My Story
Eventually I spoke to my GP about it and was diagnosed with Obsessive compulsive Disorder.
At the age of ten I began doing some strange behaviour like counting steps over and over in my head. My family and I referred to them as my ’habits‘. They didn’t really bother me too much until I was sixteen – when things took a turn for the worse. For example, if I thought of something bad happening to me when reading I would feel compelled to reread that section four times. Also, I would touch objects like door handles in a certain pattern. I feared that terrible harm would come to me if I didn’t do these things. Several hours of my day were taken up, meaning I didn’t have much time for going out with mates or completing school work.
Eventually I spoke to my GP about it and was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders! Soon after, I began receiving Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). But the process of learning to deal with OCD wasn’t going to happen overnight, and unfortunately I didn’t get the ‘A’ level grades I wanted.
It wasn’t until my first year at university that I was able to fully manage my OCD. Now I rarely feel the need to give in to compulsions. I have a nice group of friends and last year I finished 2nd in my class at university. My advice to those affected by OCD is to start dealing with it as soon as possible – so you can learn to manage it sooner.
Joshua.
