Monica Lee, 35, would like to make it abundantly clear that her spotless house has nothing to do with the fact that she has obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, her explanations have raised red flags for many armchair psychologists.
“Her books are alphabetized, and all her Tupperware is organized by size and shape,” Lee’s neighbor, Trisha Finley, told reporters. “She says it’s just because she doesn’t like it when she can’t find things, but that seems like an obvious case of OCD. I’ve been to her home a few times, and I always make sure to tell her that I wish I had a nice dose of OCD to help me keep things so organized.”
Keith Jackson, one of Lee’s coworkers, corroborates this story. “I went to her house for a holiday party, and she made us take off our shoes at the door because ‘it’s a pain to clean the floor all the time,’ or something like that. I mean, I guess it’s never fun to step in dirt or melted snow, but still — that’s pretty OCD, don’t you think?”
“I just like my living space to be tidy because it feels more comfortable. But, like, in a normal way,” Lee insisted when asked to comment. “The state of my home is actually proof of how well I’ve learned to manage my OCD. Before, my house was an absolute wreck because I just didn’t have the energy to deal with it.”
Medical professionals and official organizations support Lee’s claims that many OCD compulsions do not involve cleaning or organization, and those that do are accompanied by feelings of anxiety and shame. However, it is hard to believe that the condition of Lee’s house could be due to anything other than OCD.
When pressed harder, Lee finally crumbled. “OK, fine, you caught me!” she admitted. “I just don’t know any of those people well enough to leave my house looking lived in. I didn’t want to offend them, but we’re just not at that point in our relationships.”