Happy Tuesday! If you’ve been reading this series for a while, you won’t be surprised by how I met today’s guest, Justin: At the OCD conference! This past summer I presented about the shame and guilt caused by taboo intrusive thoughts, and Justin was in the front row. We chatted afterward, and he said he…
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Inventor of the Keen: Aneela Idnani
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…
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 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 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…
Read MoreBlasphemous Thoughts in OCD: Michele Carroll
Meet the lovely Michele Carroll! Some of you may be thinking, “Wait, I think I have met her” because you’ve talked with her or seen her at some of the annual International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conferences. As you’ll soon hear from Michele herself, she’s had OCD for years—but she’s only recently begun opening up about it more and…
Read MoreTreating OCD With Mindfulness: Erin Venker
Funny story: Erin Venker lives right here in the Twin Cities and she’s good friends with one of my coworkers, but we didn’t meet until we both attended the 2015 OCD conference in Boston. I knew right away I wanted to connect with her back home, and I ended up asking her to be the…
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Alison Dotson 