Beyond the Doubt

OCD

What My OCD and I Are Packing for Our Trip to France

Shala Nicely on May 23, 2017

I have yet to go on a vacation where my OCD didn’t want to come along. If I want to have fun, there are four items...in fact, four keys...that I do not want to leave home without.

I have yet to go on a vacation where my OCD didn’t want to come along. If I want to have fun, there are four items...in fact, four keys...that I do not want to leave home without.

Career

Is the Universe Friendly? You Decide!

Jeff Bell on January 1, 2016

Pssst: Looking for a simple New Year’s resolution that will all but guarantee you the best year you’ve ever had? (Einstein and) I have a suggestion!

Pssst: Looking for a simple New Year’s resolution that will all but guarantee you the best year you’ve ever had? (Einstein and) I have a suggestion!

Attention

Ten Steps Out When Stuck in Doubt

Jeff Bell on August 19, 2015

Struggling with doubt? Try making belief. Read on for the four necessary ingredients and a simple recipe for putting them all together.

Struggling with doubt? Try making belief. Read on for the four necessary ingredients and a simple recipe for putting them all together.

OCD

One Million+ Steps for OCD Awareness

Jeff Bell on June 3, 2013

My friend Denis is taking a walk. A long walk. Hundreds and hundreds of miles, in fact.

Like most of us, Denis Asselin walks for health. But he also walks for illness--the severe OCD and BDD that robbed him of his son. And he--and I--would like to challenge YOU to add your footsteps to his in the name of mental health advocacy.

My friend Denis is taking a walk. A long walk. Hundreds and hundreds of miles, in fact.

Like most of us, Denis Asselin walks for health. But he also walks for illness--the severe OCD and BDD that robbed him of his son. And he--and I--would like to challenge YOU to add your footsteps to his in the name of mental health advocacy.

OCD

A Hero's Journey

Jeff Bell on August 3, 2012

If OCD has ever kept you from chasing your dreams, you need to meet Carol. She hadn't left her hometown in nearly three decades. But the prospect of helping others with OCD, finding the perfect souvenir, and enjoying authentic Chicago deep dish pizza was enough to help her break free. Forever.

If OCD has ever kept you from chasing your dreams, you need to meet Carol. She hadn't left her hometown in nearly three decades. But the prospect of helping others with OCD, finding the perfect souvenir, and enjoying authentic Chicago deep dish pizza was enough to help her break free. Forever.

OCD

Turning Adversity into Advocacy

Jeff Bell on October 31, 2011

We've all heard the old adage: "We help ourselves by helping others."

Turns out it's true.

Experientially, empirically, the proof is there. And I'm determined to spread the word about the power of this process of turning adversity into advocacy through a National Call for A2A Stories. I hope YOU will answer that call! (Read more...)

We've all heard the old adage: "We help ourselves by helping others."

Turns out it's true.

Experientially, empirically, the proof is there. And I'm determined to spread the word about the power of this process of turning adversity into advocacy through a National Call for A2A Stories. I hope YOU will answer that call! (Read more...)

OCD

Dare to Believe

Jeff Bell on October 5, 2011

OCD Awareness Week is almost here. And this year, the International OCD Foundation needs our help spreading a powerful new message. Read on to learn how YOU can give hope to countless people struggling with The Doubting Disease.

OCD Awareness Week is almost here. And this year, the International OCD Foundation needs our help spreading a powerful new message. Read on to learn how YOU can give hope to countless people struggling with The Doubting Disease.

OCD

This, too, is a Face of Mental Illness

Jeff Bell on January 18, 2011

Like most people, I am haunted by the chilling mug shot of Arizona shooting suspect Jared Loughner.  But I must confess this picture impacts me in another way that I suspect the average viewer wouldn't even consider--one that has nothing to do with the mug shot, itself, and everything to do with the label implicitly attached to it: mentally ill.   

Like most people, I am haunted by the chilling mug shot of Arizona shooting suspect Jared Loughner.  But I must confess this picture impacts me in another way that I suspect the average viewer wouldn't even consider--one that has nothing to do with the mug shot, itself, and everything to do with the label implicitly attached to it: mentally ill.   

