Published on 12, July, 2020
I put an ad up for a support worker and the responses were pretty awful overall. People with either no experience or no interest in the line of work I was advertising applying. Not that many responses anyway. And I've taken someone on but I have OCD and this was made clear in the interview how I'm obsessive about cleanliness.
Anyway today while out with them on the first day they touched several hand rails while out and about. My impression is this means they don't understand OCD. Furthermore touching handrails during the Coronavirus crisis is even more dangerous as I've read the virus can stay on them for up to 72 hours.
I really do think this life is laughing at me. My mother and I spent months trying to get help, a long complaining process was involved. I took someone on perhaps too soon, because I was struggling so much to find someone despite placing an ad several times. I was worried the social worker would withdraw the funding I've been allocated.
It's all so complicated and stressful. Wish I knew what to do! Sorry for burdening you with it too.
The harsh truth with OCD is that to understand someone with it, one has to experience it oneself.
I suffer from OCD, depression, anxiety, paranoia etc.
However, I am self aware and can control it up to a point.
This gave me an advantage when I worked as a support worker with people with challenging behaviour. I was able to emphasise with them because I experienced similar thoughts and behaviour in my past. And I understood what they were going through.
You need someone who understands your anxieties because they have gone through something similar themselves. Just beware that you don't get someone who is worse than you.
Thanks for that input Robert. If I advertise again I'm going to make the OCD one of the main points in the advert, really highlight it, maybe I will get someone then who has had it themselves. You're right, harder for people to understand it who haven't experienced it.