I have been a sufferer (I believe sufferer to be the right word for it!) of OCD for as long as I can remember. As a child, I knew I was very different but didn't know why. Growing up was tough and I masked much of my behaviour, still guessing there was something 'wrong' with me. It was only when I met my husband that I agreed to speak to my GP. My obsession with my husband's sexual past was driving me mad. It's all I could think of and was ruining our relationship, as I felt betrayed by him. I have had therapy, CBT and am on medication. Some days are worse than others. The OCD worm can be cruel, never allowing me to switch off and 'making' me triple touch / check / say things three times. Getting out of the house can take time when I'm bugged by the OCD worm. I check, check, check the door. I touch, touch, touch the lightswitch. I know I'm doing it, but have to do so to keep everyone safe. I put my right shoe on after my left. If I put the left one on last, my husband will leave me. He will have left. It sounds crazy to anyone not living in an OCD world and with my rational head on, I can see this. It doesn't stop me doing it though - I just hide it from others! Sometimes, my husband and I can see the funny side of what I do, sometimes it gets me down. I never feel free of OCD. The worst part of all is when one hears the words 'Oh, it's my OCD...I'm a bit OCD...oh, he was an OCD nerd'. That's cruel. It smarts. The positive thing is that OCD helps me to do my job. I am thorough. I have a great memory. Nothing gets past me. I am methodical - so much so that I do stuff three times on a bad OCD day! Sometimes it's all consuming. Sometimes it's okay. OCD is part of me. I consider myself to be special because not everyone has OCD. We are special people and should support one another.