People who experience obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a type of anxiety disorder, are the brunt of frequent bad jokes. But the International OCD Foundation estimates that about one in 100 adults and one in 200 children in the U.S. has OCD.
This week’s guest on Shaping Families, Debbie (no last name used for privacy) began having symptoms of OCD by the time she was 11. She grew up the child of missionary parents in Africa and loved music, especially piano. She made herself practice perfect piano scales, repeating them far more often than any teacher demanded. After being baptized, Debbie felt she had to be perfect. She felt she existed to please others. Her compulsions became full-blown.
As an adult, she is an accomplished musician but has pursued work in data processing and other fields. On Shaping Families, she talks about how her church and friends have been very supportive as she struggles with her anxieties. Good self-care, stress reduction, therapy and exercise all help her keep her symptoms under control, she said.
She appeared earlier in the documentary produced by Third Way Media, Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness.
The weekly 15-minute Shaping Families, which airs each weekend on 17 local stations and online at www.ShapingFamilies.com, is produced by Third Way Media on behalf of Mennonite Churches through Mennonite Mission Network. Additional resources, a study guide, a blog by host Burton Buller, a podcast of the program, recipe and free offers are available at the website.
