I was going to post this yesterday as a regular posting I would like to write on Mondays. It is hard posting this as it is something I usually don't talk about, but I think it would be helpful for me to just get it out. Growing up with mental illness in your family is not really a topic easily discussed or playground chatter with the Moms, but is prevalent in families.
I grew up with a father who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder here, Anxiety and Depression. It has been a part of my life since I was about 6 years old. My father's OCD involves a fear of germs and disease. I think he always had these obsessive compulsive thoughts they just took a drastic turn during a time when a person at his work was diagnosed with Cancer. Then his mind went into overdrive and his fears got out of control for him. He began to fear catching "cancer germs." Now as we normally thought based people know one cannot catch cancer but his thoughts and compulsions are not always based in reality.
It was a journey into mental illness that is still going on today. He still has irrational thoughts and has compulsive behavior that renders him mostly to a life of isolation. He has received counseling and therapy, takes medication (lots of it) and does not have his OCD under control. What I would like to share is the the tragic, the funny and the downright unbelievable stories that make up my childhood. See you on Mondays.
No comments:
Post a Comment