The Untold Story: A Triggered Memoir Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts or obsessions that lead to repetitive behaviors or compulsions. These obsessions and compulsions can consume a person's life, making everyday tasks unbearable.

Today, we delve deep into the triggered memoir of someone who has battled OCD. We'll uncover the struggles, the triumphs, and the journey of finding peace amidst chaos. This personal account will shed light on the reality of living with OCD, providing insight and understanding to those who may be touched by this debilitating condition.

Chapter 1: The Unseen Battle

The author, Samantha Stevens, takes us back to her childhood, where the seeds of OCD were unknowingly planted. She describes the constant fear of germs and contamination that dominated her thoughts, leading to countless hours spent washing her hands or cleaning her room. Even as a young child, she felt isolated and ashamed of her compulsions.

Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

by Fletcher Wortmann (Kindle Edition)

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	386 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	272 pages

FREE

Samantha explains how OCD didn't just affect her physically, but also mentally. The obsessive thoughts were the trigger behind her incessant need for reassurance. Her mind would create terrifying scenarios that she believed could only be prevented if she performed specific rituals.

Chapter 2: The Spiral Into Darkness

As Samantha grew older, her OCD intensified. She joined support groups, tried therapy, and experimented with various medication options, but none of them fully relieved her torment. With each passing day, her compulsions escalated, invading her relationships, career, and overall quality of life.

Social interactions became unbearable as Samantha's mind constantly replayed worst-case scenarios that would never occur. This led to avoidance behaviors and a withdrawal from society. Darkness consumed her, and she yearned for a way to break free from the shackles of OCD.

Chapter 3: Discovering the Path to Healing

After hitting rock bottom, Samantha had a life-altering revelation. She realized that she alone had the power to overcome her OCD. Seeking solace in self-education, she immersed herself in the study of mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Through her arduous journey, Samantha learned that OCD wasn't a curse but a challenge she could overcome. She shares her strategies and techniques for managing intrusive thoughts and reducing the need for compulsive behaviors.

Chapter 4: Embracing the New Normal

Samantha emphasizes that freedom from OCD doesn't mean eliminating all obsessions and compulsions. It's about learning to live with uncertainty and embracing imperfection. She emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and acceptance, celebrating small victories along the way.

By the end of her memoir, Samantha offers hope to anyone battling OCD. She demonstrates that even in the darkest moments, light exists. With proper support, self-reflection, and determination, individuals can regain control of their lives and find peace amidst the chaos of OCD.

Samantha's triggered memoir of living with OCD serves as a crucial reminder that mental health conditions should never be stigmatized or dismissed. By sharing her experiences, she creates an opportunity for empathy and understanding, educating readers on the complex nature of OCD.

This memoir invites individuals to reevaluate preconceived notions and misconceptions surrounding OCD, promoting a more compassionate society for those who face this invisible battle. It's a story of resilience, perseverance, and the power of human spirit.

Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

by Fletcher Wortmann (Kindle Edition)

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	386 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	272 pages

FREE

***AS FEATURED ON NPR'S TALK OF THE NATION***

Imagine the worst thing in the world. Picture it. Construct it, carefully and deliberately in your mind. Be careful not to omit anything. Imagine it happening to you, to the people you love. Imagine the worst thing in the world.

Now try not to think about it.

This is what it is like for Fletcher Wortmann. In his brilliant memoir, the author takes us on an intimate journey across the psychological landscape of OCD, known as the "doubting disorder," as populated by God, girls, and apocalyptic nightmares. Wortmann unflinchingly reveals the elaborate series of psychological rituals he constructs as "preventative measures" to ward off the end times, as well as his learning to cope with intrusive thoughts through Clockwork Orange-like "trigger" therapy.

But even more than this, the author emerges as a preternatural talent as he unfolds a kaleidoscope of culture high and low ranging from his obsessions with David Bowie, X-Men, and Pokemon, to an eclectic education shaped by Shakespeare, Kierkegaard, Catholic mysticism, Christian comic books, and the collegiate dating scene at the "People's Republic of Swarthmore."

Triggered is a pitch-perfect memoir; a touching, triumphantly funny, compulsively readable, and ultimately uplifting coming-of-age tale for Generation Anxiety.

Fletcher Wortmann on OCD and sex:

"If a girl accepts an invitation to help count the tiles on your bedroom ceiling, then she will probably be disappointed when she realizes you were speaking literally."

…on OCD and religion:

"I have found Catholicism and obsessive compulsive disorder to be deeply sympathetic to one another. One is a repressive construct founded in existential terror, barely restrained by complex, arbitrary ritual behaviors; the other is an anxiety disorder."

…on OCD humor:

"By the sink, I noticed a perfunctory sign warning readers to wash their hands. It was scrawled with graffiti: NO YOU CAN'T GERMS ARE UNPREVENTABLE AND INESCAPABLE."

…on the seductiveness of OCD:

"Every so often, everything will work, and you will somehow convince yourself that you are safe, and the disorder will claim credit. I had struck a bargain with the OCD. The transaction was complete. In that moment I became subservient to it."