Get to know OCD How OCD Hijacks Productivity At School, Work, And Life
May 25, 2025
Tracie Ibrahim shares her personal journey with OCD, describing how it disrupted her daily life and productivity. In college, simple tasks like reading were a struggle, as she felt compelled to repeat actions to achieve a sense of 'rightness.' As a parent, grocery shopping became a chore fraught with intrusive thoughts. Tracie reveals how Exposure and Response Prevention therapy helped her regain control and transform her routines, shedding light on the powerful impact of effective treatment.
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OCD Disrupts Studying Routine
- Tracie Ibrahim shared how untreated OCD affected her studying by forcing her to read words forwards and backwards repeatedly.
- This compulsive reading pattern made focusing and completing tasks like studying extremely difficult for her.
OCD Cycle Explained
- OCD combines obsessive thoughts with compulsive behaviors that feed the disorder over time.
- Engaging in compulsions worsens OCD symptoms rather than alleviating them.
OCD Intrusive Thoughts Impact
- Tracie described intrusive and distressing thoughts impacting daily tasks like typing reports or going grocery shopping.
- OCD compelled her to check and recheck emails or compulsively decontaminate, which drained her time and energy.