8 April, 2012 9:26AM AEST

Living with OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often portrayed in movies as someone who always lines objects up, constantly repeats a series of actions to be able to turn a light switch out or has that quirky eye for detail that helps them in their day to day lives, but OCD is much more than that and makes even the smallest task hard to manage.

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Washing Hands

Monique was diagnosed with OCD when she was 18 and over the past 11 years has worked on living alongside her "little demon" that will always be with her.

At 18 Monique was cleaning dishes at her workplace when the first thoughts of germs and dirt consumed her and she slowly spiralled downhill from there until the OCD was uncontrollable.

"There's a period of my life that I don't recall a lot of because I was so consumed with the OCD," Monique said.

She felt isolated because while she knew her thoughts about germs and dirt were not rational; there was a part of her that could not ignore her obsessions.

When she woke up in the morning she would have to jump over a pair of shoes sitting by her bed or else she would feel dirty for the rest of the day and no amount of washing her hands or taking showers would make the feeling go away.

It took Monique thinking that her life was not worth living while these thoughts and feelings controlled her to reach out and seek the help that she needed.

As OCD is such a personal condition, it was hard for Monique to ask for help as she feared people would look at her as if she was completely mental, but at her lowest point she turned to her partner and her doctors and was soon diagnosed with OCD and a mental health plan was set up.

Monique has come a long way in the 11 years since she was diagnosed and is proud that she now has the ability to live a normal life without fear.

It was a long process of trialling medications and doctors to get to the point where she can recognise triggers and has control of her OCD.

While the threat of relapse is always there, Monique says the support network she has set up around her and the techniques that she has learnt to manage her condition are comforting and puts her in a position of control.

Monique now takes part in a peer support program through the Mental Health Foundation Canberra.

She helps others learn techniques to cope with their OCD and is able to develop friendships built on an understanding and support for OCD so that others can have the network that she lucky enough to experience.