Why do I advocate for OCD? Why do I blog about my experiences and continue organizing the nonprofit, Not Alone Notes? Why do I speak at mental health conferences and wear T-shirts saying, “OCD is not an adjective.”

Someone I work with recently came to me and expressed they think their 12-year-old is experiencing OCD. They’re starting the path to diagnosis and treatment, and asked me for some resources. I happily obliged, recommending they watch Unstuck: An OCD Kids Movie and sending along links from the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). I also put together a Not Alone Tote for them, of books, fidgets, stickers, and other fun.

I’m glad people know they can come to me with questions about OCD. If my being open about my experiences can help someone else find help, especially a kid, then it is well worth it. I do this advocacy for them, for all the kids and adults finally being diagnosed with OCD, so they know they aren’t alone. I do this for 12-year-old Morgan, for 8-year-old Morgan, for 5-year-old Morgan already experiencing these fears.

12-year-old Morgan didn’t have resources. She didn’t know there was a name for her odd thoughts and compulsive behaviors. She simultaneously thought everyone had these scary thoughts, and that she was the only one. She didn’t have a community or friends with OCD. She didn’t even have a diagnosis, let alone treatment. She was lost and felt very much alone.

I’ve largely made peace with the fact that 12-year-old Morgan didn’t have these things. I finally was diagnosed with OCD at 19 and found my way to treatment, community, and hope. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) with medication have helped me regain my life and functionality. Now at almost 30-years-old, I live with OCD in the back seat, no longer driving the bus. It has been a journey, but it’s mostly worked out.

Still, if I can’t go back and fix it for 12-year-old Morgan, the least I can do is provide these resources and community for a different 12-year-old, just starting their journey. 12-year-old Morgan would want that.

Morgan