If you have OCD, you know that the stigma attached to mental illness can make it difficult to cope. Even though it is clear that OCD has biological roots, there are people who continue to believe that people challenged with mental illness should be able to “snap out of it.” Have you ever been discriminated against or stigmatized because of your OCD? What happened and how did you cope with it? Share your experience.

This past Monday’s episode of A&E’s Obsessed provided a really nice window into two OCD spectrum disorders; hypochondriasis and trichotillomania. While these illnesses are not technically OCD, they share many of the same symptoms of OCD including obsessive thoughts and compulsions. The main difference is that while obsessions and compulsions in OCD can relate to just about anything, obsessional thoughts in hypochondriasis relate almost exclusively to health concerns and in trichotillomania to hair pulling. It should be noted, however, that in addition to trichotillomania, Todd demonstrated more traditional symptoms of OCD including counting. What do you think of the show so far?

It is a fact of life that we will all experience stress from time to time. As you may know, learning to cope effectively with stress can go a long way to making your OCD symptoms more manageable and treatments more effective. Share how you cope with your OCD symptoms.

If you have OCD, you know that your symptoms can often get in the way of establishing and maintaining romantic relationships. Many people with OCD are single and those who are in a relationship or are married often report a significant amount of relationship stress. How has your OCD impacted your romantic relationships? Share your experience