OCD Recovery Stories
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Why Do You Do That: My Journey with OCD
Follow Rosie’s candid personal essay on living with OCD, exploring compulsions, control, perfectionism, and the quiet question that changed everything: “Why do you do that?”
An OCD Therapist (Almost) Missed Her Own OCD; Natalia Aiza’s Orthorexia-by-Proxy RDID; 219
OCD Therapist Natalia Aiza discusses her OCD and orthorexia-by-proxy.
From Fearing Food to Embracing it — Eating Disorder and OCD Recovery in the Kitchen
A cookbook author with an eating disorder and OCD finds recovery in connecting with people through baking.
An Ex-Inmate with Mental Illness Shares the Keys to Mind Freedom
Steve Rothwell, bipolar disorder, mental illness, ocd, obsessive compulsive disorder, trauma, imprisonment, prisoner, freedom, prison, incarceration, recovery, personal essay
Anxiety, OCD, and a Brain That Tries to Protect: Kayla Ackelson | RDID; 213
Kayla Ackelson, a writer, artist, and creator with an OCD brain talks about her recovery.
Living in Loops: Understanding My Life With OCD
A young woman learns to live a healthy life while compassionately dealing with OCD.
Excuse Her While She Obsesses; Unpacking OCD with Manndi Maphies | RDID; 210
Manndi Maphies lives with obsessive compulsive disorder, which flared up after a miscarriage.
To Reference After The Disaster: When The Warning Signs of Depression Are Ignored
In a letter to her younger self, Angeline Walsh details how the coming years will be a challenge with OCD, anxiety, and depression. People won’t believe you, you’ll doubt yourself, but you will rise above.
Making Counting Manageable: When OCD and Compulsions Become a Problem Later in Life
Hannah Green has always felt compelled to count. She counts her steps, the clicks of her turn signal, the number of times a ball bounces while playing a game. And this was all innocent and unproblematic, until it wasn’t.
A Vibrant Voice with DID Explores Trauma through Writing | RDID; 123
Elizabeth Devine lives and writes and hopes with dissociative identity disorder.
Giving Back: From Peer Group Participant to Certified Peer Support Specialist
Before the pandemic, Marilyn Janson depended on in-person peer support meetings where she could talk to others about her OCD, anxiety, and depression. Now, she leads the meetings herself as a Peer Support Specialist in online support groups.
Hoarding, Helping, Hoping: An Interview with Psychologist Deborah Derrickson Kossmann, Author of “Lost, Found, Kept: A Memoir” | RDID; 121
Interview with Deborah Derrickson Kossmann, author of “Lost, Found, Kept” about her mother’s hoarding disorder.
Hunger Crawls Through Me: A Moment of Living with Familial Rejection and D.I.D.
Is it poetry? Is it prose? To try and categorize Elizabeth Devine’s story of dissociative identity disorder and how it impacts her relationship with her family might be futile. To write about something so disorienting might necessitate forms beyond the typical narrative essay.
An Author with Pure OCD Writes, Survives, and Thrives in Turkey | RDID; 118
Pinar Tarhan is an author in Turkey living with Pure OCD.
A Writer & Therapist with Pure OCD and Anxiety; with Hannah R. Goodman | RDID; Ep 115
Living, working, and writing with bipolar disorder is the subject of this mental health podcast with Sheila O’Shea.
Suicidality and OCD: A Writer and Actor Finds Her Voice with Rebecca Wei Hsieh | RDID, Ep 108
Rebecca Wei Hsieh, a writer and actor, finds her voice as she lives with suicidality and OCD.
A Doctor with OCD Advocates, Treats, and Thrives; with Dr. Rachel A Davis | RDID Ep. 107
A doctor with OCD, Dr. Rachel Davis, openly speaks about her own mental health challenges as she helps others.
I Have OCD; and I Can Never Forget That
For Tyler Mendelsohn, every day comes with the reminder that “I have OCD”, but every day is also unexplainable and magical.
It Was Cute Until It Wasn’t Anymore – My OCD, Anxiety, and Depression
Kayla Ackelson lives with OCD, anxiety, and depression and is discovering how to manage those challenges while living a multidimensional life.
