Written by Ashley Fulwood, Chief Executive of OCD-UK.

Our inaugural involvement in international OCD Awareness Week draws to a close, and although we are still working on a few media pieces, and adding more personal stories to the website this coming week, our 2012 plans are already underway, and with lessons learned from the last week, 2012 promises to be bigger and better creating more of an impact to highlight the problems faced by people with OCD here in the UK.

Legend's OCD Story

As anyone with OCD will testify, living with and coping with OCD can be incredibly difficult, and talking about our experiences can be both challenging and emotional. This week during our series of OCD Awareness Week 'Understanding OCD' lectures we were fortunate to be supported by some incredible individuals who bravely, candidly and honestly shared their experiences of the impact that OCD had on them.

At our event in Cambridge on Tuesday, forum user, Legend, shared his experiences, this is his story, in his own words.

Perception in the workplace needs to change

Its hard to describe and inform people just how OCD makes you feel. OCD make you live each day in fear. You feel alone, scared, tense, embarrassed, guilty and mostly trapped. I feel like there is another person in me, who has such a tight grip, they are suffocating the life out of me bit by bit.

Reading stories from those who have made progress and have improved is inspiring, although I cant imagine just now how I will get there.

This article is written by Professor Paul Salkovskis from the University of Bath and Ashley Fulwood from OCD-UK.

Effective Treatment for an Unnecessary Illness: Where's mine?

Josh's Story

OCD was a big part of my life and I really used to struggle with it. It made me feel really down on myself and upset and angry because it kept coming back time and time again, I felt like I would never get through it. I would check my windows, cupboards and dates on foods because I thought I would get sick if I didn’t check them. I used to worry a lot about the thoughts in my head.