I’m afraid of eggs. I can’t have a carton of eggs in the fridge. I haven’t ordered them at a restaurant in over two years. My son has an egg allergy, and whenever we are around eggs, my brain sends me these images or flashes of him somehow getting a piece of the eggs. Then I see him gasping for air, and it literally creates a pit in my stomach because I love him more than I love to breathe. I would never hurt him. Yes, eggs allergies are important, and restaurants should be mandated to have allergy menus available for customers upon request. However, this has more to do with my issues than anything my son cannot eat. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. Most people hear this about me and probably think I’m a clean freak, but that’s only one type of OCD and a generalization stemming from poor media coverage about this mental illness. Unfortunately, organization and cleanliness are only one color in the rainbow of OCD subtypes that a person can suffer from. Most experts agree that OCD people experience intrusive thoughts just like we all do; the difference is OCD sufferers have a tremendous amount of anxiety due to these thoughts. Some people see these as images or flashes that can be disturbing or prey on what we care about the most. The anxiety we feel, as a result, is met with another option. Perform a mental or physical compulsion designed to give you temporary relief but will only return wanting more of your time and presence the next go-round. Some OCD sufferers experience this constantly. If I tell you not to think of the pink elephant, you will understand the challenging nature of treating this silent killer. I say silent because many people begin having these experiences and feel an increased and overinflated sense of responsibility based on their thoughts or compulsions become un-ending demanding more of their unlucky victim who believes by performing compulsions they are proving relief to themselves. Then they do this over and over again. Remember the O in OCD? It stands for obsessive, which can create concrete-like neural pathways in the person’s mind. If they suffer silently for years or even decades, the results can damage the person with OCD and their relationships to all forms of life. The good news is through something called Exposure Response Therapy or ERP, which is considered the gold standard for OCD treatment, people can see fundamental differences made in their obsessions and their compulsions. While no “cure” currently exists, many OCD sufferers know their symptoms worsen if they don’t care for themselves by sleeping or eating regularly. The bad news in this situation is that Mississippi has incredibly limited resources when it comes to this. I would know. I’m from a suburb outside the Capitol where the Governor lives, and I felt hopelessly trapped by our fragmented health systems and lack of available resources. I’m lucky to have a wife that encouraged me to seek help, and I believe she saved my life. Through therapy, medication, meditation, and a lot of help from my loved ones, I’m recovering from OCD symptoms, and now I want to help others find their way out. Our children deserve better when it comes to the early identification of this disease. We should create partnerships to ensure teachers, counselors, and parents have the knowledge to talk with their kids about OCD. Early prevention could help one less child stay up at night performing compulsions until they pass out and then underperforming at school due to lack of sleep. We have to do better. I bought a carton of eggs, and they’re sitting in my fridge right now. I’ll let you know how my next omelet is.