I hate it when someone uses this term in light or funny contexts. As a teen I first got completely destroyed by this problem. I never knew why I was getting so

I hate it when someone uses this term in light or funny contexts. As a teen I first got completely destroyed by this problem. I never knew why I was getting so many extremely intrusive thoughts. It hurt my self-respect and dignity. It turned myself against me. I never knew it was a condition. My academic performance declined, and I developed some habits I never even thought of. I was able to come out of it through focusing on other things like video games and hanging out with friends but it wouldn't go away completely. I felt it was okay though since my stress levels stabilized at that point. Again in mid twenties, it got me. This time I researched it and found it is called OCD which is a medical condition, yet I did nothing about it nor I spoke up. It devastated me again and I suffered for years. Every single day was full of stress and I remember being sleepless for a few months in a stretch. I started reading books on how to take care of it and recovery was still far away. I became suicidal for a bit but I felt it was a wrong idea because I would let it win over me if I did it. Finally, I've come to agree that it is okay to have it and not really take it seriously. I found out the point is to have the mind focus on useful things and keep it busy continuously. I've been doing this since last year and life has improved a lot. Today, 99% of my day is free from any OCD compulsions, obsessions and the stress. Yes I do get intrusive thoughts but I discard them and treat them with no more importance than a pile of crap. If there's any of you out there looking for any help, I am happy to provide some resources that go a long way. Technically I should have seen some professional for this, but I was way too embarrassed to share my situation with anyone else. I urge you all to never make this mistake though.