Over half a million Australians live with obsessive compulsion disorder, and for most of us without it, we stereotype it as washing hands and checking locked doors.
But for many people, it’s the underlying thoughts that derail their life and steal their happiness.
Listen to Penny Moodie’s OCD journey here:
It’s these obsessive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviours, which is why it’s so important to truly understand OCD, so it can be treated effectively.
In this episode of The Briefing, Penny Moodie shares her darkest thoughts with Tom Tilley and explains how exposure therapy actually worked.
Penny has documented her 23-year journey to diagnosis in her book, The Joy Thief, and wants to shine a light on a disorder that is often minimised.
Penny says popular culture has contributed to the stereotyping of OCD, failing to depict what’s at the core of someone diagnosed with the disorder.
“At the core of OCD, it’s this real fear of uncertainty, so it’s having some kind of thought that might really scare you and then having this really what one psychologist called catastrophic misinterpretation of that thought,” she said.
“Then thinking maybe, I am this person, maybe I am dangerous, maybe I am sick, how can I know for certain?
“And what I’ve learnt is that we can’t know anything for certain, we really can’t, we can feel certain about things, but we can’t know things for certain and that can drive you crazy with OCD and that’s really at the core of what OCD is.”
To hear more about Penny’s journey and what it’s like to live with OCD, listen to the episode of The Briefing.
You can purchase The Joy Thief here.
If you, or anyone you know needs help, there are many resources available:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800