Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | My Experience
TLDRIn this episode of 'It's All in Your Head' podcast, host Jackie Colbeth interviews Allison Brits, author of 'Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD'. Allison shares her personal journey with obsessive-compulsive disorder from its debilitating onset during her teenage years to her eventual recovery. The conversation delves into the challenges Allison faced, including the misconceptions about OCD and the profound impact it had on her daily life. She discusses the therapeutic process, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helped her manage her OCD and the importance of self-compassion and acceptance in her healing journey. The episode aims to inspire hope and understanding for those struggling with similar mental health challenges.
Takeaways
- 🧠 OCD is a brain disorder that can manifest as intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, causing significant distress and impacting daily life.
- 📚 Allison Brits, the author of 'Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD', shares her personal journey of living with and overcoming OCD, providing insight into its debilitating effects.
- 👩⚕️ Early intervention with a general practitioner and later a child psychiatrist was crucial for Allison in understanding and beginning to treat her OCD.
- 🤝 Support from family and friends is vital for individuals with OCD, as it helps them feel understood and less isolated in their struggle.
- 🧘♀️ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), was an effective treatment method for Allison's OCD.
- 💪 Developing self-awareness and self-compassion is key to managing OCD, as it allows individuals to recognize when their symptoms are flaring and take steps to address them.
- 👗 The memoir highlights the importance of addressing not just the symptoms of OCD, but also the underlying issues that contribute to its development, such as a need for control and lack of trust.
- 📈 Overcoming OCD is a process that can take time and persistence, with ups and downs along the way, as Allison's story illustrates.
- 👫 The impact of OCD on relationships can be significant, but open communication and understanding from loved ones can greatly aid in the healing process.
- 🌟 Sharing personal experiences with OCD, as Allison has done through her book and public speaking, can be empowering and help others feel less alone in their battle with mental health issues.
- 💌 The message of hope is central to Allison's story, showing that while OCD is a lifelong challenge, it is possible to find relief and live a fulfilling life with the right support and treatment.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the podcast episode featuring Allison Brits?
-The main topic of the podcast episode is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), with a focus on Allison Brits' personal experiences and her journey with the disorder.
What is the title of Allison Brits' memoir about her life with OCD?
-The title of Allison Brits' memoir is 'Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD'.
How did Allison's OCD manifest during her teenage years?
-Allison's OCD manifested with intrusive thoughts and compulsions that led her to believe everyday objects and actions, such as wearing clothes or drinking water, could cause cancer or harm.
What was the turning point for Allison that led her to seek help for her OCD?
-The turning point for Allison was when her OCD had progressed to the point where she had no clothes to wear and weighed only 90 pounds, realizing she needed help to address the underlying issues fueling her OCD.
What type of therapy did Allison undergo to help manage her OCD?
-Allison underwent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which involved gradually facing her fears in a controlled and supervised manner.
How did Allison's family and friends respond when she shared her experiences with OCD?
-Allison's family and friends were supportive when she shared her experiences. Her close friends were given pamphlets to understand OCD, and her significant other provided a reality check and encouragement to challenge her OCD thoughts.
What role did therapy play in Allison's recovery and understanding of her OCD?
-Therapy played a crucial role in Allison's recovery by providing her with strategies to challenge and manage her OCD thoughts and compulsions, as well as helping her understand the underlying issues that fueled her need for control and her lack of trust in herself and others.
How did Allison's writing of her memoir help her process her experiences with OCD?
-Writing her memoir was a cathartic process for Allison, allowing her to express her experiences and feelings about OCD without overthinking. It helped her to reflect on her journey and come to terms with her past experiences.
What advice does Allison give to those who might be struggling with OCD or other mental health issues?
-Allison advises people struggling with OCD or mental health issues to seek therapy, stick with it even if it's awkward at first, and to learn to love and respect themselves as they are, understanding that it's okay to not be okay.
How has Allison's perspective on her OCD changed over time?
-Over time, Allison has developed a more compassionate and empathetic approach towards her OCD. She now understands the reasons behind her thoughts and behaviors and has learned to manage them with self-compassion and mindfulness.
What impact did the death of Allison's mother-in-law have on her mental health journey?
-The death of Allison's mother-in-law was a humbling experience that led her to re-engage in therapy and address her OCD more directly. It helped her gain self-awareness and self-compassion, realizing that it's okay to not be okay.
Outlines
🧠 OCD's Impact on Daily Life
The speaker describes the debilitating effects of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) on her life, highlighting how intrusive thoughts and compulsions dictated her actions to the extent that she couldn't wear clothes or eat food, leading to a state of extreme distress and weight loss. She discusses her journey towards understanding and treating OCD, emphasizing the importance of addressing the underlying issues that fuel the disorder.
