The subject of my narrative essay is a personal struggle I have dealt with for couple years. About a year ago, I was diagnosed as having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by a Psychiatrist. Before the diagnosis, I had struggled with anxiety and depression for a few years, and had tried various medications and treatments without too much success. In high school, the anxiety became extreme, and I began to practice various compulsions to alleviate my distress. Most if not all of my obsessions were religiously based, which interestingly, was a common enough experience among obsessive compulsive patients to be listed in one of my books entitled Brain Lock. The diagnosis was such a blessing to receive. The therapy to re-train my brain involved "exposure" therapy to situations that caused me discomfort, and attempting to "not respond" to my compulsive urge by "re-directing" my obsessions to something positive. I am still active in this process today.
I wanted to write about my narration about my experiences with mental illness because of the impact these experiences have had on my life. I don't think there is any experience that has been more informative and worthwhile to me than having OCD. Without it, I would be a very different person; in fact, I daresay I would be less of a person without it. Having this affliction has shaped me into a better, wiser individual. Therefore, it is only appropriate that this narrative essay focus on this obnoxious, yet blessed condition of mine: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
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