Tag Archives: ocd

Girl Talk: I Have A Picking Problem

Amelia McDonell-ParryDecember 5, 2011 //
I Have OCD
An essay from a woman with obsessive compulsive disorder. Read More »
Celebs With OCD
These 15 celebs are obsessively compelled... Read More »
Asking Big Questions
I always ask the big questions when it comes to dating. Read More »

This weekend, I made an horrifying discovery. I have a bald spot. It’s small, but it’s at the top of my head, right where, if the hair around it is swirling in a certain direction, it is visible to anyone standing six to 10 feet behind me. The good news about my bald spot is that I don’t think it’s permanent. I think the hair can and will grow back. But the success of that is dependent upon the bad news. See, I am solely responsible for giving myself a bald spot in the first place.

I have a picking problem. Keep reading »

I Have OCD

Abby SherJuly 14, 2010 //

I have five fingers on each hand. I use them like this: I hold up my thumb and whisper, “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.” Then my pointer finger. “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.” Then my middle finger, my ring finger, and my pinky. I give small kisses in between each “Thank You.” I do this five times for a total of 125 “Thank Yous.” Then I say “Thank You” for specific things, like how bright the sun is today or how soothing it is to feel my wet hair on my back. These I repeat just once for each finger. Then I thank G-d for his infinite wisdom, infinite grace, infinite compassion, forgiveness, and honesty—one accolade for each finger.

This is the prayer I say when I get on the subway in the morning. I have to say it.

“Or else…?” asks my therapist. Keep reading »

Quotable: Megan Fox Has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Jessica WakemanMay 18, 2010 //

“This is a sickness. I have an illness. Every time someone uses a bathroom and they flush, all the bacteria is shot into the air.”

— Megan Fox, who very well may have OCD, but nevertheless lacks a basic understanding of how pathogens actually work. [People via Allure] Keep reading »

Frisky Q & A: Author Abby Sher Talks Prayer, Yoga, & OCD

Ami AngelowiczNovember 5, 2009 //

As I tore through the pages of Abby Sher’s new book, Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying (Among Other Things), I felt like I was in the passenger’s seat accompanying her on the bumpy ride through her lifelong struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. An extended meditation filled with humor and grace, and anxieties, fears, joys and sorrows, Abby’s memoir brought me right to the center of her vulnerable humanity and my own. I now understood OCD in a whole new way—not as something foreign, but as an antidote to the uncertainty of existence that we all can relate to. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand OCD, or themselves, more intimately. Keep reading »

Howie Mandel And Other Celebs With Serious OCD

Kate Torgovnick/Kate-Book.comJuly 27, 2009 //

Ever since I found out that Howie Mandel has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I’ve semi-obsessively watched “Deal Or No Deal” waiting to see how Howie reacts during those awkward moments when a contestant tries to hug him. Howie’s OCD is no joke—it’s seriously limited his life, and he’s writing a memoir about it called “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me.” In the book, he’ll reveal much more about his battle with the disease than the nuggets he’s given us so far: that he hasn’t shaken anyone’s hand since 2001, that he walks around his house with a face mask and gloves on, that he is so afraid of public restrooms that he can only use the bathroom at home, and that he shaves his head because it makes him feel cleaner. [Wikipedia]

I am completely and thoroughly fascinated with OCD, so you better believe that I will be picking up Howie’s memoir the day it comes out in November. And I’m also counting the minutes until VH1′s “OCD Project,” which will be like a “Real World” for OCD sufferers undergoing treatment. But since it’ll be a while until either of these comes out, here are some details about other famous OCD suffers to tide you over. Keep reading »

OCD On VH1

Ami AngelowiczJune 16, 2009 //

We’re all a little bit crazy. I know I am. After battling a bout of depression in my teens, going through therapy in my 20s, and ultimately becoming a happy, more well-adjusted person, I decided to get my masters in psychology. Why? Because people are endlessly fascinating and complex. So I get a little too excited watching shows like “Intervention,” “Obsessed,” and “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.” Sometimes my friends make fun of me, pointing out that I am the one who is “addicted” or “obsessed” with these shows. Laugh all you want, but I don’t watch because I get off on other people’s problems. I just think it’s important to have empathy for what other people are going through. I watch to be a better person, darn it. And that’s why I am so psyched that VH1 has created a new reality series that follows people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Keep reading »

I Am Neurotic And So Are You!

Amelia McDonell-ParryJune 6, 2008 //

I’ve thought for a very long time that I have some sort of O.C.D. because I can’t function during the day if my bed is unmade and can spot a dust bunny from 20 feet away. But then I heard about this site, i am neurotic, where people submit examples of their own wakcy neurosis, and realized I am totally pretty normal. But wow, do people have funny, interesting little things they have to do in order to remain sane during their every day lives, like:

  • “I cannot poop if my shirt is all the way on. I have to put one arm out of my sleeve, and put that side of my shirt on my shoulder. I also find it hard to poop with my shoes on, and will take them off if I’m at home. If I’m out and about I will suffer through the shoe thing, but not the shirt.”

    • Keep reading »