As humans, we’re naturally social creatures. That doesn’t mean that we can’t be introverted and prefer our own company, but our societies are relatively close-knit when compared to other species, and we get by in social structures in which, by and large, we support one another. So it goes without saying that living with roommates can sometimes serve certain purposes. For some, the company is a priority, since they like to have other, ideally like-minded people around them. For others, living with roommates is a purely financial decision, making independent living affordable, instead of staying in their childhood home.

But unless you live with long-standing best friends, it’s quite likely that you’ll face some form of conflict with your roommates. That’s because we all live very differently, have varying priorities in life, and have certain preferences when it comes to how we spend our time, what we eat, when we sleep, and so much more. In a good roommate situation, in which rules and boundaries are established and respected, there will likely be no insurmountable issues. But if one person is more dominant or others simply don’t respect or care for others or the home, you might run into significantly more drama.

The roommate in this story is respectful of the person she lives with, so asked for permission to add a religious symbol by the front door. Her roommate agreed – but once it was mounted, she had very different feelings about it.

Read on to find out why.

AITA for telling my OCD roommate to “get over it”?

I am Jewish. My roommate is not. I asked her if it was ok with her if I put a mezuzah by our front door.

For those who don’t know, this is a small rectangular case that is affixed to the wall or doorframe that holds a scroll.

We are supposed to have it by our front door.

She said it was fine. I ordered one and put it up.

But all was not well when the mezuzah went up.

The mezuzah is supposed to tilt a little toward the door, and not be straight up and down.

I hung it the correct way, and she got angry, saying she needed it to be straight. I informed her that it isn’t traditionally hung that way. I did straighten it a little, but kept a slight tilt.

She was still angry about it. Like, screaming angry.

I reminded her that I endure the absolute explosion of christmas decorations every year, and never complain. And this was just a little piece of metal.

Let’s see why the roommate had an issue with the mezuzah.

She said this was different, since it set off her OCD. I said I would just take it down, then.

So I took it down, and there were holes in the wall where I had screwed it into the wall. I paid for maintenance to fill them, but the filler he used is a slightly different shade than the rest of the wall. Apparently that also sets off her OCD, and she is angry with me now.

I was just so done with the whole situation, and said she really just needs to get over it. She said I was an ******* for saying that, since she has OCD.

Is she right? AITA?

Let’s be real. OCD is a debilitating disorder that makes a sufferer’s life significantly more difficult.

But OCD is not just perfectionism. It is a lot more than that. And even though it can be extremely hard, OCD is ultimately the sufferer’s condition to deal with.

It’s not for her to put on someone else, and it’s certainly not for her roommate to abandon their religious beliefs to accommodate her.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a bus driver who is sick and tired of covering everyone else’s weekend shifts.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit made of this.

This person explained what life with OCD is really like.

While others questioned the OCD roommate’s behaviour.

Meanwhile, this OCD patient explained that this is not how OCD is treated.

If this Jewish person’s roommate really does have OCD, rather than just perfectionism and a controlling roommate, then taking the mezuzah down is never going to magically fix things. Either she’s not being honest about her condition and how it effects her – which, if she did, might help her roommate understand and be able to accommodate her a little more. Or, alternatively, she doesn’t actually have OCD and is merely annoyed that the mezuzah doesn’t fit her ideals of a perfect living space in which everything is clean and straight.

It’s absolutely fine to like things a certain way, and it should go without saying that if she does have a debilitating mental health condition, that is more than okay too. But it isn’t down to her roommate to accommodate her, since this is actually the worst way to deal with OCD. Regardless, she is being irresponsible if she isn’t pursuing therapy, and is instead simply trying to control everyone around her. It might be hard, but it’s her responsibility – her roommate shouldn’t have to remove their religious artefacts to make her happy.

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