OCD

Freaking Out A Mouse With OCD

by Bill Brenner November 14, 2012 OCD

While I finish recovering from Typhoid fever (that’s what it felt like, anyway), I give you this video by Steven A. MacLeod. Two observations: 1.) The portrayal of an OCD sufferer is accurate. 2.) The kid in this video is mean. http://youtu.be/HeXTMzP7ijk

I’m a Hot OCD Mess Today

by Bill Brenner October 23, 2012 OCD

I’m admittedly failing to control my worst OCD impulses this morning. I’m trying to assemble a slideshow for my work website and a vital application keeps crashing. It’s a busy day ahead, with blog posts to write and meetings to sit through, so this isn’t the best time for an app to fail me. Mood music: [spotify:track:7qSPdNGrKbaqLg6HqflCoZ] I’ve heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again,…  [Read More]

OCD Awareness Week

by Bill Brenner October 12, 2012 OCD

Here we are at the end of OCD Awareness week and I’m only now remembering to write about it. I guess you could say my ADD ran over my OCD. Obviously, OCD awareness is the central mission of this blog. But it’s better for me to observe this week by leading you to others who are fighting the good fight. We recently set up a resource page for that purpose. Please take some time and…  [Read More]

Did George Takei’s OCD Humor Fall Flat?

by Bill Brenner September 27, 2012 OCD

The Facebook page of George Takei — Mr. Sulu from the original Star Trek series and subsequent movies — has become one of my favorites. The actor has made a second career for himself on there, plastering his page with some of the funniest photos/memes I’ve seen. Today, I noticed one such meme that pokes fun at OCD: I didn’t think much of it at first. I see all kinds of OCD-based humor on the Internet…  [Read More]

Is Humor Reinforcing the OCD Stigma?

by Bill Brenner September 7, 2012 OCD

I got an interesting response to some older posts about OCD gag gifts — particularly one about OCD hand sanitizer. The reader was worried these gifts and other brands of OCD humor would only reinforce the stigma monster that keeps people like us in the shadows. Mood music: [spotify:track:2TJRQj7XJvGBY4ZzIue2ei] Here’s the comment, from Arthur Lawrence: I can laugh at it, and so can you. We both have OCD. And laughing at the OCD “monster” does indeed…  [Read More]

OCD and Facebook Scrabble Don’t Mix

by Bill Brenner July 2, 2012 OCD

I’ve always avoided all those Facebook games, but I recently decided to give Scrabble a shot. I’m a professional wordsmith, so I figured what the hell. I can kick a few asses and feel good about my word wizardry. But I’m the one getting my ass kicked, in more ways than one. Mood music: [spotify:track:0N7yGNvc6Oy2bAb4gM8euG] I have six games going and I’m getting beat to shit in all but one of them. I have my…  [Read More]

‘Fixing OCD’ Article Is Badly Misleading

by Bill Brenner May 2, 2012 Adventures in writing

An article in The Atlantic called “5 Very Specific Ways to Fix Your OCD” blows it from the start — in the headline. OCD sufferers know damn well that you can’t fix OCD. You can only learn to manage it and make it less of a disrupting force in your life. Mood music: [spotify:track:74gJqWYjsfTyG4tSjhkoh7] Knowing that as I do, I’m dissapointed that the writer would give OCD sufferers false hope, followed by five pieces of advice…  [Read More]

The Monkey Will ALWAYS Be On Your Back

by Bill Brenner April 25, 2012 Addiction

I’m standing at a bar in Boston with my wife and stepmom. They order wine and I order coffee. My stepmom beams and says something about how awesome it is that I beat my demons. I appreciate the pride and the sentiment. But it’s also dangerous when someone tells a recovering addict that they’ve pulled the monkey off their back for good. Mood music: Here’s the thing about that monkey: You can smack him around,…  [Read More]

Strong Too Long, Or Weak Too Often?

by Bill Brenner April 23, 2012 Addiction

There’s a saying on Facebook that depression isn’t a sign of weakness, but simply the result of being strong for too long. Somewhat true — though weakness does feed the beast. Mood music: I’m feeling it this morning. I’ve always taken a certain level of satisfaction from my ability to stay standing in the face of death, illness, family dysfunction, depression and addiction. Sometimes, I get an over-inflated sense of survivor’s pride. People love to…  [Read More]

Guilt Chestnut Number 5: ‘You Never Call’

by Bill Brenner April 16, 2012 Communication Skills

In a dysfunctional family few are without blame for the things that go wrong. But there’s one criticism I’ve heard time and again that makes me bristle: “You never call.” Mood music: It’s not just that I don’t call the person who says that. It’s that I don’t call a lot of people. I’ve never been a fan of the phone. I always feel awkward on the phone, especially when there are pockets of dead…  [Read More]

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