📚 Childhood Anxiety and OCD's Onset
The narrative delves into the speaker's childhood, where signs of anxiety and what she later recognized as 'pure O' OCD were present. She shares her experience as an overachiever and the anxiety she felt, particularly about safety, which was dismissed by her parents as nightmares. The speaker also touches on her family's military background and its influence on her need for achievement and perfection.
🚫 The Climax of OCD's Restrictive Effects
The speaker recounts the day when her OCD reached a critical point, leaving her with no clothes to wear and an inability to consume food or water. She vividly describes the internal struggle and the moment of 'breaking' that led her to seek help. This paragraph illustrates the intense fear and the isolating nature of her experience with OCD.
🤝 Supportive Relationships and Therapy's Role
In this paragraph, the speaker credits her mother for helping her take the first steps towards recovery by seeking professional help. She describes the pivotal moment when she connected with a child psychiatrist who specialized in OCD, which provided her with a sense of relief and understanding that her fears were not unique or divine messages, but symptoms of a treatable condition.
🧘♀️ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Self-Understanding
The speaker explains the process of cognitive behavioral therapy she underwent, specifically exposure and response prevention (ERP), which involved confronting her fears in a controlled manner. She discusses the gradual reduction of anxiety through repeated exposures and the realization that her brain was working against her, creating a false sense of danger to alleviate her fear.
🎓 Navigating High School and College with OCD
The speaker reflects on her high school and college years, detailing the challenges of managing OCD alongside academic and social pressures. She shares her initial belief that she was cured when she went to college, only to realize later that her OCD was still present but ignored. The paragraph highlights the ongoing struggle with mental health even amidst a seemingly normal life.
👶 Adulthood Realizations and Parental Insights
In this paragraph, the speaker discusses her journey into adulthood and parenthood, and how becoming a mother forced her to confront her untreated OCD. She also reflects on the emotional toll her condition took on her parents and how her own experiences as a parent have given her a deeper understanding and appreciation for their struggles.
🤔 Self-Acceptance and the Importance of Therapy
The speaker emphasizes the transformative power of therapy in her life, encouraging those who are struggling to seek professional help. She admits her initial resistance to therapy and how it ultimately provided her with the tools to understand and manage her OCD. The paragraph concludes with a call for self-love and respect, advocating for the importance of self-acceptance in the journey towards mental well-being.
👥 The Supportive Role of Loved Ones
The speaker shares her experiences with the support she received from her husband and colleagues, illustrating how understanding and accommodating loved ones can be instrumental in managing mental health challenges. She highlights the importance of communication and the willingness of others to help when they are made aware of one's struggles.
🌟 Embracing Vulnerability and Sharing Stories
In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses the importance of openness about mental health issues, noting how sharing her story has led to others sharing theirs. She encourages embracing vulnerability and the power of community in overcoming the challenges of mental health, leaving the audience with a message of hope and the value of connection.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡OCD
💡Intrusive thoughts
💡Compulsions
💡Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
💡Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
💡Anxiety
💡Self-awareness
💡Support system
💡Therapy
💡Self-compassion
💡Stigma
Highlights
OCD manifests as intrusive thoughts that the brain intercepts before conscious awareness, leading to irrational fears and compulsions.
The individual's struggle with OCD escalated to a point where daily activities and wearing clothes became dangerous in their perception.
A turning point was reached when the individual was left with no clothes to wear and weighed only 90 pounds, leading to a realization of the severity of the disorder.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), was instrumental in treating OCD by confronting fears in a controlled manner.
The therapy process involved gradual exposure to feared objects or situations, such as pencils and calculators, to challenge and change the brain's response.
The individual experienced a significant relief upon understanding that their thoughts were a result of OCD and not prophetic or divine messages.
Childhood behaviors and anxieties, such as being an overachiever and having specific fears, were later recognized as early signs of OCD.
Family dynamics, including military heritage and strict rules, may have contributed to the development of OCD as a coping mechanism.
The individual's relationship with their parents was strained during the teenage years due to the challenges of OCD and the desire for independence.
Friends provided support by understanding the individual's situation with OCD through educational pamphlets rather than direct conversations.
College offered a fresh start, but the individual continued to struggle with OCD, attempting to ignore it rather than addressing the issue.
Having a child and experiencing adult responsibilities led to a resurgence of OCD symptoms, prompting a return to therapy.
Therapy in adulthood helped uncover the underlying issues fueling the OCD, such as a need for control and lack of trust, leading to significant relief.
Yoga and mindfulness practices have been beneficial in managing stress and maintaining control over OCD symptoms.
The individual learned to recognize signs of OCD flare-ups and take proactive steps to address them, such as practicing self-compassion and adjusting lifestyle.
Acceptance and support from loved ones, as well as self-acceptance, have been crucial in managing OCD and leading a fulfilling life.
Therapy is highly recommended for those struggling with OCD, as it was a life-changing experience that provided tools for understanding and coping with the disorder.
The importance of self-love and self-respect as part of the healing process is emphasized, challenging societal pressures to constantly achieve more.
Transcripts
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