When today’s guest, Aneela Idnani, was at the 2017 OCD Conference in San Francisco, she met a man from London—Stuart Ralph of the OCD Stories—and told him she was from Minneapolis. He said, “You should meet Alison Dotson. She lives in Minneapolis.” It took her traveling to California and chatting with a man from England…
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Book Review: Payton Is Afraid of Dirt
Kids with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—and their parents—will feel less alone and more empowered after they’ve curled up with Payton Is Afraid of Dirt by Shanna Simpson, illustrated by Idmary Hernandez (Future Horizons, 2017). Payton isn’t afraid of just dirt: He’s worried germs will make him sick, and he’ll get others sick, so he cleans his room, washes his hands, and…
Read MoreReducing Skin Picking by Creating Art: Liz Atkin
I’m old enough to remember what life was like before easy access to the Internet, and especially before social media. Since platforms like Facebook and Twitter have exploded, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people I’d never have even heard of before. One of those people is today’s guest, Liz Atkin. I ran across her…
Read MoreGiving Back at Just 17: Ryan Bernstein
Happy Tuesday! Today I’m hosting an incredible young man. At just 17 years old, Ryan Bernstein is shooting for the stars, working hard to spread awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He’s writing a book, guys, and it isn’t even for personal gain! He plans to donate the proceeds to the International OCD Foundation, and he needs…
Read MoreBook Review: Turtles All the Way Down
Oh, boy. John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down was the first fiction book I’ve read about OCD, and it didn’t disappoint. It did, however, take me a month to finish—and not because it was too long or because the story dragged, but because it was a little painful to read such a perfectly rendered description of…
Read MorePracticing Yoga to Face OCD: Kate Stiffler
Welcome Kate Stiffler! Kate, a mother of five kids, has found yoga to be tremendously helpful in dealing with her OCD. After years of struggling and mostly keeping her diagnosis to herself, Kate is ready to share her story. I couldn’t be more pleased to help her spread the word of hope and recovery. Thank you…
Read MoreHelping Students With OCD: Nathalie Maragoni
Happy Tuesday! Please help me welcome Nathalie Maragoni! Not only is Nathalie an amazing advocate working hard to spread awareness of OCD, she’s also in school so she can become an OCD therapist. This is such important work, and we all know how hard it can be to find a properly trained therapist, so thank you,…
Read More#ocdweek With Chrissie Hodges
Happy OCD Awareness Week! As you may know, I’m the president of OCD Twin Cities, the local affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and I’m excited to host Chrissie Hodges this Thursday! If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join us from 7 to 9 at the Wilder Center, Auditorium A, 451 Lexington Parkway…
Read MoreFounder of Anxiety in Teens: Solome Tibebu
A few years ago, when my book Being Me with OCD was just coming out, my brother sent me a link to a local TED Talk. I could see why: The speaker, Solome Tibebu, bravely opened up about her personal experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. But that wasn’t all—she also shared how, at age 16,…
Read MoreMusic, OCD, and Tinnitus: Mike Michel
Please welcome Twin Cities musician Mike Michel! Mike has had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) since childhood, but another chronic condition, tinnitus, reared its ugly head a few years ago and turned his life upside down. Suddenly everything he loved—not to mention his livelihood—brought him pain and frustration. He didn’t give up, though, and he’ll tell you all…
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