Maybe you haven’t met Jonathan Grayson in person, and maybe you haven’t read his book—yet. But if you’ve been to the International OCD Conference, you’ve probably seen him leading a huge group of people through the hotel lobby, armed with a bullhorn. Ask a random sampling of these people what their favorite part of the…
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Book Review: Because We Are Bad
Because We Are Bad (Canbury Press, May 2016) is an apt title for this charming yet heartbreaking and gripping memoir: Author Lily Bailey thought that she had to be perfect to keep her family safe, and part of being perfect was performing rituals the “right” way every time and keeping a log of everything she’d done wrong…
Read MoreLeaving the OCD Circus: Kirsten Pagacz
Kirsten Pagacz seems to lead a dream life—just browse through some of her photos and you’ll see what I mean. Is that Kirsten with Dick Van Dyke?! There she is at Comic Con, having a blast. And she owns the most charming little store! Her life is pretty good now, but it hasn’t always been…
Read MoreObsessing About AIDS: David Adam
This Tuesday we’re hearing from David Adam, author of The Man Who Couldn’t Stop, 2015 recipient of the International OCD Foundation’s Illumination Award, and 2016 OCD Conference keynote speaker. I’ve had several different themes of obsessions, and many people I know who have OCD do, too. David struggled with just one, a fear that he’d contract…
Read MoreHost of The OCD Stories: Stuart Ralph
I’ve recently gotten into podcasts (did you know they’ve been a thing for, like, years now?), so I was happy to come across the aptly titled The OCD Stories, a well-done, inspirational podcast and website run by the fellow I’m hosting today: Stuart Ralph. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Stu in person, but…
Read MoreCreator of nOCD: Stephen Smith
One of the best things about being an advocate for OCD awareness is connecting with other people who have OCD and hearing their stories, especially when they’ve decided to turn their pain into something positive by helping others. In this Q&A, I get to learn about something I know very little about: The invention of an app! It was…
Read MoreVlogging About OCD: Kat Hashway
Welcome to Tuesday Q&A, dear readers! Last month at the OCD Conference in Chicago, I ran into a family from my home state, a mother and her daughter who has OCD. As her mom and I chatted, this 9-year-old girl grew antsy—her mom gave me a look and said, “She saw a YouTube vlogger earlier,…
Read MoreFounder of IntrusiveThoughts.org: Aaron Harvey
On March 21, I shared a link to IntrusiveThoughts.org on my author Facebook page and said, “I am so excited about this new website!” And I really was. Not only was it all about the intrusive thoughts that plague those of us with OCD, it mentioned all the secret shameful ones like pedophilia and harm, and—and!—it’s gorgeous.…
Read MoreDraw Your Monster: Sean Shinnock
It’s the Tuesday of OCD Conference week, and I’m excited to be hosting someone you’ll have a chance to meet, learn from, and be inspired by this weekend. Sean has taken huge leaps in his recovery in the past few years, moving out of his dad’s house to residential treatment in Boston to living on his…
Read MoreBook Review: When a Family Member Has OCD
Since I have OCD myself, I’m not the target audience of When a Family Member Has OCD: Mindfulness & Cognitive Behavioral Skills to Help Families Affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (New Harbinger Publications, December 2015) by Jon Hershfield. Loved ones are. That said, I highly recommend this book for both family members and individuals with OCD. Using anecdotes, charts,…
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Alison Dotson 