Adam’s Thoughts: OCD Recovery, Mental Health, and Living Life Abroad.
Living with severe OCD has shaped much of my life. This blog is a collection of personal experiences, lessons learned, and reflections on recovery.
What Are OCD Triggers?
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.
Work Life and Having OCD
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.
The Cost of OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder cost me far more than time. It cost me relationships, missed chances, family moments, and years of my life spent trapped in rituals and fear. Looking back, I realize OCD was never protecting me - it was keeping me stuck. In this personal article, I share how OCD affected my relationship with my daughter, the sacrifices I made because of compulsions, and the difficult lessons I learned about recovery, ERP, and reclaiming a life that OCD tried to take away. Read article.
The Property Line Ritual That Controlled My Life
For decades, I struggled with a severe OCD ritual involving property lines, borders, and mental compulsions. What began as a simple fear grew into a daily ritual that affected my home life, travel, and even the birth of my child. This is my experience living with one of OCD’s strangest symptoms and the progress I have made through ERP and treatment. Read article.
The Day OCD Told Me My Medication Was Cursed
When OCD told me my medication was cursed, I almost refused treatment. This is my experience with magical thinking OCD, medication fears, and learning to move forward despite uncertainty. Read article.
Metaphysical Contamination OCD
Metaphysical contamination is a lesser-known subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is often associated with magical thinking. Instead of f... Read article.
OCD Medication Side Effects: The Tradeoff We Often Have to Make
Whether it is an SSRI or another psychiatric medication, side effects seem almost unavoidable. Over the years, I... Read article.
Living With Severe OCD: My Experience
When most people hear the term obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), they often think of cleanliness, organization, or someone who likes thi... Read article.