For many, obsessive-compulsive disorder is linked with hand-washing, organizing, color-coding, and cleaning. And although connecting OCD with these practices isn't technically inaccurate, it leaves out a key element of the picture. It's easy to look at these habits and say, "Oh, that's not so awful. I would like to keep my room neat". Or, "Oh, I detest it when my room is a mess. I'm very OCD too". But what you don't see, and what puts the "D" in OCD, are the cognitive processes underlying the obsessive activities. People with OCD don't arrange because it provides them delight. They don't clean since it's one of their hobbies. And occasionally, persons with OCD don't clean or arrange at all. OCD shows itself in so many various ways, and likening it to a quirk may be devastating for individuals who suffer from it every day.
Angela C. Villela offers explicit methods and abilities for life partners of people with OCD in her book LOVING SOMEONE WITH OCD.
With the help of this useful book, you will understand the implications of having a partner with OCD, knowing what to expect from your partner, how you can love and connect with your partner to make your relationship work, and so much more.