OCD

A&E’s ‘Obsessed’: First Impressions

by Bill Brenner June 24, 2011 OCD

My fellow OCD buddy Steve Repsys pinged me the other day about an A&E program called “Obsessed.” This morning I finally got around to checking out some clips. It has it’s good points. And it’s not-so-good points. Mood music: I’m a big advocate of any programming that educates people about OCD, addictions and other demons of the soul. That’s why I’ve written a lot about the movie being made called “Machine Man.” But reality TV…  [Read More]

Even If Talk Is Cheap, Drugs Alone Won’t Work

by Bill Brenner June 22, 2011 Coping tools

If a recent story in The New York Times is to be believed, psychiatrists are ditching talk therapy in favor of quick-to-the-draw prescription solutions because insurance companies won’t pay them enough for the broader treatment. As someone who benefited greatly from both therapy and medication, I find this disturbing. Mood music: [spotify:track:40T969H60rqt5v1tWZDEMS] From the article, written by Gardiner Harris: Like many of the nation’s 48,000psychiatrists, Dr. Levin, in large part because of changes in how much…  [Read More]

I Don’t Have Money, But I Have This Bullhorn…

by Bill Brenner June 20, 2011 Mental health

A few months ago I wrote a post about a movie called Machine Man, which deals with a man struggling with OCD. I mentioned how the film maker, Kellie Madison, was raising money for the film at the grass roots to keep it free of the Hollywood sleaze machine. This afternoon I saw a message on the movie’s Facebook page saying the money goal hasn’t been met yet: “Still working on reaching our minimum production…  [Read More]

Fear and Resentment. Resentment and Fear

by Bill Brenner June 20, 2011 Addiction

For mental defects like me, a lot of what goes wrong is driven by fear. One thing I’ve learned in a 12-Step program for addiction is that the root of many fears is resentment. Mood music: You don’t have to be an addict to have resentments, of course. Most typical families, work environments and fellowships come packed with people you’re inevitably going to clash with. The more you disagree with someone, the more you’ll resent…  [Read More]

Shit Happens When Two OCD Cases Work Together

by Bill Brenner June 17, 2011 Lighthearted

Let me take you back about 13 years, when two guys with clinical OCD worked together in the same office. I was one of ’em. The other was an old friend named Steve Repsys. Mood music: Neither of us knew at the time that we had OCD. It would be many years before we were diagnosed. In the meantime, we worked together for a small weekly newspaper in an office in Chelmsford, Mass. I was…  [Read More]

Fear and Duct Tape

by Bill Brenner June 15, 2011 Fear and anxiety

I was an anxious, jumpy, panicky little bastard when I was younger. Fear made me do the damnedest things. My sister Stacey loves to repeat the story of one of my more embarrassing moments. It used to piss me off. Now I can sit back and laugh with everyone else. So fuck it. Let’s review the morning a hurricane was coming and I went bat-shit crazy. Mood music: [spotify:track:6KfzBFMXEOs7LgBcG4ZxyT] First, some history. I’ve explained this…  [Read More]

A Letter to Addie, a Child Fighting OCD

by Bill Brenner June 7, 2011 Children's issues

This is an open letter to a girl named Addie. She is fighting OCD and the anxiety that goes with it, and her mom has been blogging about it. I suggest you read her blog. Meantime, I want to share some experiences with Addie… Mood music: Hi, Addie, My name’s Bill, and I know a thing or two about what you are going through. It’s gonna be rough at times, but let me tell you…  [Read More]

The Perfect Gift For The OCD Chef In Your Life

by Bill Brenner June 3, 2011 Lighthearted

Though OCD is no laughing matter for the sufferer, I personally like a good gag that pokes fun at my disorder. If you can’t laugh at the problem, you’re going to have a much tougher time getting a handle on things. But it has to be a gag that’s cleverly done. My friend Andrea Holbrook found just the thing for the OCD case in your life who likes to cook, on the Perpetual Kid website: I don’t…  [Read More]

What’s YOUR Insanity?

by Bill Brenner May 23, 2011 Addiction

“Paint a garbage can platinum and underneath, it’s still a garbage can.” Nikki Sixx In Chapter 3 of the AA Big Book, we’re introduced to an alcoholic named Jim. He has a successful business until he starts drinking at age 35 in an attempt to dull a nervous tick, and everything goes to hell. From pages 35-36: “In a few years he became so violent when intoxicated that he had to be committed. On leaving the…  [Read More]

Back Story Of THE OCD DIARIES

by Bill Brenner May 14, 2011 Addiction

Since I’ve been adding new readers along the way, I always get questions about why I started this thing. I recently expanded the “about” section, and that’s a good starting point. But more of a back story is in order. Mood music: Before I started THE OCD DIARIES in December 2009 with a post about depression hitting me during the holidays, I had always toyed with the idea of doing this. The reason for wanting…  [Read More]

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