Humor

So there I was....

Jeff Bell on October 12, 2010

Chances are you haven’t heard of many of my favorite authors.  None has written a blockbuster, nor even more than a single book.  You might, in fact, have some trouble picking up a copy of their works at your local bookstore.  But by providing front row access to their struggles and heroic triumphs, they have all taught, enlightened, and inspired countless readers.  Each, through his or her intimate storytelling, has changed--and in many cases saved--lives.  And what they’ve accomplished you can, as well--even without ever putting pen to paper...

Chances are you haven’t heard of many of my favorite authors.  None has written a blockbuster, nor even more than a single book.  You might, in fact, have some trouble picking up a copy of their works at your local bookstore.  But by providing front row access to their struggles and heroic triumphs, they have all taught, enlightened, and inspired countless readers.  Each, through his or her intimate storytelling, has changed--and in many cases saved--lives.  And what they’ve accomplished you can, as well--even without ever putting pen to paper...

Humor

You've Got a Friend

Jeff Bell on July 23, 2010

I am just back from Washington, D.C., where for several days I had the pleasure of hanging out with hundreds of fellow OCD washers, checkers, counters, hoarders, and the like.

Insert punch line here. [Oh, admit it, you've got something, right?--maybe a quip about the gallons of Purell floating around a gathering like this? Perhaps some reference to how well-checked our hotel doors and windows must be at night? It's okay: we, too, find the humor in our get-togethers!]

The occasion was this year's annual conference of the International OCD Foundation, a three-day gathering of not only OCD sufferers, but also their family members and a collection of the top OCD specialists in the country. This was my fifth such conference, and I have left each and every one with life-changing lessons that have fueled my recovery. The lesson for me this year could not have been more clear:

When it comes to recovery-from OCD or any other hardship-there is no substitute for friendships forged by common challenges.

I am just back from Washington, D.C., where for several days I had the pleasure of hanging out with hundreds of fellow OCD washers, checkers, counters, hoarders, and the like.

Insert punch line here. [Oh, admit it, you've got something, right?--maybe a quip about the gallons of Purell floating around a gathering like this? Perhaps some reference to how well-checked our hotel doors and windows must be at night? It's okay: we, too, find the humor in our get-togethers!]

The occasion was this year's annual conference of the International OCD Foundation, a three-day gathering of not only OCD sufferers, but also their family members and a collection of the top OCD specialists in the country. This was my fifth such conference, and I have left each and every one with life-changing lessons that have fueled my recovery. The lesson for me this year could not have been more clear:

When it comes to recovery-from OCD or any other hardship-there is no substitute for friendships forged by common challenges.

Personal Perspectives

The Many "Flavors" of OCD

Jeff Bell on April 23, 2010

If we can think of OCD as an ice cream parlor in which those of us with the disorder wind up, then we can think of the many OCD subtypes as the random ice cream flavors that land in our cones. Many of us have attempted to describe our experiences in this parlor, but for a variety of reasons, reviews of just two of these flavors seem to get all the attention. The two flavors? Hmmm, I suppose we could call them "Check-and-Check-Again Chocolate" and "Scrub, Scrub, Scrub Strawberry." As someone who's been on both sides of the mic (as a news anchor reporting on mental health issues, and an OCD author/spokesperson speaking to the media), I have a few theories about all this...

If we can think of OCD as an ice cream parlor in which those of us with the disorder wind up, then we can think of the many OCD subtypes as the random ice cream flavors that land in our cones. Many of us have attempted to describe our experiences in this parlor, but for a variety of reasons, reviews of just two of these flavors seem to get all the attention. The two flavors? Hmmm, I suppose we could call them "Check-and-Check-Again Chocolate" and "Scrub, Scrub, Scrub Strawberry." As someone who's been on both sides of the mic (as a news anchor reporting on mental health issues, and an OCD author/spokesperson speaking to the media), I have a few theories about all this...

