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Adam’s Thoughts: OCD Recovery, Mental Health, and Living Life Abroad.

Living with severe OCD has shaped much of my life. This blog is a collection of personal experiences, lessons learned, and reflections on recovery.

The views expressed here are my own and are not intended as medical advice or treatment recommendations..

Bald man struggling with severe OCD in the early morning, dealing with intrusive thoughts, clothing rituals, property line compulsions, and anxiety before leaving for work.
June 10, 2026 - 4 min read

What Does a Severe OCD Morning Actually Look Like?

Most people think a severe OCD morning means anxiety. For me, it can mean spending an hour putting on a shirt, driving back and forth across property lines, and feeling like the entire day is ruined before breakfast. In this personal article, I share what severe OCD mornings looked like during the worst periods of my life and how ERP therapy and medication helped me fight back. Read article.

Bald man experiencing OCD triggers from words, images, music, and intrusive thoughts while learning to manage anxiety through ERP therapy.
June 10, 2026 - 4 min read

What Are OCD Triggers?

For someone with OCD, a word, song, image, or even a thought can become attached to intense fear. In this article, I explain what OCD triggers are, how they affected my life, and how ERP therapy and medication helped me overcome many of them. Read article.

Bald man struggling with severe OCD while preparing for work, dealing with rituals, property line compulsions, workplace avoidance behaviors, and career challenges.
June 10, 2026 - 4 min read

Work Life and Having OCD

Living with severe OCD affected every part of my workday, from getting dressed in the morning to crossing property lines, commuting, and choosing assignments at work. Despite having a supportive team and a successful career, OCD eventually became too disruptive to ignore. This is my story of working with OCD, receiving SSDI, and the lessons I learned before leaving my career behind. Read article.

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June 10, 2026 - 4 min read

The Cost of OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder cost me far more than time. It cost me relationships, missed chances, family moments, and years of my life spent trapped in rituals and fear. Looking back, I realize OCD was never protecting me - it was keeping me stuck. In this personal article, I share how OCD affected my relationship with my daughter, the sacrifices I made because of compulsions, and the difficult lessons I learned about recovery, ERP, and reclaiming a life that OCD tried to take away. Read article.

Cartoon man standing near a property line while struggling with OCD rituals and intrusive thoughts.
June 9, 2026 - 5 min read

The Property Line Ritual That Controlled My Life

For decades, I struggled with a severe OCD ritual involving property lines, borders, and mental compulsions. What began as a simple fear grew into a daily ritual that affected my home life, travel, and even the birth of my child. This is my experience living with one of OCD’s strangest symptoms and the progress I have made through ERP and treatment. Read article.

Bald man struggling with metaphysical contamination OCD, magical thinking, and fear of bad luck spreading through objects and places.
June 9, 2026 - 3 min read

Metaphysical Contamination OCD

Metaphysical contamination is a lesser-known subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is often associated with magical thinking. Instead of f... Read article.