Facing my OCD in a creative way has been my best strategy so far!

I was diagnosed with ‘Pure O’ (OCD) last summer, and it has been a bit of a journey since then. Having ‘Pure O’ means that I have no obvious physical compulsions. The themes of my intrusive thoughts are to do with my social interactions with other people, themes around trust. This makes it really hard for me to form long-term friendships and develop any kind of relationship.

I am using a variety of strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, a bit of exposure therapy, medication and a support group. I try to distract myself by doing creative things like writing short stories, songs, drawing, photography, anything that helps me distract myself from the intrusive thoughts. I try to keep myself busy by doing things, particularly during weekends, holidays and long periods away from work.

Recently I built a website where people with mental illnesses, including OCD, can share the creative results of these distractions – an outlet, if you want – to express their feelings about OCD and how it impacts on their daily life.

Editor’s note: Mr OseeD’s website is www.mroseed.com – check it out!