School OCD in Childhood: Portraits of Perfectionism at an Early Age
School OCD is particularly insidious, rewarding overachievement; Daniela Silva found that out the hard way.
Yikes! Company—And My OCD—Are Coming!
This mental health recovery story focuses on Theresa who has managed OCD symptoms since childhood. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through OCD and healing.
The Price of Freedom: Living With Borderline Personality Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jaclyn who remained misdiagnosed and misunderstood for years. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through trauma, addiction and BPD.
The Vicious Cycle of Pure O (Purely Obsessional OCD) Revisited
Pinar Tarhan is a writer from Turkey who lives with Purely Obsessional OCD, also known as Pure O.
From OCD Parenting to OCD Practitioner: My Recovery From Orthorexia by Proxy
She thought she was being a diligent, careful mom, but it was really OCD and an eating disorder that needed treatment and understanding.
One of These Things is Not Like the Others: My Surprising OCD Diagnosis and How It’s Helped Me Heal
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jenny, who was overwhelmed by life and teaching the pandemic, began therapy and discovered she has been living with OCD. Read more to learn about her journey.
Family Emergency Prompts OCD Coping Skills
This mental health recovery story focuses on Marilyn’s journey with OCD during a family emergency. Marilyn was able to establish coping mechanisms that helped her to heal, read more here!
A Golf Pro Recovers from Bipolar Disorder
Former pro golfer Don Walin writes openly about his bipolar disorder, including some of his manic episodes during his life and career.
Once Blessed; Still Strong: My Life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
On Christmas, a young man with obsessive compulsive disorder reflects on his mental health, his life, and what is yet to come.
Shiny Rocks; OCD is Always in My Pocket, Even all Grown Up
Megan Fisher wonders whether or not there is room in her life, and in people’s minds, for the child she was, with OCD, and the adult she is, with OCD.
Jabina’s Story: Postpartum OCD & Major Depressive Disorder
A young mother uses her challenging journey with major depressive disorder and postpartum OCD to help others.
Losing Her Saved Me: How I Healed From Trauma
This mental health recovery story focuses on Amanda’s journey with OCD, Anorexia, Complex PTSD, trauma and grooming. Amanda had to cut off her mother in order to heal. Read to learn more about how Amanda learned to ask for help and recover from trauma.
Excuse Me While I Obsess: Learning to Manage my Lifelong Struggle with OCD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Manndi’s journey with OCD. Manndi always struggled with symptoms but when she suffered from a miscarriage her OCD tendencies spiraled out of control. Read to learn more about how Manndi learned to ask for help and recover.
A New Psychiatric RN Faces Her Career, and her own Mental Health
As someone who lives with panic disorder, OCD and anxiety, Caitlin Irish is uniquely positioned to help people as a psychiatric nurse, and uniquely challenged.
Knock, Knock. Who’s There? OCD.
Megan Fisher tried in vain to conceal her OCD behaviors from those closest to her, and therapy wasn’t the magic cure-all, until she found hope and help, compassion and change.
Wired Differently: How Brain Surgery Quelled My OCD
After experiencing mountains of trauma at the hands of her therapist, Harper Hanson found that treating her OCD might actually be better solved in the operating room.
Coming to Terms with Autism, Bipolar 1, and OCD as a Young College Student
Thomas Duliban loves to share with people; but what’s acceptable to share of his autism, his OCD, his bipolar diagnoses?
OCD: Not “Just Another Quirk for Caitlin”
Caitlin Irish thought obsessive compulsive disorder was “just another quirk” but it was a life-changing diagnosis that led to a bright road to recovery.
My Bipolar, BPD, OCD, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobic Life’s Journey; Thus Far
As a child, Brianna attempted to find ways to control the emotions and experiences that she did not feel in control of, how Brianna’s diagnosis and treatment helped her to understand her moods.
My Unusual OCD Symptom Could Have Got Me Fired, Or Worse
At times, Martha Ocasio’s symptoms from her OCD and anxiety disorder made herself and others feel uncomfortable.
How do you Recover from OCD and an Addiction to Self-Hatred?
