An involuntary thought of a sexual act with a coworker constantly repeats in your head, and you begin to rapidly recite poetry. The thought of a disease crawling across packaged meat causes you to wear gloves at the grocery store. Imagery of charred family members results in fire extinguishers in every room of the house.…
Continue reading ➞ Classically Operant Conditioning: How Compulsions Form
Monday's article was supposed to be about how compulsions form. I'm still writing that article—and I'm really happy with how its coming along—but I need to write about what happened to me today (so welcome to a single edit article written at 0130). I started "OCDVID-19: Of Suicide and Self-Harm" with the line "I have…
Continue reading ➞ From 0 to 100: COVID Obsessions in Eight Hours
COVID-19 may be driving people with severe OCD to self-harm, and the verge of suicide. We can help through education and by supporting our loved ones.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A friend recently pointed out that the very name of the disorder stems from the "publicly negative" aspects of ADHD. Like most mental disorders, ADHD runs deep. Small attention spans, and high bursts of activity do characterize ADHD, but so does forming new relationships too quickly, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and…
While HyerOCD contains my last name, and primary disorder, I ultimately want to create a mental health support resource. As such, I'm creating a new series—How Are You?—consisting of guest articles, and you're a guest! The enormous diversity of experiences with mental health let's people know they are not alone. Validation conveys a feeling of…
Virtutem Lunae Soft white light bathes the landscape. A canyon, lifeless only moments before, breathes with new life. Streams whisper through the narrows, gleaming in the moonbeams snaking between trees. A lone fern contrasts sharply with the muted reds of a sandstone wall. Stars paint the canvased sky, winking from their high perches. A gentle…
Ritualistic Self-Destruction A bright white notification on my phone contrasts the dark greens and browns on the monitor above it. The light squeak of brakes floats above the sounds of combat emanating from my headphones: a delivery person has arrived. "Food, brb" sounds from the speakers of half-a-dozen people across the United States. The character…
Red Orbs and Blankets Sirens wail while a man kneels before me asking if I remember who he is—I don't. A friend, who I do recognize, cries, and clings to my right arm. Cool brick presses against my back, and hard tiles support my weight. Heavy boots stomp up the stairs, and one pair stops…
Let Me Teach You How to Drown. OCD can build and destroy that which you love.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) causes sufferers to obsess continuously over their moral character. Intrusive thoughts occur about anything and everything, but it's primarily the dark ideations that become obsessions. Unsurprisingly, the breadth of individual principles yields an extensive diversity of obsessions and an even greater compulsive dimension. However, there are many near-universal standards—don't harm the innocent,…
