Many of us in the OCD advocacy community got into it because we have OCD ourselves. Margaret Sisson became an advocate because her son Riley had OCD. She has done so much to spread awareness, not just about OCD but addiction as well. Even after Riley’s tragic death in 2014 Margaret has continued to go above…
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Author of Pure: Rose Cartwright
Everyone with OCD has at least one thing in common, and I’ve met a few people with OCD over the years who I’ve really connected with. But I feel like I have a lot in common with Rose Cartwright, at least when it comes to our experiences with OCD. I’m not sure about the rest of our…
Read MoreTrauma and OCD: Clint Malarchuk
Welcome to Tuesday Q&A! This week we’re hearing from Clint Malarchuk, a man who is supposed to be tough, who isn’t supposed to admit to feeling weak—but he’s shattered misconceptions and is speaking out, particularly about his struggle with OCD, to help others. Clint is tough, by the way. And he’s really, really nice. Really. I…
Read MoreTackling Taboo Thoughts: Lee Baer
If you follow my blog or know anything about me at all—at least as far as my OCD story goes—you know how much I respect and admire Dr. Lee Baer, author of The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts. When I finally made an appointment with an OCD specialist and croaked out…
Read MoreAuthor of Overcoming OCD: Janet Singer
Happy Tuesday! I’m pleased to host a fellow blogger and author today, Janet Singer of OCDTalk. Janet is a tireless advocate for the proper treatment for OCD—and she doesn’t even have the disorder herself. After watching her son suffer through many missteps of treatment, Janet dedicated herself to spreading awareness about OCD and how to…
Read MoreFinding Support at the OCD Conference: Carol Rettner
This week I’m hosting Carol Rettner, a kind, hilarious, and brave woman I met at the OCD Conference in L.A. in 2014. When I met Jeff Bell and mentioned I was from Minneapolis, he asked if I’d met Carol—I hadn’t—and later introduced us. He also told me that until recently Carol hadn’t left Minnesota for…
Read MoreBecome an OCD Advocate!
The International OCD Foundation has launched a new advocacy program that’s easy to get involved in. Take the pledge and get to work! As I note in this blog I wrote for the IOCDF, being an advocate can take many forms—you can be involved in any way that works for you.
Read MoreInternational OCD Foundation Spokesperson: Ethan S. Smith
It’s a big week—the week of the 22nd annual OCD Conference! It’s in Boston this year, where the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) is based, and I’m so excited to be a part of it again. But enough about me. Last year Ethan Smith, a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, producer, and director, delivered the conference keynote.…
Read MoreOCD and Mindfulness: Jon Hershfield
I think I first heard of Jon Hershfield on Twitter—we definitely had OCD in common, so I followed him and always loved what he had to say. And then I kept hearing about him and his first book, The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD, on OCD support pages on Facebook. People love that book! Then we ended up…
Read MoreStorytelling and OCD: Shala Nicely
It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means—we have a Q&A! This week we’re hearing from Shala Nicely, whom I first heard of when I pitched a blog post to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). My superduper so original idea was to draw parallels between overcoming OCD and the lyrics from “Let It Go,” the…
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Alison Dotson 