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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Facing OCD and Anxiety With Humor: Abby Heugel
Welcome Abby Heugel, one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter! While I do like scrolling through Twitter to find tweets relevant to OCD and general mental health, it’s also really refreshing to just giggle now and then. Abby manages to shed some hilarious light on OCD and anxiety—without making people who have OCD the butt…
Read MoreParenting a Child Who Has OCD: Barbara Claypole White
Greetings! My American readers: Happy Fourth of July! Today’s guest is a Brit living in America, so part of me wants to make a Seinfeld-esque attempt at observational humor, but the other part of me says, “Dotson, you’re no Seinfeld.” Barbara, we’re glad you’re here—both in the United States and in this latest edition of…
Read MoreGiving OCD a Name: Catherine Benfield
Happy Tuesday! Please welcome Catherine Benfield, OCD warrior and creator of Olivia, a rather adorable cartoon representation of Catherine’s obsessions. Olivia has been making the rounds on social media and regular media, so she may look familiar—but even if she doesn’t, you’re about to learn all about her, and you may even feel inspired to…
Read MorePostpartum OCD: Chelsea Elker
Help me welcome today’s guest, Chelsea Elker! Chelsea’s a fellow Minnesotan, which I just learned a month or so ago—I’d shared this achingly beautiful post she’d written for The Mighty without realizing we both live in the Twin Cities area, and then she found me after I wrote a little somethin’ for The Mighty and mentioned Minneapolis.…
Read MoreSuicide and OCD: Corey Hirsch
We’re approaching one of my favorite times of year—the annual International OCD Conference! My guest today, former NHL goalie Corey Hirsch, will be there, not only speaking on a panel about his own experiences with OCD but being presented with the Illumination Award. (Remember the year it went to Maria Bamford and how I definitely didn’t make…
Read MoreTreating OCD and BFRBs: Kimberley Quinlan
Welcome to Tuesday Q&A! Today I’m hosting the lovely Kimberley Quinlan, who always makes me feel better whenever she shares a post from her site or comments on anything I post about OCD. She’s wise and thoughtful, and I find her Australian accent very calming (but that’s kind of a side note—her content is what…
Read MoreOnline Support for OCD: Epifania Gallina
Happy New Year! I’ve been on a bit of a break from posting Tuesday Q&As, and I’m happy to host Epifania Gallina in this first post of 2017! Learn more about her experience with OCD, stigma, and her secret Facebook support group. When were you diagnosed with OCD, and how did you realize you might…
Read MoreBlogging About OCD: Morgan Rondinelli
Please help me welcome Morgan Rondinelli to Tuesday Q&A! I loved getting to know her better through her answers, and realized how much we have in common—and not just in our OCD stories. When she included the “fun fact” that she recently declared a minor in writing, I knew she was a girl after my…
Read MoreProducers of UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie
Today I’m hosting Chris Baier and Kelly Anderson, the producers of the upcoming documentary UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie as well as incredibly supportive parents to children with OCD. The kids interviewed for the film will inspire you: They’re articulate and honest, and their stories will help spread awareness about OCD, particularly how it affects children. Stay…
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Alison Dotson 