It's OCD Awareness Week!

OCD Awareness Week is very significant to me.  A few years ago I finally sought professional help for the swirling thoughts and compulsions I have dealt with most of my adult life. The illogical worries, thoughts, and fears were so much a part of my life that I felt they were normal for me. I learned to control them and prevent them from impacting my blessed life until I couldn't. Until suddenly, it became too much. 

I spoke to my physician, a wonderful, caring person who listened and didn't judge. She prescribed some medication to treat the chemical imbalance that she felt was a contributing factor to my illogical fears and when that didn't seem to work correctly, we tried another. The medication, along with my amazing, caring therapist who continues to listen and provide me with tools to use when my OCD acts up and threatens to take my mind to a place it doesn't need to go, has allowed me to live without the constant fears that plagued me during my life. 

I used to have an irrational fear of mold in our home. I used to worry that a bump in the road meant I may have hit someone with my car. (Yep. Really.) To me, a headache was most surely a serious medical situation. Raw chicken meant scouring the kitchen for an hour. These are just a few examples of the intrusive thoughts that ran through my mind as a result of my OCD. Is it easy for me to type them out and share them here? No way. Is this too personal to share on the internet? Maybe. But I am. Because somewhere, someone reading this may have some of the same concerns. That person might think there is no help. That no one else has thoughts like that. If I can help that one person, I will try. 

In addition, I often think that if I had another health issue, like Diabetes, for example, I would feel free to write about it here. I would talk about my medication and my symptoms without any fear of being judged or embarrassed. Well, I believe we need to acknowledge mental health as we do physical health. I pray that someday the stigma of mental health is erased and each person will feel free to share his or her struggle without being afraid. 

                                              OCD Info Linked Here

Thanks for listening, my friends.

Have a cozy day!

Oh, and here is a cute, furry puppy to make you smile!