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 …
What Valentine’s Day Taught Me About OCD
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 …
Ignoring vs. Accepting: Which is Better for Intrusive Thoughts?
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 …
The Relaxation Tool You’ve Never Thought Of
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 now of the mermaid trend of 2017 (honestly, I don’t think it ever ended). But perhaps there is some real …
How Long Will Recovery Take?
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 …
Channeling my Inner Marie Kondo
Is anyone else hearing about ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ nearly everywhere you go? Yeah? Me too! After hearing it mentioned on the K-Love morning show, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and check it out for myself. I went home and asked my husband if he had heard anything about it and of course, …
Journaling for Mental Health
Do you keep a journal for your mental health? I have always loved the idea of journaling. I like to imagine myself sipping a cup of coffee while documenting my thoughts. Unfortunately, just like my big dream of working out everyday, it just doesn’t happen. What’s my excuse? Absolutely nothing. I have plenty of time …
Exposure Therapy
Anyone who has experienced exposure therapy knows just how much fun it is! Totally kidding. Maybe it can eventually be fun once you realize that you don’t have to be afraid anymore, but in the initial stages, it’s intensely frightening. During this therapy, the goal is to basically expose yourself to the objects or experiences that …
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Don’t be Deceived Do you ever look at someone and think “Wow! They’ve really got it together.” Well I hate to break it to ya’ but they probably don’t, at least not all the time. That’s the tricky thing about mental illness; it is often suffered in silence. That girl that has perfect makeup and …
Ask Yourself This Question for a Better Recovery
Have you ever paused and asked yourself, “Why do I want to get better?” There can be a million reasons why we want to overcome anxiety, but in order to see improvements, the reason has to be personal. I’ll admit that I hadn’t even considered this aspect of recovery until a very meaningful discussion with …