As a child I had strong anxieties attached to many aspects of day to day life but guessed I was just a little precious. Certain details (and could be anything from morals, clothing and the appearance of toys/possessions) would transfix me to the point of distress if they didn’t feel right or appear as they should. When I was 14 this accelerated and magnified to the point that I thought I was a bad person and ruminations and safety behaviours became a day to day, hour by hour and even minute by minute which would certainly cloud my waking hours and burn any energy I should have to apply to positive and constructive activities. Well everyone knows that worrying can resolve problems. Worry yourself to success!!! OCD often gets thought of as a quirk and even something positive, however rather than enjoying this ‘quirk’ the sufferer would do anything to not have it, it is intolerable. When I was young intrusive thoughts and ruminations caused a mental paralysis and lost me friends and cost me many opportunities in life. It was only 3 years ago that I finally found out what had caused me these issues for such a long time, having put it down to self diagnosed schizophrenia or just being psychopathic (which couldn’t be further from the truth). Anyhow it is a crippling condition which does have its treatments though I’d stop at saying cure. When I was young I made all sorts of appointments with GP’s and even a psychiatrist to help me but no one knew what to say to me which only prolonged my confusion over the following years. Fortunately things have improved with treatment and the future is brighter regarding OCD treatment. I really hope more than anything to help remove the stigma and hopefully the lack of understanding of the condition. Also I now recognise symptoms of my own in one of my young boys and will not allow him to grow up without the awareness that there is help should he ever want it. Also my sister Lizzie Pitt has had a traumatic time in the past due to OCD and so it evidently can run in families and I feel a lot of empathy for her for what she has been through and goes through. Therefore even though I’m running for OCD action in Sept I would love to get any ideas/challenges I could do to raise funds befor this date. The old chestnut such as shaving my head to maybe being the recipient of a sponsored whinge-athon where I will gladly listen to anyone’s life story (now you’ve heard a little of mine) uncomplainingly and even enthusiastically for 10 minutes (for a couple of quid)! Anything to raise cash, but seriously I’ll consider just about anything (within reason)!
Oh and I understand sometimes people fundraise doing things which they kind of want to do anyway, ‘oh I’d just hate to skydive (love to) it would be hellish’ etc and so I’d love it if anyone would have me pot washing or cooking for a shift (don’t like doing either) for a donation, or doing a child’s homework, doing extreme laundry, hardcore receipt organisation or dancing in public. Something crushingly dull and which’ll give me palpitations, that’s what I want! Thanks.