Living with severe OCD has shaped much of my life. This blog is a collection of personal experiences, lessons learned, and reflections on recovery.
The views expressed here are my own and are not intended as medical advice or treatment recommendations..
Certain words, songs, and phrases once had the power to ruin my entire day. In this article, I share how a simple ERP exercise called a trigger exposure list helped me face those fears, reduce compulsions, and reclaim freedom from OCD. Read article.
For years, OCD convinced me that my rituals were keeping me safe. Then a back injury occurred while I was performing one of those rituals. That experience forced me to question one of OCD’s biggest lies: that compulsions somehow protect us from harm. Read article.
What would life have looked like without OCD? It is a question many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder ask themselves. In this personal reflection, I explore the opportunities OCD may have taken away, the freedom it limits, and why ERP therapy offers a path toward reclaiming the life we want to live. Read article.
After 3.5 months on Prozac and augmentation with both Risperidone and Abilify, I share what has improved, what side effects I experienced, and why I still believe it is too early to judge the final outcome of treatment. Read article.
OCD does not only affect the person living with it. It can also affect spouses, parents, children, friends, and romantic relationships. In this personal article, I share how severe OCD caused misunderstandings, avoidance, regret, and distance from people I loved, while also explaining why recovery remains my responsibility. Read article.
Most people think a severe OCD morning means anxiety. For me, it can mean spending an hour putting on a shirt, driving back and forth across property lines, and feeling like the entire day is ruined before breakfast. In this personal article, I share what severe OCD mornings looked like during the worst periods of my life and how ERP therapy and medication helped me fight back. Read article.
For someone with OCD, a word, song, image, or even a thought can become attached to intense fear. In this article, I explain what OCD triggers are, how they affected my life, and how ERP therapy and medication helped me overcome many of them. Read article.
Living with severe OCD affected every part of my workday, from getting dressed in the morning to crossing property lines, commuting, and choosing assignments at work. Despite having a supportive team and a successful career, OCD eventually became too disruptive to ignore. This is my story of working with OCD, receiving SSDI, and the lessons I learned before leaving my career behind. Read article.