A reader asked me the other day if I still take medication for OCD. Yes, I told him. He told me that when he was diagnosed with OCD, he thought about trying something other than therapy or meds, but after a while realized that it wasn’t that easy. He’s right.
Mood music:
I know a lot of people who have struggled to control their own addictions and mental illnesses using alternative methods. Many times it works for them. The problem is when you try to use one thing as the cure all. That could mean relying on medication alone. It could mean seeing a therapist but not doing anything else.
I’ve tried the one-thing approach. It doesn’t work. My demon wears many layers, so I need many layers of weaponry and armor to fight back.
That means the medication. And therapy. And a 12-Step program to deal with the addictions the OCD fueled. And a lot of praying. And a lot of help from the people around me.
It can get tiring doing all those things. Sure, I have a wife, two kids and a demanding job. Some might ask where I could possibly find the energy to do all these things for my recovery. Sure, some days I’d rather just lie on the couch and stare at the cieling. Sure, some days I just want to tell the people around me to go away so I can be by myself. 
But you know what? I’d rather go through life being useful. If I don’t do all these things for recovery, I’m going to fail as a husband, father and employee. It’s as simple as that.
If you can wrestle all your demons to the ground with one silver-bullet solution, I envy you.
Then again, when someone tells me they found a magic bullet, I’m more inclined to think they’re full of shit.
Silver Bullet = Zen