I’ve never really been a shy person. I’m bubbly and outgoing by nature, so it would never appear to anyone that I have tormenting thoughts. These thoughts turn my colorful and bubbly mind into a dark and dreadful zone. It wasn’t until I started verbally speaking out about my OCD that people even knew I had it. This is the exact reason I speak about it.

I speak out because there is so much more to me than my unicorn-loving and sparkly persona. My tormenting obsessive thoughts deal with religion, sexual innuendos, and just gruesome thoughts. Unless I told you that, you would never know. This is my invisible illness.

I’ve learned that being nice and bubbly can come across as friendly, but society needs more than that. People need to learn to be real and open. When I open up about my OCD I get several reactions. People look at me with big eyes and feel sorry for me, people say they never knew OCD could be an inner battle, or they share that they also have anxiety-based battles they are fighting through. That last reason is the main reason I share my story. There is power in numbers. There is power in opening up, being raw and real. You are not alone my friend.