investigation for his methods) which was put to shame by the guys on the CH5 version. They won't change, it's all money to them, the changes need to come in the form of legislation or complaints to governing bodies.

I just can't understand how they can be allowed to get away with making peoples anxiety worse. How can someone sign up to a programme knowing it could get worse? I wonder how this has been explained to them after all the fallout over benefits street.

I agree with everything you have stated about this irresponsible programming.

OCD covers a wideranging number of problems such as ruminations, intrusive thoughts, contamination (physical or mental), hoarding, graphically violent or sexual thoughts about loved ones or religious figures, magical thinking, symmetrical thinking, etc. Then there is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder to consider.

The media look for the stereo types which are cleaning and hoaring when programming should be examining the diversity of the disorder.

It's also frustrating to here people on TV, whether celebrities or not, saying "I'm a little bit OCD", which is quite derogatory to OCD sufferers considering the anxiety and depression that they constantly battle regardless of stigma by ignorant people.

It feels like all these campaigns are making anxiety & depression more open but at the same time it is failing key disorders such as OCD which can be abhorent in some cases such as graphic or violent intrusive thoughts where many sufferers don't dare reach out because of being judged or seen to be sexual predators or violent psychopaths.

Perhaps they can start up a new channel, Victorian might be a good name for it?

[Rennie1989]

Unfortunately, mental illnesses are only just getting the recognition that they deserve, but it's still a long process. People still think conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD etc can be switched on and off (I wish) and I suppose they are either too scared/lazy/close-minded etc to actually learn what these conditions actually are.

TV channels will always take viewing numbers over the quality of shows they produce. I think programs like Britain's Got Talent, X Factor, The Voice etc are all trollop, but they get the channel viewings. They will rather make a contraversial show then something that educates (as you said), so OCC wins over, say, life stories of people with OCD.

[venusbluejeans]

I do agree with what you are saying BUT watching the programme they do say things like "so and so's OCD doesn't involve cleaning, it is all to do with ordering" etc

so while I aggree with you mostly I guess what I am saying is you have to watch it in depth to make an opinion about it.....but yes it does mostly revolve around the 'cleaning ocd'... which sometimes in the end helps the person with OCD just as much as the one they are helping out!

[Rennie1989]

I have watched them in depth and I still was not happy with their overall message. They do mention about OCD being in other forms but they keep the focus on the 'cleaning' obsession. If they want to raise awareness of OCD then they need to take the 'freak show' aspect away and focus on all (if not most) types of OCD as well as showing how debilitating it can be. I've read comments where people WISH that they had OCD so they could keep their house clean - that's an awful message to send out to people.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I do agree with what you are saying BUT watching the programme they do say things like "so and so's OCD doesn't involve cleaning, it is all to do with ordering" etc



I've not watched it fully, so I agree that this is the only way to form a true opinion, I'm going on what I have seen and from reading what OCD sufferers have written on the internet about this program and the Bedlam one.

You raised another interesting point there that points to stigma, orderliness (and symmetry), which isn't part of contamination so shouldn't feature in a programme called OCC. It's just because CH4 take the lazy approach to programming not wishing to educate but to grab ratings hence don't want to get into the finer details which could confuse viewers into not bothering watching. They could apply the same loose connection to an Agoraphobic who ends up cleaning more than most people because they have so much time in the house.

---------- Post added at 02:29 ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 ----------


I have watched them in depth and I still was not happy with their overall message. They do mention about OCD being in other forms but they keep the focus on the 'cleaning' obsession. If they want to raise awareness of OCD then they need to take the 'freak show' aspect away and focus on all (if not most) types of OCD as well as showing how debilitating it can be. I've read comments where people WISH that they had OCD so they could keep their house clean - that's an awful message to send out to people.

I think they lost all credibility by taking OCD contamination sufferers and getting them to clean up someone elses home that was in a mess due to their own mental health issues. They basically attempted to reinact the Supersize vs. Superskinny model by pairing up opposites.

I call that taking advantage of someones suffering.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Updating to add the view from Dr Paul Salkovskis who declined to be on this show twice due to how it is trivialising OCD:

https://psychonoclast.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/oc-cleaners-and-betty-tv-my-response-to-their-request-for-expert-input/

[Ryukil]

I hope the people with OCD who agree to go on that show realize they are helping to trivialize the disorder?

Yeah, nothing annoys me more than people thinking OCD is "cute and quirky". Oh boy...I would actually like to give those people severe OCD for one day so that they would never talk about it like that again.

[MyNameIsTerry]

They are probably desperate for help and get lured in with the offer of professional help.

I've seen one advertised over here where they take an obsessive cleaner to a hoarders home to clear it out! That's like taking an alcoholic to clear out someone's wine cellar.

A phrase that has been popularised by celebs over here is "I'm a little bit OCD" or "anal". These are people who clearly don't have OCD asks use it more as an excuse or to gain sympathy. If only these people knew how hard it actually is.