OCD

Pssst, OCD Is NOT an Adjective

Jeff Bell on February 4, 2010

Dear Readers Without OCD, We in the OCD community have a gentle reminder we'd like to pass along, ever so respectfully:

Dear Readers Without OCD, We in the OCD community have a gentle reminder we'd like to pass along, ever so respectfully:

Anxiety

Choosing Greater Good

Jeff Bell on December 2, 2009

I'm feeling exceptionally motivated at this moment, exhausted from a long day, anxious about having to come up with just the right words to convey what I hope to here, and yet ready to stay up all night at my computer if necessary to share with you a simple but profound motivation technique--the very same one that has me typing these words right now. I call this technique the Greater Good Perspective Shift, and I think it can change your life. It did mine.

I'm feeling exceptionally motivated at this moment, exhausted from a long day, anxious about having to come up with just the right words to convey what I hope to here, and yet ready to stay up all night at my computer if necessary to share with you a simple but profound motivation technique--the very same one that has me typing these words right now. I call this technique the Greater Good Perspective Shift, and I think it can change your life. It did mine.

OCD

The Uncertainty Paradox

Jeff Bell on October 29, 2009

I know a secret--a deeply profound, life-changing secret--one learned through the school of hard knocks in one of its most grueling courses. It is nothing short of the very key to living with uncertainty, this secret. Okay. Here goes: The secret to living with uncertainty is . . .

I know a secret--a deeply profound, life-changing secret--one learned through the school of hard knocks in one of its most grueling courses. It is nothing short of the very key to living with uncertainty, this secret. Okay. Here goes: The secret to living with uncertainty is . . .

Bullying

Trapdoors in the Shadow of Doubt

Jeff Bell on September 11, 2009

Ever found yourself stuck in a state of uncertainty? It's a cold, dark place, this Shadow of Doubt, and getting out can be tricky. As those of us with OCD can attest to, there are some very alluring false exits all around you--trapdoors that only take you deeper into The Shadow.

Ever found yourself stuck in a state of uncertainty? It's a cold, dark place, this Shadow of Doubt, and getting out can be tricky. As those of us with OCD can attest to, there are some very alluring false exits all around you--trapdoors that only take you deeper into The Shadow.

Bullying

The Doubt Bully

Jeff Bell on August 21, 2009

If you ask me, it doesn't take a brain scientist to understand OCD.Okay, technically speaking, it does; and even they--the top neuroscientists in the country--confess to being somewhat perplexed by the structural and functional anomalies of the OCD brain and the reasons for them. Issues with the caudate nucleus? Problems with serotonin reuptake? Lots of still-inconclusive theories floating around.I, myself, don't even pretend to understand any of the brain science behind this disorder. I do, however, have an explanation for the obsessions and compulsions that have plagued me and millions of other people with OCD--an explanation to which any kid who's every spent time on a playground can relate.I say, The source of my OCD is quite simply . . . The Doubt Bully.

If you ask me, it doesn't take a brain scientist to understand OCD.Okay, technically speaking, it does; and even they--the top neuroscientists in the country--confess to being somewhat perplexed by the structural and functional anomalies of the OCD brain and the reasons for them. Issues with the caudate nucleus? Problems with serotonin reuptake? Lots of still-inconclusive theories floating around.I, myself, don't even pretend to understand any of the brain science behind this disorder. I do, however, have an explanation for the obsessions and compulsions that have plagued me and millions of other people with OCD--an explanation to which any kid who's every spent time on a playground can relate.I say, The source of my OCD is quite simply . . . The Doubt Bully.

Humor

What If?

Jeff Bell on August 11, 2009

What if I misspell a word? What if I write something that proves harmful to someone? What if the germs on my fingers somehow make their way onto my keyboard, through cyberspace, and onto the keyboards of countless readers who then contract some deadly disease I might be carrying?

What if I misspell a word? What if I write something that proves harmful to someone? What if the germs on my fingers somehow make their way onto my keyboard, through cyberspace, and onto the keyboards of countless readers who then contract some deadly disease I might be carrying?