A journey for mental health
“Whatever you do, don‘t fall asleep” – Nancy (A Nightmare on Elm Street) My first stay at a Bed and Breakfast can be summed up in that one movie quote. Okay…so it wasn’t quite as scary as sharing a world with Freddy Krueger, but my OCD lied to me once again and tricked me into …
Can the primary focus (obsessions and compulsions) of OCD evolve over time? In other words, can you suffer from multiple forms of OCD? I’m here to tell you that the answer is YES! Categories of OCD OCD can present itself in numerous ways, although most individuals will find themselves in one of five categories. These …
The little “piggy” I’m referring to was already in the market and was actually the biggest chunk of pork loin I think I have ever seen. So how did this seemingly normal occurrence send me into a panic attack? It’s a matter of where this piggy was located: the ice cream section. Sweet Cravings If …
Anyone with OCD or anxiety knows just how intense their thoughts can be. It can seem impossible to think about anything else in those moments, especially during a full-blown panic attack. After months of desperately reaching out to my husband for help, we both realized a hard truth: nothing he could say would make a …
Weenie, Wimp, Fraidy Cat…whatever you want to call it, OCD tends to turn me into one. When my OCD rears its ugly head, I begin to be calculate every move. Should I touch that? Should I sit there? Is that dirty? These patterns of thought can sometimes lead me to pass on something that would …
What is a Compulsion? I have found myself trying to explain this idea to my husband multiple times, but how do you really explain how it feels living with the intrusive thoughts and compulsions that come with OCD? This mental illness is so misunderstood by family, friends, and even some doctors. Although I struggled for …
Setting Expectations Why do we place so much importance on Valentine’s day? I mean, are the other 364 days of the year not romantic and full of love? With all of the advertising put in place for that one day in February, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Many of us expect …
When dealing with OCD and intrusive thoughts, the question that often presents itself is “To ignore, or not to ignore?” In the past, my answer was definitely ignore. This answer stood out to me like a flashing neon sign on Broadway. But is that really our best option? In fact, isn’t it true that the …
Relaxation tools are all the rage, but before diving in on that subject, let’s have a quick chat about something equally as popular. So by now, I think it’s safe to assume that we all know of the mermaid trend of 2017 (honestly, I don’t think it ever ended). But perhaps there is some real …
Recovery takes time, but how much? If you really want the truth, here it is: As long as it takes. We all know the age-old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I’m sure you’ve heard it countless times from teachers, parents, friends, etc. Those words have the potential to make us feel good when …