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Randy Herrera: It is possible to have a life with OCD

Last update: October 8, 2009 - 10:33 AM

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I was a blue collar guy. I liked to wear jeans and flannel shirts. I kept my hair long and worked in construction.

All of a sudden, I changed. I was in my early 20s going to college. The messy hair disappeared in favor of a short cut that was trimmed every four weeks. The jeans were replaced with starched khaki pants and pressed shirts. Soon, the demand for perfection and cleanliness formed into painstaking rituals.

I was afraid of germs and took to checking and rechecking everything around me. I had horrific thoughts, fear, stress and worry. I'd spend my days washing and checking my actions. All are symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which would soon be diagnosed, but not even the best visionary could see that my struggle would last for the next 20 years.

I was miserable, overburdened by a number of obsessions and compulsions. The only time I wasn't struggling or fighting off OCD was when I slept.

Off and on, I was treated with medication. I had ups and downs with stress, anxiety and bad decisionmaking. With family support, I finished college and got a job. I pulled myself together, married an amazing woman and am a proud father of two girls.

But my OCD was always holding me back. I couldn't handle the fast-paced career track I sought. I had the skills and ability to be an effective sales leader and manager, but those talents waned under the demands of my OCD. I always had to fight against what my mind was saying.

No one else should have to suffer like that.

In 2008, I attended the International OCD Foundation annual conference. Unsure what to expect going into the program, I found myself actively participating in the sessions, most of which were based on cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure response prevention. I had no idea what I learned would change my life.

With the help of Dr. Renae Reinardy, a Minnesota-based OCD expert, I launched OCD Twin Cities, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation.

OCD Awareness Week is Oct. 12-18. At least 4 million Americans suffer from OCD, and I believe many more are suffering quietly -- ashamed of their behaviors and their symptoms that prevent them from working, taking care of their children and enjoying life. Studies show it takes 14 to 17 years for someone to be properly diagnosed and treated for OCD. That's years of anguish and years of life taken away.

As I further develop, continue my training both on my own and with professional help, being free of OCD has given way to a quality, happy and satisfying life. I feel lucky to have learned how to fight back against my OCD.

Help your family member, friend or colleague and educate yourself about OCD during OCD Awareness Week.

RANDY HERRERA, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS; FOUNDER, OCD TWIN CITIES (WWW.OCFOUNDATION.ORG)

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