What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
There are so many different themes and as someone who has specialized in working with OCD since 2018 and seen hundreds of clients navigating this diagnosis there are still times where I see new flavors of OCD and themes present in different ways. So while this list includes a lot of themes/flavors of OCD, it is not comprehensive! Flavors and themes often shift and even the same theme can change over time which is why I like to refer to them as flavors.
What is Medical Trauma?
Some signs you may be impacted by medical trauma include: frequent distressing thoughts, memories, or dreams about past medical events, avoidance of certain medical situations, feeling mentally distant/zoned out or anxious when in medical settings, and changes in mood (irritable, depressed, frequently disassociated, etc).
An Open Letter on Compassion to my Clients
Think of a little puppy, do they have to earn their food, water, affection, sleep, or any other need? It would be silly to say the puppy has to do something just right before they could have those needs met, but yet you as a human being often put expectations on yourself and feel you have to earn your own love. Please, even if it feels uncomfortable or wrong, try treating yourself with love especially on the hard days. I guarantee that you won't regret taking some steps to meet your needs.
Shame and OCD
Learning about and beginning to understand your OCD is one of the first steps to letting go of the shame. With an OCD specialist you will work on treating your OCD, grieving the losses that have come with this diagnosis and through self compassion develop a better relationship with yourself.
Supporting a Loved One with OCD and Anxiety Disorders
OCD and anxiety based disorders don’t follow logic, even when it is very unlikely the thing your loved one is worried about will happen, their brain still tells them they need to solve the situation.
Coping with a New Medical Diagnosis
Chronic illness comes with a grieving process. You are coming to terms with some new realities that weren’t part of your life plans.