Dictatorship : My Teenage War with OCD

A 16 year old's journey from the age of four with OCD. At thirteen she went from being a happy young teenager with a new start in secondary school to a girl who had to jump through windows to be able to leave the house. Hers is a story of a triumph over the dictatorship of this mental illness.

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My name is Rebecca Ryan. I'm 16 years old and I live near Kilrushin Co. Clare, Ireland. Ever since I was four, I have experienced symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental illness that haunted me with obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviours. I would have to give my mother a toy every day before school and perform many other 'nonsensical' rituals. By the time I was thirteen, instead of being a happy young teenager with a new start in secondary school, I was a girl who could only leave the house by jumping through a window.This book details my experiences with symptoms, school, therapy and, finally, management and recovery. I want to tell my story and assure other young people struggling with this disorder that they are not alone.