OCD Writer

10/10/2025

Do you, or someone you know, find it difficult to control your gaze around sensitive areas of others or when distracted by your surroundings? If so, "Through the Eyes of OCD" addresses this issue by exploring the various reasons behind this behaviour. It also offers effective treatments and strategies to help manage these tendencies while reducing related obsessions and compulsions. Grab your copy today on Amazon!

11/09/2025

09/09/2025

How can individuals facing OCD trust their true selves in the face of obsessive doubts and compulsions?

In everyday life, we usually don’t worry too much about risk. We take the necessary precautions and go about our day, confident in our rational thinking. For example, when we wash our hands with soap and water, we understand that doing it once effectively removes germs. We know that one wash is enough.

But when dealing with OCD, we tend to get caught up in obsessive doubts and "what-ifs". For instance, you might engage with OCD by saying, “I trust washing my hands once is enough,” only for OCD to make you question whether that's not the case, leading you to rewash your hands or check if you need to wash them one more time.

Engaging in a dialogue with OCD is a compulsion that only serves to strengthen your doubts. This process keeps you trapped in fear. Instead, focus on your true self, which is your primary source of support—the tangible self you believed in before OCD started to take hold.

Trust yourself without doing compulsions. Why? Because your obsession is a made-up story and doesn’t reflect your true self or experiences. Therefore, it doesn’t need safety-seeking behaviours. Give yourself the freedom to break free from this cycle and step into your authentic self with confidence. You’ve got this!

Subscribe to my blog and read the full article on discovering your true self and managing OCD. Here's the link: https://ocdwriter.com/2025/09/09/discovering-your-true-self-a-guide-for-ocd-management/

21/08/2025

When I feel doubt because of OCD, I remind myself to trust my senses and common sense. I understand that doubt is a manifestation of the disorder itself, rather than a reflection of who I am, which helps me stay grounded in the moment.

For clarity, here’s an analogy:

Dealing with OCD doubts is like navigating through a foggy landscape. In the fog, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s real and what’s just a trick of the atmosphere. However, by relying on a sturdy map (your senses and common sense) and your instincts about the terrain, you can find your way through the confusion and arrive at clarity. In this way, trusting yourself helps you cut through the doubt just like finding your path through the fog.

If you're looking to deepen your understanding of how to trust your senses amidst the haze of OCD, check out the valuable resources at icbt.online. Discover insights that can help you overcome OCD with confidence!

31/07/2025

As a parent, it's natural to worry about your child's safety and well-being. However, when these worries become excessive and start to control your thoughts and behaviours, it may be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Understanding the normalcy of parental anxiety and recognising the difference between real-life situations and fear-based OCD is crucial in overcoming these challenges.

In my article, I share my personal battle with parenting, where my fears and worries consumed me to the point of impacting my daily life. It was a difficult time, but through self-reflection and seeking help, I was able to overcome the 'monster' in my mind and embrace the present moment.

Please click the link to read the full article. https://ocdwriter.com/2025/07/31/how-to-manage-parental-anxiety-and-ocd/

For parents struggling with OCD, it's important to know that there is support available. Don't let OCD determine your reality. Seek help, practice grounding techniques, and focus on the here and now. You can get through this. .

Explore the normalcy of parental anxiety and learn how to manage OCD, empowering parents to live in the present and reduce excessive worry.

24/07/2025

Someone with harm OCD may hide knives out of fear of hurting someone. However, this is not an actual crisis; instead, it is a scenario imagined by the person. OCD tries to convince the individual that these imagined possibilities are grounded in reality. By recognising that the thought of harming someone is not a real probability, but rather a distorted version of events created by OCD, they can better understand the nature of their condition. They begin to see that compulsive behaviours are unwarranted, as their true self is a compassionate and caring person, and they do not need to engage with these compulsions to prevent harm to others.

Thank you for your interest in this post. Click the link below if you'd like to read more.

https://ocdwriter.com/2023/02/14/ocd-a-clear-explanation-as-to-why-obsessions-cannot-be-made-valid/

10/07/2025

Interviewer: Who gets visual Tourettic OCD?

Carol Edwards: People who are prone to developing OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) can get the visual Tourettic subtype. Some might develop this one theme, while others may acquire more than one, usually those that are significant to them. These might include contamination obsessions, especially if individuals worry about illness through contact with germs. Alternatively, they may experience the sensation of feeling dirty, which is more of a physical issue than a concern about germs and disease. Some individuals feel excessively responsible for others, in which case, they may also worry about potential harm and frequently check things to ensure safety. These are just a few examples, and there are many more. The most important thing to remember, however, is that OCD is OCD, despite the selectivity of the doubt associated with the theme.

Some individuals with visual Tourettic OCD may have co-existing conditions like ADHD or attention deficits. Attention deficits can increase awareness of stimuli, such as body parts and bodily features, including tattoos and scars, leading to hypersensitivity to people, noise, and movement. It involves a significant amount of sensory processing, but it can be managed with proper treatment.

Interviewer: Can you expand on sensory processing and its potential role in visual Tourettic OCD?

Carol Edwards: How our brains process sensory information may determine its role in visual Tourettic OCD. For example, imagine someone with this condition sitting in a busy coffee shop. While trying to focus on their conversation with a friend, they are constantly drawn to the movement of people walking by and the sounds of the barista making drinks. Despite their best efforts, their brain struggles to filter out this sensory input and fixates instead on the sensitive areas of those around them or other body features, such as scars and tattoos. This heightened sensitivity to such stimuli and peripheral distractions leads to involuntary staring behaviour, distress, and interference with their ability to engage in social interactions. In this scenario, you can see the difficulties in sensory processing and how it plays a potential role in visual Tourettic OCD symptoms.

Interviewer: How can people with visual Tourettic OCD overcome sensory processing difficulties?

Read the answer to the above question and more by clicking this link:

Discover Carol Edwards' insights on visual Tourettic OCD, mental health awareness, and effective coping strategies to combat stigma and promote understanding.

04/07/2025

Instead of letting obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) undermine your confidence, see it as a chance for growth. Understand that doubt is merely a new chapter in your story, not the whole narrative. Concentrate on the strength and resilience within you. Embrace this challenge as a stepping stone, and take proactive steps that empower you to move forward with courage and assurance. Recovering from the challenges of OCD can help you become more aware of yourself and build strength beyond what you expected!

24/06/2025

Go to the International OCD Foundation at iocdf.org for information on therapy choices, including first-line exposure-response prevention. IOCDF also include inference-based cognitive therapy, a non-exposure therapy that is getting increasing recognition. For more information about this therapy, please visit icbt.online. For blogs, books, and advice on classic and visual Tourettic OCD, please check out ocdwriter.com.