This week is International OCD Awareness Week, a week that is very close to my heart. I speak up about a lot of things in the world, things that I think 1) are unjust or 2) don’t get talked about enough. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder falls into the latter category. Not to mention, OCD is often very misunderstood and can often be the butt of jokes (“I’m sooo OCD about that”, “lol shes so OCD”).

I have OCD.

I have had it my whole life because Obessive Compulsive Disorder is how my brain works. I am not ashamed of my brain. It can make beautiful art and words. My brain rocks! It just has OCD. #realOCD

In 2016 I started out on a mission to try and educate the public on OCD using comics. From there, I realized I wanted to infuse my own story into them, so I did in a series of comics entitled “My O.C.D. story”. Now, a few years later I am a new person thanks to exposure therapy. There is hope out there for those who have “different” brains and if anyone is looking for help, I suggest checking out theAssociation for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies website.

Let’s erase the stigma of OCD and mental illness together!
The first step is talking about it.

Thank you for listening.

OCD Resources

+ Read more about my journey with OCD.

+ Learn more about Obsessive-compulsive Disorder:  International Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Foundation.

+ If you are concerned you might have Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, please research CBT therapy, ERP therapy, or DBT therapy to find someone who can diagnose your symptoms and guide you to proper help.

+ If you would like to find a Behavioral Therapist you can search on the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) website.

+ If you are looking for books on Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, these two books are great resources for you and for loved ones: Freedom from Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty by Jonathan Grayson and When a Family Member Has OCD: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavior Skills to Help Families Affected by Obsessive-compulsive Disorder by Jon Hershfield MFT.

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