Dylan Brethour

While I would never have judged anyone else for having a mental illness, I couldn’t bring myself to ask for help. Consequences of stigma come from within.

People just don’t get OCD. OCD is a well-recognized mental illness which affects roughly 1-2% of the population. Yet, it remains badly misunderstood.

When I was diagnosed with OCD several years ago, like most people, I assumed it was an anxiety disorder. It wasn’t until months later that I stumbled on articles debating the merits of defining OCD as an entirely separate category of mental illness.

People can be courageous and hardworking and still not get better. Because that’s what it means to have an illness; it isn’t predictable or convenient.

The reality is that mental illness is often messy and disruptive — and sanitizing that reality isn’t helpful. I felt like a stranger in my own life.