Roll with it…Everyone seems to be ritualizing… Over the last few weeks we’ve seen the whole world become anxious about the spread of the corona virus. People are compulsively buying toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products. For those of us living with OCD this all sounds eerily familiar. So, how do we, as people living with OCD, cope when the rest of the world is busy seeking reassurance, isolating themselves, and hoarding vast amounts of toilet paper? I believe that the OCD community may be better prepared to cope with the strong feelings this event is bringing up than many of ..read more

Fiscal Sponsorship Achieved! Pittsburgh Bridges OCD is now fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising! This will allow our Bridges organization to: begin applying for grant monies, start to take donations, and work together to plan fundraising opportunities. This puts us one step closer to gaining our own 501c3 status. Some years ago I noticed a need: People living with OCD often have great difficulty finding appropriate treatment from qualified professionals. The few truly qualified professionals there are – if you are fortunate enough to find them – are often working with full caseloads or n ..read more

Making Progress Together! The Event On Tuesday, October 15th, Pittsburgh Bridges OCD held its first ever event to announce its existence. I am truly honored to have been a part of that wonderful evening. Fifty people attended – That’s 50 people! I enjoyed meeting new people who appreciate our vision and many are interested in helping to achieve our mission. You can read the mission statement here: http://pittsburghbridgesocd.org Hope and Encouragement I have been writing consistently on this blog about how disappointed I am with how the existing mental health system has trea ..read more

It’s TimeIt’s time… One of the things on my mind lately is how many stories I’ve heard about the existing mental health system letting good people down, disempowering individuals as they seek recovery, and just plain being unresponsive to the people it claims to serve. I myself have been treated as a second class citizen by this very system. My experiences with having my voice ignored led to the creation of ocdtempered.com. I often feel like there is so much work to be done to improve the system that I don’t know where to begin. What can I do to make a difference? How can I find oth ..read more

How do we cross a vast chasm? I, as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, have had my right to self-determination limited, my credentials and experience – along with my individual talents and skill set – completely discounted and ignored, and access to a unique opportunity to serve my peers seeking recovery from OCD shut off. All of this was done automatically, because of an apparent policy of “No dual relationships. ” There were no concerns specific to myself, no evidence to suggest that I can’t handle working alongside the social worker who briefly served me three years ago. I believe t ..read more

My OCD is on me today like a thick, oily blanket. The obsession at the moment is – “something bad will happen if I write this post.” So now I have to write this post. No prayers to “fix” it. The Patient Enemy OCD is a patient enemy. It doesn’t care how well I am doing, how many coping skills I’ve learned, or how long I have been in control. It will wait for any opportunity, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, to sneak up on me and take a bite. This nefarious illness is the hoarder of nibbles. It will hold onto every piece it steals until it has one more piece ..read more

  Up or Down? Well, you’ve got OCD, but at least you have insight! When I was a teenager of about thirteen, I can remember multiple doctors and therapists saying things like: “If you have to have a mental illness, at least with OCD you’ll have a high level of insight into your sickness.” I think what I heard was: “you’ve got a mental illness and you’re going to be miserable, but at least you will be very aware of why you’re miserable.” Spin the Wheel My cynical side tends to see it like this: I imagine a slick looking game show host holding one of those goofy long microphones. He’s got a point ..read more

   Scrupulosity, ugh.  Religion-based obsessions and compulsions are some of the most difficult for me to overcome.  The OCD would love to keep me from being able to practice my faith.  Any exposure designed to get at these nasty things seems extra hard to approach.  Living with uncertainty is one thing, but never being sure whether or not you have offended God in a way that might cost you your salvation is terrifying.  This sits right at the top of my hierarchy. Two years ago I went through a relapse of my OCD.  I had been working as a peer support for more than four years, and I knew I neede ..read more

Pittsburgh, PAThere is Help for OCD in Pittsburgh. I live about 45 miles east of the city of Pittsburgh. Here in Indiana County, where I live, you are quite unlikely to find the tools you need to achieve meaningful recovery. Many people have told me stories about their own journeys seeking effective OCD treatment. If you are in Western Pennsylvania and would like to truly find help, chances are you will eventually have to make your way to the city. There is help for OCD in Pittsburgh. Even in Pittsburgh you will encounter credentialed “professionals” who claim to be able to he ..read more

We can do great things. When I think of all the great people I have met who live with a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I am struck by several observations. My peers are extremely intelligent, very talented, and incredibly observant. My peers have a huge amount of empathy. We share a desire to be supportive of one another. Healthcare and Insurance Providers are not doing enough to ensure everyone seeking recovery from OCD has access to truly effective OCD treatment. From my own time spent seeking recovery from OCD, I noticed some things: – Insurance providers would o ..read more