I’m on vacation and just called someone out for stereotyping OCD at the mall. She said she didn’t want to buy these boots because they would “drive her OCD crazy.” I asked her if she had diagnosed OCD and she said “No, the boots just bother me.” So I said, “Well, I do. I’ve had it a long time, and as an advocate I just want to point out that it is a very debilitating condition and you never know who could hear you make comments like that, and for some sufferers it could be offensive.” She said, “I understand,” and I thanked her for hearing me out. I was super nervous to do it, but kept my cool and even if she just dismissed me as some crazy person, I’m glad I stood up for myself and the rest of the OCD community.

Hey everyone, just wanted to say that I conquered something really big with my OCD yesterday and I feel really proud about myself. I told the person I’m most close with about my ROCD and she was so understanding of it and we talked a lot about what she could do to help me when I get into one of those moods where it’s really obvious that I’m trying to more or less ‘interrogate’ her (Don’t worry it’s not by giving reassurance I talked to her about that). All this really helps me because a lot of the time after I have an ROCD type of mood swing it can trigger my Harm OCD and I think I’ve really hurt her and that what I do might cause her to self harm and all of this so it’s not a good cycle at all. I’m not trying to flaunt my success by no means and the reason why I’m saying this is because for once in a really long time I feel proud of myself and happy that I was able to take the first big step in dealing with my ROCD For anybody out there who thinks that they can’t get help or talk about their feelings, stop it. If I can do it (The person who’s incredibly introverted and has big trust issues) you can do it. I believe in all of you that you can all have success no matter how big or small it may seem it’s still progress. Have a wonderful day folks and remember to take care of yourself ?

Hi! My name is Mikhail. I have been diagnosed with OCD for a couple years now, and this year I started ERP therapy at NOCD. I first found out about Pure O from downloading NOCD's app and seeing other people post about their experiences with overthinking, fear, and shame. While I had been diagnosed with OCD before, I had never heard about Pure O, where the compulsions manifest themselves more internally. I was at a point in my life where I was isolating myself and afraid of the thoughts I was having all day every day. This eroded away my self-esteem and identity but the skills I learned doing ERP have helped me feel like myself again. I recommend doing ERP to anyone afflicted with OCD, as it has helped me train the mental muscles I needed to get back to my life again. NOCD specialists meet you where you are at and help you get better on your own terms. I have taken the opportunity to be an advocate because once I found out I wasn't alone with Pure OCD, it reignited the faith I had in ever recovering. Learning about other people's experiences and sharing my own has helped me live more authentically. I want to do anything I can to encourage others to recover as well, because I know it is possible and that this condition is manageable. Going through NOCD treatment invoked genuine compassion in me not just for others, but for myself, which is something I never truly felt before. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me. I feel purpose in connecting with people about OCD and getting better together. Believe me, you are not the only one who has thought that crazy thing and then thought about thinking about it 17 more times until it impacted your behavior!

So frustrated with the misunderstanding of OCD today. A friend of mine gave me a bag with gifts for every day until Christmas (like an advent calendar sort of thing). Because of my OCD, I have a hard time handling/touching things that have come into my home from "outside." I thought this would be a great exposure having to open a gift each day this month. I was even considering telling this friend about my OCD, explaining ERP, and how her gifts could help me in my recovery. Well we were just texting one another about what we're baking for the holidays and how we like the combination of sweet and salty. Then she says this: "I'm surprised I like that combo because I have always had OCD tendencies and hated mixing flavors and foods like that." UGH. Just when I think it might be safe to share my "secret." Nope. Not gonna happen. Now I'm just mad. Thanks for letting me vent.