Recently Janet at the OCDtalk blog posted about her friend whose obsessive-compulsive son had just committed suicide. The post broke my heart. It reminded me of earlier this fall in Boston where I met Denis Asselin, the winner of the International OCD Foundation Hero Award. Denis’s son Nathaniel, who suffered from intense body dysmorphic disorder (on the OCD spectrum), took his own life in 2011. It was beautiful but devastating to listen to him talk about his beloved son. My heart is heavy as I think about these families, now missing an important member, and about the horrific pain that these young men were experiencing that made them see no other way out.
It’s a dark, heavy topic, but tragically important to discuss.
OCD is so often thought of as simply being neat or orderly– or sometimes even anal retentive about certain things. Media portrays obsessive-compulsive disorder as a quirky, nitpicky, and sometimes comical disorder, but let me level with you: OCD is debilitating, devastating, and torturous.
Can you imagine feeling nothing but sheer, unadulterated terror for days, sometimes weeks, on end?
I remember some of my darkest, hardest, most terrifying days. I lived in the Brighton Village Apartments with Becky and Tricia. During the day, I was given the small grace of suspending my obsessions– at least enough to make it through work (most days– not all), for which I am grateful. In the evenings, I would return to our apartment, where I would drown in an ocean of terror. My soul felt untethered, lost, condemned; I felt the hot, ugly breath of hell on my neck all evening. I felt unforgiven and completely cut off from the God I wanted so desperately. (It is making me cry right now as I write about those dark days.) And the torture of not knowing— heaven or hell? saved or condemned? found or eternally lost? heard or ignored?– was the worst kind of mental anguish.
Those apartment buildings were built like an X, with the pool and laundry facilities at the center where all four wings came together. I remember– and this is not an isolated event but something that happened every time I was in that third-floor laundry room– I would look over the balcony down to the first-floor pool area, usually empty, and I would think, If I threw myself off this ledge head-first, I would finally know: heaven or hell. I would have my answer, instead of the torture of not knowing.
But what if the answer was hell? I couldn’t hurry that on. What I wanted even more was annihilation— to cease to exist. I craved oblivion. That is true pain for you.
I realized that I was already in hell– just of a different stripe. I was living like a condemned person, in TERROR and heartache and loneliness, and in constant combat with the blasphemous thoughts that plagued my mind.
Most people wouldn’t have guessed it. I smiled a lot at work. I even managed to fool those closest to me who knew the anguish I was experiencing. But I would look over that balcony at the hard floor, and I would think about it. OCD is that devastating. I believe obsessive-compulsives (even those who take their own lives) are some of the strongest people you will ever meet. They fight a constant war. It is no wonder to me that many want to lay down their weapons and surrender.
And yet, here I am, eight years later, happy and healthy and secure in my faith, enjoying life and friendships and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. I am not tormented by my own thoughts, and uncertainty isn’t anguish any longer. I want to gently take the faces of the anguished obsessive-compulsives into my hands, stare them directly in the eye, and tell them, There is hope. There is help. It doesn’t have to stay this way. I would hug them and cry with them and personally drive them to my cognitive-behavioral therapist. I was once where you are. Follow me to freedom.
If you are struggling today with intrusive thoughts, obsessions that plague you, compulsions that take over your life, THERE IS HOPE. I promise you. This is a disorder– just a disorder, albeit a powerful, ugly, life-thieving one. Follow me to freedom. There is Truth, and it is not what you are hearing from your OCD. Rescue is possible. Follow me to freedom. Email me. Joy, happiness, laughter, truth, peace, safety– these may seem like impossibilities, but they can be yours too.
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 
Beautiful, well written post. There is so much hope.
You’re so right, Lolly. My heart just breaks for those who can’t see it!
Thanks for this important post, Jackie. You focus on the single most important thing: THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. Recovery from severe OCD is absolutely possible. That’s what makes the tragedy of these suicides even more unbearable.
Agreed, Janet. When I heard how close Oli was to getting into his residential treatment program, my heart shattered. We HAVE to keep getting the word out there that there is an effective treatment. I want to do everything I can to help people get an accurate diagnosis and into treatment.
Thank you for writing this beautiful, passionate post. It’s so important for people to know there is hope.
Agreed. Loved your “Lord, have mercy” post today too, Tina.
Oh Jackie, I can so relate to this post. Yes, it did feel like the breath of hell was on the back of my neck. I remember those terrible, truly hopeless days when I thought the agony would never end. I praise God that I am not there any longer, but like you, I have feel much anguish for my fellow OCD sufferers as I know what they fight every moment of every day.
Thank you for this wonderful, hope-filled post. And yes, there is ALWAYS hope. Good treatment is available.
Sunny, I wept on Thursday night when I wrote this post … both in gratitude for how far God has brought me and in sadness for those who are still stuck where I once was. Praise God for the way He brought us both through hell! He was so near us THE WHOLE TIME, even though we didn’t know it.
This is a critical message. Thank you for putting into words what so many experience.
Thanks, Erick. It was a little scary flinging this story out onto the world wide web, but I’m hoping it will be worthwhile!
Thank you for being open, brave, and loving enough to share your story, Jackie. I know God is using you in so many ways!
I hope so, Elyse. I pray so. OCD is so treatable. It just kills me that people live in such torture without seeing a light.
There is no doubt in my mind that He’s using you, whether it’s through your blog or personal encounters, to bring the light to people.
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Dear jackie, thx so much for your story. I went trough the exact same thing… I did well for the last time, but right now i have horrible thoughts again… Hope it gets better soon. God bless you! Simon
Simon, I’m so sorry to hear that! There is hope. If you’re struggling with OCD, the very best treatment for it is exposure and response prevention. It changed my life.
a good read …. cognitive behavior here i come 🙂
Find someone specialized in exposure and response prevention! You can do it!!! Keep me posted!
I need help. I have sever OCD. My Grandfather, Mother, and Grandmother have passed away in the last three years. I have lost my job and I am on disability for the OCD. I question my belief in God. I want so badly to belive!
I am really sad and my OCD is so overwhelming. I think of killing myself but, always think of my sister and her kids but, sometimes I convience my self that she would be better of. If God is real and, I take my life I don’t want to end up in hell. Some believe if a Christain commits suicide God will forgive them.
Hi dear! There is hope and help and freedom, believe me. Exposure and Response Prevention therapy is the best known treatment for OCD and can be done with a therapist or on your own. It is hard but completely worth it! Read my letter please at http://www.jackieleasommers.com/ocd-help. It will explain things! You are loved and there is hope.
Thank you Jackie!
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Hi All,
Jackie – I just want to say thank you! You’re encouragement means so much. I had gone through many years of this and still go through it from time to time but everything that you described gives me hope! And it should give many others hope. This is a great blog and post and post and I am grateful for your words and to see that I’m not the only one with the struggle.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I am now on year 12 of freedom and so, so, so grateful for exposure therapy! ❤️