How was your OCD first discovered? I have Tourettes and I was in and out of the different doctors offices and specialists for a long time when I was younger. I use to constantly hum and snap my fingers and my parents would get so annoyed but I would tell them I couldn’t stop. After a while of being watched carefully and everything I was officially diagnosed with OCD and Tourettes. Just thought I’d share. Please share your story.

It took me about a year of therapy to be diagnosed with ocd. I’ve been dealing with ocd for as long as I can remember but I never wanted to label it in fear of discounting others experiences if I was wrong. It was in college that I started noticing some common compulsions associated width ocd but most of my ocd is not stereotypical ocd like many of us so I discounted my suspicions. I was diagnosed officially about three months ago. I’ve just started my journey but I’m thankful for my diagnosis to help understand myself better.

My OCD started in my early 20's, right after I had remembered sexual abuse I had blocked out from childhood, I had moved out of my parents house and was married and had a baby and my husband was not coming home for days, leaving us with out food and trasportation, etc.. So, looking back now I see that my themes were based around checking the house and contamination of food. I lived with this for many years and thought it was normal behavior and had no clue that others didn't feel the same. I was watching tv and there was a show called Obsessed and watching the behaviors of the people that is how I realized I had OCD. Good luck to you all in your journey!

I had to figure it out on my own, I was too scared to tell my therapists the extent of my thoughts because I didn't want them to tell me I had schizophrenia. So they just thought I had severe anxiety. Constant Google searches and listening to stories led me to OCD, which I had confirmed with an actual OCD therapist. It was comforting to know I wasn't losing my mind, but it's still hard.

Thanks for sharing your stories. Hopefully they can help others.