“I’m fighting to get rid of the stigma around lesser-understood conditions.”
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, Phoebe from North Devon has shared her experiences of OCD and stigma. If you would like to share your story, please submit it on our MHAW 2021 page here.
“From a young age, I struggled with what I didn’t know at the time was OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder]. The nature of these thoughts and compulsions meant that I felt ashamed to get help.
As well as this, OCD at the time was lesser understood and associated just with things like being clean or liking things in a certain order. Whilst this can be a part of OCD, the spectrum is wider than this, and I wish I knew so that I could have gotten help sooner. Ignoring this also led me to develop depression.
Thankfully, my doctor referred me to CAHMS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services], who were wonderful and helped me to understand myself and my condition, and in turn speak out about it to encourage people to seek help sooner.
Whilst I was in CAHMS, my family friend tragically committed suicide. This was an extremely difficult time, and I’m glad I had support through this. I’m lucky to have gotten the help I needed — and continue to get — but it’s not as easy as that for everyone.
I’m fighting for mental health to help get rid of the stigma around lesser-understood conditions, and to encourage others to get help sooner — there’s no shame in it, and it’s a brave thing to do.”