Hey everyone

Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for actually clicking on this link and taking the time out of your day, through these unprecedented times we’re all facing, to read our story.

My name is Nikki Lee.  I wanted to share with you all that my beautiful Mam has made the decision to SHAVE HER AFRO in support of OCD ACTION.

The main reason me, my Mam and my Husband Kris felt like now was the time to do this is because myself and my husband had already started fundraising for OCD ACTION two month ago as Kris had signed up to do a skydive in June and the GNR in Sep.  Because of these times we’ve all been faced with due to COVID 19 we know deep down that the skydive will not be able to go ahead as planned and we’ll be VERY surprised if one of the largest gatherings in the North East will take place as normal, even if and when the lockdown measures are relaxed.

We therefore felt if my Mam has decided she’s going to shave her hair now, to save myself and Kris the disappointment of not being able to raise as much money as we could and support the charity as we’d planned, that is so personal to us as a family.  Why not come together as a family and raise the money altogether.  So this is what we’re doing.  Supporting OCD ACTION. 

One million people in the UK live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and I am one of them.  I experience Pure O which is a hugely debilitating mental health condition.  

People with OCD experience constant, repetitive, highly distressing thoughts which cause intense anxiety and sheer panic.  These thoughts are traumatic and literally terrifying and often involve a fear of harm coming to themselves or to the people they adore and cherish the most.  To try and keep themselves and their families safe, people with OCD feel forced to carry out repetitive and time consuming safety and thought behaviours.  While these compulsions provide temporary relief, in the longer term they can end up making the problem worse and leave them trapped in a vicious circle of fear and distress.  (trust me, it’s horrific and I wouldn’t wish anyone to experience the sheer panic it causes when at its worse).  It can destroy people’s lives, ruining their careers and relationships and sometimes even rendering people unable to leave their home.

People with OCD find it difficult to talk to people about what they’re going through, even their closest friends and family, for fear they won’t be understood or thought less of/judged.  Public awareness of the condition is definitely low and it is widely trivialised as a quirky personal trait “I’M SO OCD” it drives me INSANE when I hear people say that!  People with OCD can suffer in silence for YEARS. (I know I did) as you know something is wrong but you can’t make head nor tail of what the hell is going on inside your head, literally, and are terrified that no one will understand or be able to help you.  

There is an average 12 year delay between onset of symptoms and receiving treatment.  This is a tragedy as OCD is treatable and if people are provided with the right information and seek the appropriate help, chances of recovery are high.

Thank the LORD I received the right treatment through the NHS and have received thee most AMAZING care and support from the most phenomenal CBT therapist Val Reed.  She is my real life angel, she is my hero and so are my Mam and Kris and our Fharrell which is why we as a family want to be able to give back to our walking angels through these unprecedented times.  

SOOO many people may be facing their worst mental health episode to date right now because of all the uncertainty and distress we’re all being faced with.  Some may be at home alone, have no family or friends they can reach out to and because we’re in lockdown they’ll be unable to attend any one to one/face to face appointments with a therapist or councillor they may have been able to do prior.  

This is why, with your support at this time OCD action can continue to provide life changing and often life saving services such as the helpline.  Even the smallest donation will make the hugest difference, trust me, to the lives of people with OCD.  

• £5 could be paid for information to be sent out to help 100 people with OCD.

• £10 could pay for an online support session for 20 worried parents.

• £100 could pay for the Helpline to be kept open for an entire evening.

More than EVER in these times this will literally change so many lives.

Thank you SOOO much for reading til the very end.  If you know me well enough you know how much I love to get the point across in my essays haha we love you and the support you’re willing to provide together with us.  We hope you and your families are staying safe together and embracing the love you have for each other and our NHS and ALL key workers more than EVER at this time.  I appreciate Val, my Kris, Fharrell and my Mam (who is doing her amazing contribution already being a key worker.  We appreciate yous.  Love us xxxx 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.