OCD – We Love Puppies Too

From Darkness to Light: My OCD Story

Adulthood with OCD was disastrous. In college, studying electrical and electronics engineering, my stress and obsessions increased. This led to immense pain and academic failure. I feared social interactions, obsessing over writing profane words on desks and sending inappropriate emails. Group projects were a nightmare, and driving triggered fears of running over imaginary bodies.

In my suffering with OCD, I found my passion and community. I made it my life goal to help others with OCD. I started my own website (www.thestrugglingwarrior.com) to raise awareness and provide evidence-based articles. Through this journey, I’ve met wonderful people and found my purpose.

FU to my OCD: From Struggle to a Song that’s Inspired People Everywhere

You’ll often hear people say, “I’m so OCD”. You may have jokingly said it yourself. We all like to keep things neat and tidy. Perhaps, “We’re all a little OCD,” right? Wrong.

OCD is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions. Media portrayals have led most people to believe that sufferers of OCD are eccentric perfectionists who love cleaning. A notion especially damaging to the undiagnosed.

Together, Theron and I wrote “Therapy” a song about overcoming mental health struggles and finding the strength to keep going. With lyrics like “FU to my OCD, I let go of my Anxiety, My mind’s playing tricks on me, Brush It off like 1 2 3..”. The song quickly resonated with the OCD and mental health community, especially with kids!

When I was deep in my battle with OCD I searched far and wide for a song that I could relate to and did not find what I was looking for! You can Pre-Save Therapy on your favorite music platform, ahead of its upcoming release date, and you can watch the official lyric video right now on YouTube!

Volunteering and Recovery — Andrew’s Story

When Andrew Woods started volunteering with CMHA BC a year and a half ago, he didn’t know where the opportunity might lead.

At the time, he was in recovery from mental illness, having spent much time in the hospital for OCD, schizoaffective disorder and substance use. He didn’t have any particular goals in mind; he was just looking for an opportunity to get involved with the community.

During his first few months, he worked mainly in the information and referral office, providing guidance to people who’d written in with questions about their own mental health and available resources.

Gradually, Andrew broadened his portfolio, dipping his toes into projects with the fundraising and public policy offices.

Over time, Andrew began to focus on communications-oriented projects – an area of interest for him that draws on his background in writing and business administration. Today, his efforts have resulted in a portfolio that includes an impressive number of blog entries, writing projects, and even a piece in the popular magazine Psychology Today.

“The shame was overwhelming” – TJ’s story

Having had to suppress her emotions as a child, TJ was detained under the Mental Health Act by her parents. After being diagnosed with severe mental illnesses in her 30s, she suffered discrimination from employers. Now 50, she works for Rethink Mental Illness and can talk openly about her mental health.

I never want people to feel the way I have felt; feeling like no one cares and there is no way out. I encourage people to speak out and am proud to say I spoke at the Release the Pressure Conference with regards to prevention of suicide.

I have been interviewed on the radio and recently appeared on BBC One News sharing the struggles people have with mental health and the changes that need to be made. The world still has a long way to go to reduce the stigma surrounding the struggles, however, things are moving along by talking more about mental health.

“I woke up feeling a dark cloud over me” – Sandeep’s story

Sandeep tells us about her journey to being diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and how she had tried to take her own life in 2014.

Since, Sandeep has become a Lived/Living Experience Mental Health Advocate sharing her story to help others suffering in silence and find hope with their mental health.

Being a British Asian woman, I also direct my mental health work to speaking out and supporting South Asian mental health issues and how we can collectively come together to combat the stigma and discrimination in this realm and really explore intersectionality and our identity.

People from Black and Asian minority ethnic backgrounds, worryingly, suffer higher rates of mental health problems than all other groups combined. As a British Indian Sikh Punjabi woman from London, it’s important to speak out and be a beacon of hope for others suffering in silence.

“The best decision I’ve ever made” – Ben’s story

After experiencing a breakdown, Ben was put in contact with our Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service and hasn’t looked back since. After setting up his own support group and helping others through their struggles, Ben now works for Rethink Mental Illness and says that he has finally found purpose. Here’s his story.

As my confidence grew, I took a bank staff role with Rethink Mental Illness on the emotional support helpline as part of my recovery. Whilst working on the helpline, I was answering calls from people who were struggling with their mental health or feeling lonely and didn’t have anyone to talk to. I’d talk them through distraction techniques, signpost them to other places or just generally have a chat with them about how they were feeling. It was hard work but very rewarding.

Taking Back My Adolescence

Growing up, I never would have guessed that three years of my adolescence would be stripped away due to a mental illness that I couldn’t even identify at the time.

I am currently pursuing a career in the medical field, where I hope to help people for the rest of my life. I serve on four youth advisory boards, three within the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, and one within a mental health organization called Foundry.