In a nutshell...

To raise money for OCD-UK, I will be training (from scratch!) for a 10K in Pembrokeshire (24.9.23), a Half Marathon in Northumberland (24.2.24) and a Marathon in the New Forest (Sept '24 TBC) - my three favourite places in the UK. As I continue my long recovery from OCD, now seems the right time to use the tools that always work for me - exercise, nature and powerful places - to raise awareness for and educate people about OCD and do my bit to de-stigmatise this mental illness for all those suffering from it.

Any money you can spare would be amazingly appreciated. And if you can't afford to donate, then please just spread the word about this illness. Let's beat OCD, together.

So what is OCD and what is the stigma?

OCD is an anxiety based disorder which is thought to affect 750,000 people in the UK alone. For some people it manifests as obsessions - repeated unwanted thoughts and feelings entering your mind, whilst for others it's compulsions - a repeated act or behaviour thought to curb the anxiety. And for some of us lucky ones - it can be 'O' and 'C'.

"Well just stop being OCD", "I'm a bit OCD too", "You don't look OCD", "So you just like cleaning the house" - these are all phrases that someone with diagnosed OCD can relate to. Despite being present in nearly 2% of the population, OCD is massively stigmatised and misunderstood. In recent years, particularly in the light of COVID, many newspapers and media outlets have described it as a "blessing" or as "beneficial", in someway suggesting that OCD is about being clean and that it therefore has health benefits. This cannot be further from the truth.

I have lived and battled with OCD for as long as I can remember. But I'm one of the lucky ones - I can leave the house, I can work, I can live my life as normal. But over the years, the effort of fighting it has been terrifyingly real and debilitating and it's only in recent years that I have been able to tackle it head on.

That's why I want to fundraise for OCD-UK, a charity dedicated to providing information, support and assistance to those with OCD. They work tirelessly to break down barriers surrounding this mental illness and support people on the whole process - their work is truly amazing.

If just one person reads down this far, I'll be thankful. Please donate, share this fundraiser, or just ask me questions about OCD, I'll happily discuss it.

Catch you later - I better go for a run.