Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

My name is Danielle and I am 41 years old. I was diagnosed with OCD in October, 2011. I am a wife and mother of two sons. I work full time and I attend college part time while my husband completes his Bachelors/Teaching degree in History. My long term plans include finishing my own degree in Mathematics.

I've always described myself as a pessimist and prone to depression. I've had to reevaluate my entire world view with this diagnosis and am seeing how much the OCD has colored everything. It's been a painful process to reassess my past, but with support from my family and a great therapist, I believe I've made a lot of progress and have hope that the future can be different.

I suffer from harm OCD, particularly when it comes to children. I have intrusive thoughts and images that are horrifying in their violent nature. I am also a perfectionist and am extremely hard on myself. This leads me to procrastinate in order to avoid an "incorrect" decision. I often find myself hitting deadlines without having made a real decision and paying the price with sloppy or incomplete work, which makes the cycle repeat. I check and recheck, write and rewrite, read and reread. I repeat instructions to myself and to others. I'm also constantly seeking reassurance because I don't trust any of my own thoughts or memories.

In addition, I'm fairly phobic. I am terrified of heights and stairs. I have some social phobia and claustrophobia that can trigger panic attacks. These have caused me to avoid certain situations and places. Avoidance and procrastination are my most debilitating behaviors and the ones that I'm most aggressively trying to change.

Books, Writing, Algebra, Music, Family, words and numbers, humor, the color orange, children's laughter and my husband's support

Confusion, Doubt and Reality TV...

Foo Fighters, NIN, Tori Amos, Tool, Muse, Arcade Fire, Smashing Pumpkins, Tenacious D, Radiohead, Skinny Puppy, Ministry just to name a few....and I'm always up for a good Journey song!

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Sword of Truth series, Harry Potter series, Sookie Stackhouse series and anything else that strikes me. I love books and read constantly.

The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter...and to include television Buffy and Angel, True Blood, Six Feet Under, Modern Family, The Office, Breaking Bad, Dexter and so many more...

Cross Stitch, Reading and Writing, Sudoku, Crosswords

Moms (and Dads) with OCD	Book Lovers
	I use humor to deal