Scrapped, TK Maxx’s tins and jars that joke about ‘Obsessive Christmas Disorder’

HIGH Street giant TK Maxx yesterday scrapped a range of festive cake tins and cookie jars with the slogan ‘Obsessive Christmas Disorder’ after it was accused of trivialising mental illness.

The products were removed from shelves after complaints from campaigners that they continue misconceptions about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Sufferers insisted the range makes light of an illness which ruins lives and leaves people feeling suicidal. It is estimated that 750,000 people in the UK suffer from the serious anxiety condition, which features obsessional thoughts.

OCD sufferer Sarah Harvey, 24, from Crewe, Cheshire, said TK Maxx’s products were upsetting. The receptionist added: ‘OCD is not a joke – it is a life consumed with fear and the inability to control your own thoughts.

‘I have suffered with OCD from the age of seven and on a daily basis I am left feeling exhausted, powerless and weak. At some point, it became socially acceptable and trendy to use OCD as an adjective. It’s offensive to people suffering with OCD because every time OCD is misused people believe it and the trend continues. It stops people gaining access to treatment and makes them think they can’t talk about it because society continues to laugh at it.’

She welcomed TK Maxx’s U-turn, saying: ‘I respect their efficient response.’

Ashley Fulwood, of the charity OCDUK, also praised TK Maxx for responding so quickly. He said: ‘There are two issues – one is that it trivialises the condition and the second is that it fuels these misconceptions of OCD being something quirky. It fails to recognize that the ‘D’ in OCD stands for disorder.

‘It’s not just a case of us being easily offended. People fail to realise how severe it can be. It destroys lives, relationships, careers and sadly we have tragic consequences of people taking their own lives.’ A spokesman for TK Maxx said: ‘We take our customers’ concerns very seriously and appreciate that these items were brought to our attention.

‘It is never our intention to cause offence and as soon as we were made aware of the concerns, we initiated a process to remove these items from sale.’

■ Nearly a third of Britons are mixing up the festive menu this year as they move away from a feast of meat, alcohol, and Christmas pudding to a health- conscious ‘greener’ menu, a survey found.

A fifth of young people aged between 18 and 34 are likely to have a vegan or vegetarian main course, while opting to go tee-total. Only 23 per cent will eat a Christmas pudding in contrast to 59 per cent of the over-55s.

However, the Tesco poll found a festive menu of roast turkey, Brussels sprouts and a glass of champagne still endures for the majority of the older generation.