Episode 567: Ben Delmoe, OCD

Our long-time family friend Ben Delmoe (married father of three, active LDS, age 31) joins us to share his story with OCD. Ben starts with how undiagnosed OCD ended his MTC experience causing him to return home. After 13 months, Ben returned and completed his mission pushing through OCD without full understanding of his mental illness. Ben shares several examples of how he coped with OCD—without having the tools (exposure response therapy)—to fully learn how to live with OCD. Ben, who has been married for over 7 years, talks about how he realized a couple of years ago that he needed to fully address his OCD (instead of pushing through) and how that led him on a path of understanding and healing. It’s a brave and remarkable story. And a beautiful love story with his dear wife Anny. If you feel you might have OCD and dealing with it by seeking reassurance, please listen to Ben’s story. It is ERP—not constant reassurance—that is the path to healing and moving forward. And if you are working to help others, please listen to Ben’s story. In the podcast, Ben encourages you to also listen to Noah Walker’s podcast (episode 557). Thank you, Ben, for sharing your story. Respect. It will help so many.