Good morning, my friends! This week is International OCD Awareness Week. OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. According to The International OCD Foundation, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions [1]. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease distress.
That is what OCD is. What it isn't is funny, quirky, or silly. It isn't being neat, organized, or clean. OCD is not fun. It is horrible. It seeps into every aspect of your life, especially when you let your guard down for even a second. OCD is real. It sucks. But it can be managed. I promise. I have written about my OCD struggle here several times over the years. I am sharing those posts again for anyone interested. The one thing I want anyone reading to know about OCD is this: You are not alone. You are not alone when you are lying in your bed, dreading the day before you because intrusive thoughts are swirling in your brain. You are not alone when you try as hard as you can to resist checking one more time. And when you see others living with what appears to be not a care in the world, and you cannot understand how they are not ruminating on an obsession, you are not alone.
Thank you for supporting me, my friends. Sharing a mental health issue is not easy. Keeping it to yourself is much more difficult. If sharing helps one single person, however, it is worth it. Thank you for supporting me, my friends. Have a cozy day.
Billie Jo
