Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

OCD cleaning?

45 replies

HardLightHologram · 07/12/2016 10:05

I've just seen an advert for a company on Facebook.

The company is called Oven Cleaning Direct and its logo is just 'OCD'.

It's not just me that finds this seriously offensive, is it?

It looks like it's a franchise so it's not even a person with OCD advertising (which is the only okayish reason I could think of).

I'm tempted to comment on the ad but I'm not sure if I'm being too sensitive.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Original poster
HardLightHologram · 07/12/2016 12:08

I'm half tempted to start an experiences company called 'Bipolar Party Days'. I'll take people shopping and max out their credit cards, get them to quit their jobs and drive their kids 200 miles to the beach for the day, perhaps throw in some sex with random strangers and an alcoholic binge. I can finish the day off by locking them in a dark room with a dozen voices piped in telling them they're evil and worthless, with a razor blade and pills in easy reach, for the full experience.

It'll be a roaring success I imagine.

OP posts:
Sallystyle · 07/12/2016 12:14

Overthinking and getting your feathers ruffled is no good for your wellbeing.

It's not overthinking. Not if your life has been seriously affected by the illness. It seems like when anyone mentions they hate OCD being used to describe being a bit 'anal' about something we get told to lighten up etc. As someone else rightly pointed out on another thread, if someone said 'I'm a little bit autistic' about something there would be an uproar. OCD is always fair game though.

OCD has made my life hell at times, it made my childhood a complete nightmare. To see it being made light of isn't funny to me and it is offensive. It's also offensive to many people in my OCD group who have also not had their illness taking seriously due to the misconceptions around it.

I don't think anyone is overthinking it.

Sallystyle · 07/12/2016 12:20

So it's a bit tasteless, but in the grand scheme of things? Life's just too short to be offended by everything.

Well, yes it is. I am not offended by everything, I'm not even offended by a lot of things, but I am this. I'm not going to lose sleep over it and I'm not going to message them or anything of the kind.

But once again I do wonder what the replies would be if the logo made a play on autism, down syndrome, LD, bipolar, schizophrenia and so on.

PeteSwotatoes · 07/12/2016 12:23

I imagine it's a take on the TV show "OCD cleaners", which involves people who have OCD. That TV show does more in terms of reinforcing stereotypes than one local company would achieve.

lilyb84 · 07/12/2016 12:24

I have family members with OCD and it's often crippling for sufferers and their loved ones. It's also massively misunderstood thanks to trivialisation like this.

Until I'd experienced it first-hand, I used to say things like "I'm a bit OCD about x/y/z" and didn't see any issue with that, as I thought it was something you were on a spectrum of and that minor compulsions could be covered by the same blanket term.

Having seen the condition's devastating effects on my family I now flinch whenever I hear something like that and do my best to educate people as to why it's insensitive and destructive to use the phrase/term so flippantly.

I think that pointing out the issues of this clearly intentional pun - clever/funny, maybe - appropriate, not so much - to the company in question is the responsible thing to do if only to raise awareness among a few more members of society. Sadly this condition hasn't had the same media attention as other mental health disabilities but I'm sure its time will come, and those who think this isn't offensive - maybe the term is too strong but I think it's fair enough to say it's at the very least ill-advised! - will reconsider once they're in possession of more facts about what OCD is really like to live with.

lilyb84 · 07/12/2016 12:27

PeteSwotatoes do you know, I nearly referenced Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners in my last post. I watched one episode fully expecting to be angry with their portrayal of OCD sufferers but I was actually quite impressed with the way they presented it. A couple of the participants were almost entirely disabled by their condition, and there was some exploration into the underlying reasons for their fear of dirt etc. I don't think the programme as a whole was great in terms of reinforcing stereotypes but it did seem that they at least tried to show the darker side of the popular conception of "a bit OCD", as it were.

Sallystyle · 07/12/2016 12:28

This is very interesting and explains it a lot better than I can.

www.vice.com/read/language-of-catastrophe-why-we-need-to-stop-saying-were-mental

MERLYPUSSEDOFF · 07/12/2016 12:52

There's 2 companies called ocd that offer oven cleaning direct and one ocd - oven cleaning Dublin.

