Topic Tuesday // OCD from an insiders perspective // 1 Aug, 7pm AEST

[Tim_H]

Thanks everybdoy for being involved tonight.

For those that want to read more about OCD, including the history, treatments over the years, personal accounts etc. I can highly recommend.

'The Man Who Couldn't Stop' by David Adam

He was the key note speaker at last years International OCD conference.

[Unqualified]

Thanks 🙂 goodnight!

[NikNik]

That's awesome @Tim_H - speaking out and sharing your experiences so generously tonight is definitely a step towards broadening people's understanding!

So a big - 

We'll keep this thread open for the timebeing to allow others to share their own experiences and leave any advice or resources that carers or people experiencing OCD may find helpful!

If you want to speak to someone one on one about OCD, our SANE Help Centre is open from 9am AEST.

GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE!

[kerrys]

Hello everyone, I just got back and read the thread till the end. I must say, it was very informative and interesting to read about all the experiences and individual takes on OCD. I just wanted to share with everyone that there is this common notion, this misunderstanding in our community that we need to expereince in order to understand. I do not have OCD but I understand all of what you shared. I feel your struggle, the anxiety, the fear, the acceptance, and the pain involved in the process. I strongly believe that in order to understand, one does not have to be experienced or learned (although these tools help in the journey), but most of all, one needs to me truly empathic and curious. As long as you are open to understaning the other person's story, no lack of experience can stop you from grasping the essence of the situaton. When we see people not being able to understand what we are going through, or have gone through (I have my own struggles too, just not with OCD), its not because they have not experienced it (as we mostly end up mislabeling it), its because the person does not hold enough empathy or patience to want to know, or they do not hold enough courage to stand up against the stigma of the illness, because when you have that empathy or interest, you shall go out of your way to make the effort to know, understand and accept. 

I hope this helps 🙂