Introduction

[soundofmusic11]

Hi everyone! I am a teenager who has had OCD my entire life. I was properly diagnosed at the age of 9 (probably? we don’t keep track lol) and was told that they’ve known my whole life. Ever since I was a baby, I can’t remember a day without OCD. I have always wondered what it’s like to not have it, but ultimately I think it has made me a more understanding and compassionate person. Although it is rough, I believe it is worth it to have the opportunity to educate people. I have always been a huge advocate for OCD, and have never been afraid to talk about it. I have been on Zoloft and Prozac, have had 3 therapists, and about 2 physiatrists. I am currently not doing any therapy, and have actually been doing extremely well with my OCD. I have been considering going back to it though, since I feel my OCD is in a very stable place (extremely grateful for that!). It got to a point where even the therapist that specialized in OCD said it was one of the worst cases she’s ever seen. Although she was the only therapist that actually helped my OCD, it got to a point where it wasn’t doing anything. Without that therapist, I think I would still be in the horrible place I was before, but through her, I learned how to fight it. She helped me realized that I could beat it, and provided me with tools to do so. I am extremely grateful for her, and can’t imagine dealing with the severity of OCD I used to have every single day. I have been fighting my OCD, and sometimes I don’t win, but I think every day is worth the battle. Since I’ve had it my whole life, I don’t know what it is like to not have OCD, which has helped me be an even stronger advocate. If anyone has any questions about my experience, or needs help with something their going through, please let me know! (just realized I wrote a whole essay :/ )

[Tcba]

Welcome. Good to hear your story. Have you ever been to one of the IOCDF annual conferences? I think your story would be an inspiration to the many young people who attend this conference each year. 💜

[soundofmusic11 in reply to Tcba]

I would love to go, but have never been, it would be awesome to speak at one! I am actually in the process of applying for an ambassador role, so hopefully I’m able to attend next year! Thank you for your kind words 💙

[Fearnomore]

I’m so happy to hear that you have managed your OCD! It’s a difficult illness, and learning how to live with it and cope with its ups and downs is very important to do. Keep fighting and never give up! God bless you!

[bab5]

This is a wonderful post.

I strongly relate to it.

Glad to hear about your progress.

The annual IOCDF Conference is awesome and they are currently accepting applications for individuals with OCD to give a presentation next year! Your story sounds like it would be perfect for that.

That’s a lot of pressure, obviously, but you said it best.

Every day is worth the fight. At this point, I’m not sure if I wanna know what it’s like to live without OCD because that’s who I am.

That’s who we are.

I love this post.

[soundofmusic11 in reply to bab5]

I totally agree, thank you so much!! I will definitely look into the presentation at the IOCDF conference!