Many people with OCD don't realize they have OCD. Instead, they assume they're responsible, detail-oriented, driven, or successful. Many of the same qualities that help someone excel professionally and personally can make OCD harder to recognize - even by therapists. This is especially true for people who are high achievers, caregivers, parents, helping professionals, or those navigating the pregnancy and postpartum stages.

As a result, many people go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or untreated for far longer than necessary.  Here’s why.

It’s OCD Awareness Week, which is a great opportunity to raise some much-needed awareness about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This week reminds us that so many people deal with the challenges of OCD daily, and it’s important to talk openly about what living with it can be like. Whether you’re navigating OCD yourself or supporting someone who is, self-care is a huge part of managing it.

When anxiety flares, it’s easy to become trapped in fear-based thinking, leading us to make choices out of a desire to avoid discomfort rather than pursuing what truly matters to us. However, there’s a different path—a way of making decisions based on our values, rather than our fears. Read this blog from Gabrielle Trecek, LCSW, to learn more