Overcoming an addiction to self-hatred has been a life’s work for Harris Pike, in addition to managing anxiety, depression, ocd, and psychosis.
Overcoming my Barriers to Borderline Personality Disorder Recovery
The voice of her borderline personality disorder told her not to get into recovery. She worried that no one would love her when she got better.
A Flight Attendant with OCD Grounds Herself During COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, being a flight attendant with anxiety and OCD is challenging; with COVID-19, it was next to impossible.
That’s The Tea on OCD: Learning to Live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Hannah Rose Preikschat shares what it’s like living with obsessive compulsive disorder, and more specifically, life with Pure O, or harm OCD.
The Vicious Cycle of Pure O | Purely Obsessional OCD & Mental Health in Turkey
Pinar Tarhan is a writer from Turkey who lives with Purely Obsessional OCD, also known as Pure O, and shares about her mental health recovery.
How Does a Doctor with OCD Navigate Life, Career, and the Everyday?
For Rachel Davis, a doctor with OCD, every moment of every day is about managing her symptoms so she can function, live, and thrive.
Taking Up Space; Living in and Loving My Changing Body
Dancer Morgan Rondinelli wrestles with her weight gain and its impact on her mental health challenges.
The Good, The Bad, and the Obsessive Compulsive: How We Stereotype Those with Mental Illness
If all you knew about mental illness came from television, you might think everyone with obsessive compulsive disorder was a “crazy clean freak.” Alexandra Ages begs to differ—a person with a mental illness is much more than a television archetype.
The Kid’s Alright, or Close Enough; My Asperger’s Diagnosis
Rachael grew up with a feeling that she was different from others. She experienced anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and had regular meltdowns. Eventually these things turned into a problem with substance abuse. Her inability to adapt to change and childhood anxiety created a barrier, how Rachael’s diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome in adulthood helped her to understand her past and gain a newfound stability. Once, Rachael could understand what was going in her mind, she was able to take back control of her life. Read more about Rachael’s story!
Combating OCD with Narrative Poetry
An OCD story from a young woman who writes about how narrative poetry is helping redirect her obsessive compulsive brain in a beautiful, inspiring way.
A Story of Multiple Mental Illness Diagnoses in a Marriage
We have a strong marriage but with our multiple diagnoses there are challenges that most would not understand—like going to the grocery store or out to eat.
When Thoughts are Sticky; Pure OCD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Though I am in recovery from generalized anxiety disorder, (GAD) that doesn’t mean I am cured, I have periods of remission and mini flare-ups.
More Mental Health Accounts to Follow on Instagram
This installment of our mental health resources column highlights Instagram mental health from authors who have appeared on OC87 Recovery Diaries.
Time to Get Clean: Fatherhood and OCD
I feel like I need complicated charts, graphs, and spreadsheets to adequately explain how big of a failure I am as a brand new stay-at-home dad.
Life with OCD on Instagram – 5 OCD Instagram Accounts to Follow Now
These five OCD Instagram accounts show different perspectives on what it’s like to live with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Walking the Border: The Delicate Dance of OCD and Borderline
Yes, I have been diagnosed with depression, OCD and borderline personality disorder. Yet, I am still a good person.
You Are Not Alone: Inside My OCD Brain
Therapists have told me that I use these repetitive behaviors as way to avoid facing my fears.
The Trauma of Not Being Traumatized Enough: My Life with Pure OCD
All my life, the media had taught me that, in order to suffer from mental illness, you had to endure some kind of a severe trauma. That was incorrect.
Becoming Your Own Best Friend for Your Mental Health
When it comes to mental health, how we can become our own best friend in 2018? Here’s what we came up with. Happy New Year to you, friend.
OCD Videos on YouTube: What it’s Like to Live with this Diagnosis
As we seek to #buststigma around mental illness, this installment of our mental health resources column highlights OCD videos on YouTube that we love.
Episode 11 – An Interview with Gabriel Nathan: Editor in Chief
“When you make a choice to put yourself out there, you’re empowering yourself — and you’re empowering others.” – Gabriel Nathan
Episode 9 – The Psychiatrist’s Daughter
On this episode of OC87 Recovery Diaries on the Radio, we talk about parenting, therapy, and self-care from the perspective of a psychiatrist’s daughter.
