You don’t have to go through mental illness alone

For me, it all started with obsessions to check.

First, I was turning the light switches on and off. Then she was moving the toilet seat up and down repeatedly. Once, twice, three times, and in the end I discovered that the fourth time was the sweet spot, the “perfect” spot. If the anxiety was still present, it meant four times as much.

My mother finally caught on and asked me why. Why was she doing these repetitive actions? “I don’t know, I just have to do it,” was all I could say.

A short time later, at an appointment with the pediatrician, the diagnosis was made: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I wasn’t even 10 years old and my mental health journey was underway.

Over the years, OCD has had its ups and downs, at some points almost non-existent while at other times almost debilitating. As a person with mental illness for most of my life, I have seen and heard the thoughts and stigma surrounding mental health disorders.