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.
Returning Home After Three Years of OCD Recovery | Adam’s Thoughts
After three years in Vietnam recovering from severe OCD, I may finally be ready to return home. This is a reflection on what recovery has given me, what OCD has taken away, and why there is always hope. Read article.
Why Doing Nothing Is Sometimes the Best Response to OCD
For years I believed every OCD trigger required action. ERP taught me something completely different: sometimes the strongest response is no response at all. Read article.
Why My Brain Thought Words Had Metaphysical Power
For years I believed certain words could ruin my day. Looking back, I don’t think the words had power. My OCD had simply trained my brain to react as though they did. Read article.
How an Elevator Became Part of My OCD
Most people never think twice about riding an elevator. For me, it became one of the biggest battlefields in my OCD, filled with rituals, avoidance, and constant anxiety. Read article.
Why Neuroplasticity Works for OCD Recovery
When I first heard about neuroplasticity, it sounded too simple to be true. After years of ERP, I now believe it is one of the biggest reasons recovery is possible. Here’s why. Read article.
OCD Wants Control, Not Safety
For years I believed my OCD was protecting me. Eventually I realized it wasn’t creating safety-it was demanding more and more control. Here’s how that realization changed my recovery. Read article.
When OCD Makes You Feel Like a Bad Person
OCD can make kind, caring people feel like they are terrible human beings. In this article, I share how intrusive thoughts, guilt, and self-doubt affected me, and what ERP taught me about separating my values from OCD’s accusations. Read article.
Sleep Deprivation and OCD: When Rituals Steal Your Rest
OCD can interrupt sleep through intrusive thoughts, nighttime rituals, and compulsions that feel urgent at 3 AM. In this article, I explain how sleep deprivation affects my OCD and why rest matters for recovery. Read article.