By Anker Fanoe “Knowing others is wisdom; knowing the self is enlightenment; mastering others requires force; mastering the self requires strength.” Lao Tzu, author of Tao Te Ching It was not until I first moved away to college that my obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) truly took me hostage. My mind became my personal bully, constantly… Read more »
By Natalie Rompella This story is part of our blog series called “Stories from the OCD Community.” Stories from the community are submitted and edited by Toni Palombi. If you are interested in sharing your story you can view submission details at www.iocdf.org/ocd-stories. I love to write. Ideas come to me naturally. I also use little… Read more »
By Michelle I have struggled with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trichotillomania, and post-traumatic stress disorder since I was a child. As a child, I was bullied in school, abused at home, and had friends that made fun of me behind my back. I always felt so painfully alone. At the age of 5, I was… Read more »
By Colleen Sherry Let’s call my OCD a creature – an elusive being that rears its head and cries for all to see. Unseen by many, it ponders carefully before striking out into the physical world when the time is right. As a six-year-old, my thoughts should have been carefree. However, it was then that… Read more »
By Kyle Cunningham My life took a drastic turn during my freshman year of college. Instead of enjoying what should have been the best time of my life, I spent the year struggling with obsessive thoughts and compulsions. I had never encountered such thoughts before. I believed that everything I was touching was contaminated with… Read more »
By Matt Townsend My male role models have been my father and father-in-law, as well as my friends and coworkers. However, despite these good role models, I could never find a mold which fit me. On the outside, I appear to have it all together. I am an all-American father and husband, who is the… Read more »
By: Sarah Louise My OCD began to develop at the age of seven, around the time of my grandma’s death. After my grandmother passed away, I would place our coats on the stairs every night; I would put my dad’s coat on top of mine and my mum’s so he would protect us from danger…. Read more »
This author has asked to remain anonymous My heart ached when I heard the report of the school shooting in Florida last month. As the horrific images appeared on my television screen, my mind flashed back to my twelve-year-old self when I was glued to the news coverage of the 1999 Columbine school shooting. My… Read more »
By Lauren Thompson Dunton I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in the third grade. For me, it began simply enough: I couldn’t step on the grout between the tiles, and as I emerged from the bathtub, I needed to have both feet simultaneously on the floor (which is actually quite dangerous). It snowballed… Read more »
This story is part of our blog series called “Stories from the OCD Community.” Stories from the community are submitted and edited by Toni Palombi. If you are interested in sharing your story you can view submission details at www.iocdf.org/ocd-stories. I have lived with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) for 20 years. I started to experience symptoms… Read more »