I CAN.

My story with OCD goes WAY back. I think it all began about 13-14 years ago. I’ve experienced a handful of subtypes. I gave self-managing my all for many years, until I hit a wall in Nov 2024, when a topic related to my health took over. It felt unshakable— it consumed me every single day for hours. I knew that I needed help, but thought I could still try to get through it on my own (I couldn’t). I became positively miserable and depressed at the amount of time I lost to my OCD. I couldn’t even get good sleep because my intrusive thoughts started invading my dreams. With the encouragement and support of my family, I signed up for NOCD and that’s when everything changed. I began acquiring the tools to effectively address my thoughts and compulsions. I shifted from taking my intrusive thoughts seriously, to responding to them in a healthy way— something I never thought I could handle. I faced my compulsions head on and learned that there wasn’t something scary hiding on the other side. Within a few months of doing this, it’s truly wild how free I’ve become. This does not mean that my OCD and obsessions have gone away. I still have tough days, but with my new tool box and all that I’ve witnessed myself accomplish with the help of ERP and my therapist, I CAN do anything. I’m a busy working musician with big goals (arenas/touring/etc. oneday) and it’s truly empowering to know that OCD will never rule me or keep me away from doing what I love. Becoming an OCD Conqueror is an honor, but a reminder that I must keep going and doing the work. You are not your OCD. ❤️