I think they don't realise the OCD connection the way that the stupid cartoon one obviously make fun of OCD sufferers.

Katy07 · 07/12/2016 12:55

I think what bothers me when people say they're offended by something is that it seems to be a phrase that's overused. It's not generally people who are actually affected by whatever is supposedly causing offence who are getting offended; it's the "professionally offended", the ones who want to be seen while they're being offended, the ones who want their pouting picture in the Daily Mail. So, rather than helping a cause it actually hinders it because others are viewing it as being an display of attention-seeking behaviour rather than a real issue. (Not saying that this is what OP is doing btw)
Have to admit that when I think about it referring to autism (as in 'sometimes I can be a bit autistic') rather than I'm a bit OCD about...' (have both) I do see it a tad differently though...

sparechange · 07/12/2016 13:00

Complaining about the ad is a bit pointless. It isn't an offensive ad, it is the company name and logo you don't like

There is a scaffolding company called 'Vertigo Scaffolding'. I can't get worked up about that either...

Katy07 · 07/12/2016 13:06

I could get worked up about the scaffolding one on account of it making me feel nauseous thinking about it Xmas Wink

Christmasmice · 07/12/2016 13:09

I think offensive is the wrong word. It shows a lot of ignorance and potentially makes light of a horrible condition.
I don't know that much about ocd but I do know it destroys the lives of sufferers and is horrible to live with. I wish more people knew that

LittleMissUpset · 07/12/2016 13:16

I think YANBU because it minimizes a serious condition by turning it into a joke.

I have to live with it every day, and even with medication and CBT it still affects me, every day I think this is so hard, and when people make fun of it I find it upsetting yes.

What I have noticed on Facebook is when these 'OCD' tests come up, is people have started commenting on them with a link to what OCD actually is. I'm on an OCD support group and I know I'm not the only one to feel hurt by them.

There's are local company called obsessive compulsive cleaners which really boils my piss.

The programme on channel 4 about cleaners with OCD at least tries to show a bit about it, but what they forget to mention is hoarding is also a form of OCD, and not everyone has immaculate homes. Mines clean, but it's not immaculate.

I also hate it when people say they're 'a bit autistic' as I am also on the spectrum and find that a struggle too.

I don't think I'm over sensitive about it I just don't find it funny.

SortAllTheThings · 08/12/2016 09:54

Here's the OCD cleaners one I was talking about..

OCD cleaning?
SortAllTheThings · 08/12/2016 09:55

One of theirs posts "One of deep cleans to an OCD level for the entire home for £60 in the month of November"

OCD level???? Hmm

Sallystyle · 08/12/2016 10:12

Twats!

rabbit12345 · 08/12/2016 10:28

OCD has plagued me for over 15 years bought on by PND. Now I watch helpless this morning as my 10 year old scrubs the bottom of her shoes before she can bear to put them on and her crying because she just feels so uncomfortable.

Am I offended? No. I could only be offended if they were attacking my family or I personally. I think they are just cleaning ovens!!

I put it in there with the following throwaway comments from friends and family

"oh I feel so depressed"
"I am a so OCD about it"
"I laughed so hard I had a panic attack"
" I want to die"

You just Hmm and then move on.

FWIW my first visit to he drs 15 years ago, I was told that he didnt want me on AD's as it would go on my records and could affect my career. I left with nothing and no help. I think we have come a long way since then. Not for children though. My DD has had very little help as funding was cut for children.

rabbit12345 · 08/12/2016 10:32

£60????? No way can they do an OCD clean for that. I spend more than that on cleaning materials a week!! Wheres the labour cost?

And don't they realise that most people with OCD wouldn't be able to let them near their house Grin

Sorry if that is a bit off but if I laugh about it, I don't cry Wink

BastardBernie · 08/12/2016 10:59

SortAll, if their website says that then that is bang out of order and changes the situation.

SortAllTheThings · 08/12/2016 11:24

Screenshot

OCD cleaning?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread