OCD Opportunity

(From time to time, I get notices about OCD-related events. I will post them on here for you to take advantage of if you so choose.)

"IS OCD RUINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP?

Nationally Syndicated Health & Wellness show in NY is looking for people with OCD. Is you/your spouse's OCD so bad that its taking over your life and ruining your marriage? Can’t go anywhere because one of you has an intense fear of germs? Is the obsession to be clean has paralyzing you from normal daily activity? Does it impede on how they take care of your children? If so, I want to hear from you. Please send your story ASAP to LCTVCasting@gmail.com

Only those willing to share their story on camera should reply."

Truth Be Told: I Have OCD

In September of 2009, TLC ran a miniseries called "Truth Be Told," with hour long episodes about people struggling with various things. One episode was called "I Have OCD." I was one of the three people featured in that episode, and I'm just curious if anyone saw it. It was fun and exhausting to shoot. The producer and camera crew came to my home twice and shot a bazillion hours of footage. They were amazingly nice, and though it was exhausting, it was a good experience. I revealed a lot of very, VERY personal things (much like I do on this blog), but it was even more revealing because I was on camera, using my real name, with no stunt doubles :). I hope it brought some sort of help or comfort or even revelation to someone. Even if it didn't, I'm glad I did it.


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Question About OCD and Spirituality

I have a question for any of you fellow OCDers out there who have religious/spiritual beliefs.....what parts of your religion/spirituality do you find to be much tougher because of OCD? For example, reading the Bible is sometimes harder for me because I have to reread things, or end on something positive. Praying is harder for me because I have to say a certain number of things, and certain phrases. These are a few examples from my own life. Is there anything in your practice of your certain belief that OCD makes more difficult?

Attention OCDers!

I am currently involved as a subject in the project mentioned below. They are looking for participants with OCD, and I'm happy to post their casting flyer on my blog. I can tell you they are fantastically nice, and extremely respectful! Please contact them if you'd like to participate.

"Pink Sneakers Productions is currently casting for TLC's new documentary series tentatively titled, "Life Chronicles". Each episode documents the day-to-day lives of people affected by different life experiences. One of our episodes will focus on obsessive-compulsive disorder. We are currently looking for people who have been directly or indirectly (family member of, etc) affected by OCD.
These are unique and sensitive topics to be covered through a true, documentary style format to inform and educate our viewers while preserving respect for all parties involved.
If you, or someone you know may be interested in participating in this project with us and sharing his or her story please contact us at casting@pinksneakers.net and feel free to check out our website at www.pinksneakers.net.
We thank you in advance for sharing your story."

Son of a Twitch

One of my OCD symptoms that annoys the heck out of me has to do with my face and ears. Sometimes I feel like I have to sniff or raise my eyebrows or blink a lot. Sometimes I have to pop my ears a lot.

Have any of you experienced that? Does your medication affect it? How do you stop it? I'm sure I"m not the only one who struggles with this.

Masturbation

Yeah, I went there.

OK, so OCD presents certain challenges with various areas of life. For me, I have a struggle sometime with masturbation. I can't do it with my Grandma's wedding ring on. It just feels wrong. I take it off.

I will always use a latex glove or plastic bag to prevent contamination.

I feel slightly guilty.

I feel dirty, even though I am a virgin. I feel like I've contaminated certain things I touch. I have gotten over this, but I used to take a shower afterwards to "cleanse" myself. I'd feel like my clothes were contaminated.

I worry about having wrong thoughts, or that I'm committing a sin.

It's frustrating, because even thought this is a normal part of life, and not wrong, there is so much guilt and feeling of wrongdoing sometimes. I know I am not a dirty person, and that I am not bad, but there is still so much guilt and feeling of contamination. I'm getting better, but it can be really frustrating to have to deal with perceived contamination and sin, whether real or imagined.

Masturbation historically has been fraught with secrecy, guilt, and judgement. It is very natural, but especially to OCD sufferers, it brings special challenges as we associate it with contamination, sin, and guilt.

The only thing I can do is offer my experience, and tell you that I still think I am a good person, even thought I struggle with my guilt and thoughts. I don't know if this will help anyone, but please know that if you struggle with fears, doubt and guilt, you are not alone. And you are still a good person.

It's amazing to think that I've not posted on this blog for a year. Thank you to all who encouraged me to keep going - your encouragement means a lot to me. Well, let's see. Right now I'm still struggling with the washing of my hands. I've been using pump soap lately which has really dried out my hands. Any advice on how to restore moisture to my cracked and bleeding knuckles? :)

OCD is a really amazing thing. It keeps cycling. It preys on your worst fears, and keeps changing so you always find yourself at a disadvantage. I've talked before about "good" and "bad" numbers. Recently I've found that they can cycle through pretty fast. The numbers that were traditionally bad for me have turned good for a while, and have now started turning back to bad. It's frustrating. Just when you thought improvements were being made, the improvements switch back to bad things.

Life has been pretty good lately, thought, in spite of the bleeding knuckles and cycling numbers. I've been taking some vitamin supplements that have at least put me in a good mood. Mind you, I"m not a doctor, so perhaps the supplements I am taking will lead to some kind of weird cancer or destroy my spleen. I don't know. What I do know is that I am feeling great taking St. John's Wort, Magnesium/Calcium/Zinc, Flax/Borage/Fish Oil, and then my regular medications. Please ask your doctor before adding any supplements or vitamins to your medication. Some supplements have terrible reactions with medication. Ask your doctor before you try any vitamins or supplements. (Lawyers, are you happy?!)

I have been struggling lately with a really weird symptom. It's not terribly disruptive, but it's weird. I have to have the light reflect off my thumbnail just right, so that it forms a vertical line down the left side of my left thumbnail. I don't know if any of my friends or family have noticed me angling my thumb so that whatever light there is (lamp light, the light of the speedometer, etc.) hits it just right, but it is annoying. I'm still slightly surprised I haven't gotten in a car accident due to all the things I have to do with my OCD while driving, but there you are.

What a crazy disorder. How can I help any of you who may be struggling?