Confessions of an Overthinker: I Wish That OCD Affected...

***NOTE: All posts on this blog are related to my experience.  Obviously not all mental illnesses are the same, and I don't pretend to understand anything other than what I have experienced.  My hope is that my story will bring you encouragement and that you will seek the help that you need to manage your mental illness in a healthy way.***

Mental illness is not a death sentence.  I should know.  I have struggled with OCD, anxiety, and depression for over 25 years (I'm only 34).  Even with the presence of mental illness in my life, I've been able to manage it (mostly well, but with a few serious hiccups) and live a joyful life filled with friends and family.  I thank God for the tools He has provided to help me in my mental health journey (medication, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Exposure Response Prevention, etc.).

This post came about as a combination of two of these tools:

1. identifying positive ways that mental illness has affected my life instead of having a victim mentality (see a recent post on this here), and
2. humor.

It is in this spirit that I give you areas of my life that could actually use a little dose of OCD.


I wish that OCD affected...

...how I take care of our yard.  Seriously, it is consistently a mess.  Weeds, overgrown plants, out-of-control bushes...I'm sure that we drive our neighbors-with-the-perfect-yard nuts.  I'm doing well to just keep the rain garden alive (and my husband is really the one doing that).

...my home organization.  Anyone else have a problem with clutter???  I wouldn't call myself a hoarder (even if that's seriously what it looks like at times)...I would generously call myself disorganized.  (My whole house does NOT look like this, by the way.)

...my sweet tooth.  I eat dessert twice daily - in the afternoon with a cup of coffee, and at night after the kids go to bed.  It's in balance with all of the healthy stuff I eat (lots of protein, fruits, and veggies), so it's not terrible, but still.  If only the OCD would steer me AWAY from sweets instead of TO them.

...the health of my teeth.  Recent cavities prove that I need to brush my teeth nightly in addition to brushing them every morning...but so far no major changes have been made.

...staying in touch with friends.  Silly amounts of time go by without contact, and creeping on social media doesn't count as meaningful interaction.

...my style.  I don't worry much about this, but maybe I should.  Clean and trendy-within-the-last-ten-years is good enough for me.

...the cleanliness of my kitchen sink.  The dish struggle is real.

...the frizziness of my hair.  Again, clean and presentable is good for me, but maybe I should try a little harder.  My husband would appreciate it, I'm sure.

I'd love to hear your experience, either with looking at mental illness in a positive light or using humor in your personal battle!  Share in the comments below!  :)