Obsessions and Addictions: Transformation and Transcendence
I am plagued with obsessions and addictions. On default I use mental compulsions (avoidance, reassurance seeking, mental rituals, etc.) to seek relief.
Wrestling with Obsessive Thoughts About Everyday Encounters
how an everyday encounter with a stranger on the street can morph into a paralyzing prison-like mental trap of repetitive, obsessive thoughts.
What is “OC87” Anyway?
“OC87” is a term coined by one of my therapists. It refers to the year 1987: the year I wanted to control everyone and everything.
Episode 2 – Art and Mental Health: Can They Co-Exist, or Must They Compete?
Bud and Laura interview Philadelphia artists Abby Squire and Rosie Carlson about how art and mental health affect one another.
7 of our Favorite OCD Twitter Accounts
A round-up of smart, empowering, and engaging OCD Twitter accounts who share our mission to #buststigma around mental illness.
It’s Time To Talk, Then Reflect, Then Grow
I don’t know if my depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder will ever go away.
Mike Veny: “An Interview With My Depression”
“I’d really love to interview my depression,” Mike said. And we were off. Watch Mike Veny do the (near) impossible: interview his depression.
Mike Veny: Mental Health Recovery, Music & Advocacy
Mike Veny is an advocate who speaks boldly about his journey with mental health. Mike Veny is also a lifesaver. The first life he saved was his own.
OCD or The Art of Self-Humiliation
I have learned the tools and techniques with which to deal with the many facets of my OCD, including being able to laugh at it once in a while.
Who Am I? A Student With OCD & Anxiety
What would you say when someone asks “Who are you?” The first word that comes to mind when I think about this question is Student. I’m a student, an academic, a professional learner for life.
Suffering in Silence: Men’s Mental Health in America Today
I joke about men’s mental health because, sometimes, I don’t know what else to do. Of course, the stigma against men’s mental health is not funny.
My Kids Know Mommy Has Bipolar Disorder
I talk with my kids about my mental illness often. They know Mommy has bipolar disorder. I teach my children that it’s okay to talk about mental illness.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
I live with Asperger’s Syndrome. Recently, I had the privilege to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a play about that same subject.
Lessons From A Year Well-Lived
A recap of the 5 most popular posts on OC87 Recovery Diaries from 2014 plus the OC87 Recovery Diaries team shares what helped us along throughout the year.
Learning To Trust Again
As someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, it’s very difficult for me to take the perspective of other people. Recently, I made a breakthrough in this area.
The Perfect Storm
Bud Clayman, from the documentary OC87, talks about his experience with Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) therapy while at the International OCD Conference
The Reel Mind
“The Reel Mind films have a message of hope and recovery. People come in feeling alone and isolated and leave feeling very differently” –Dr Larry Guttmacher
Chelsea’s OCD Song
My journey with OCD has been a struggle. Music makes me feel better. I write about what I know. Listen to Chelsea’s OCD song, “OCDani.”
Defining OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is one of the disorders that’s easily defined by its own name. So you have obsessions which are unwanted, intrusive thoughts
More On OCD
Cognitive behavioral therapy is divided into the ‘C’ and the ‘B’ of CBT. The C is for cognitive, which refers to thought and the ‘B’ is behavioral therapy.
An OCD Therapist’s Story
I had a rough go of it with the OCD when I was a teenager. There wasn’t a heavy focus on mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy the way there is now.
Confronting Stigma
OCD – People hear the word disorder and they think weird, sick, handicapped, and depraved. Completely unnecessary and irrelevant stigma.
David & Lisa
While I haven’t been diagnosed with Haphephobia (a fear of having your personal space violated), I do have a tough time being hugged.
Ordinary People
At the time I saw Ordinary People, I was in the midst of major depression and going through a lot of turmoil in my life. I was only nineteen years old.
The OC87 Movie
Behind the scenes of Bud Clayman’s documentary OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger’s Movie.
My OCD Odyssey
It wasn’t until I graduated from college that the compulsive behaviors of my OCD emerged. I often had obsessively sad and sometimes violent thoughts.