Teenager reveals her war with OCD

A NEW book by a young girl with OCD gives an insight into the debilitating disease.

Dictatorship – my teenage war with OCD by Rebecca Ryan is published by Cork-based Onstream Publications, run by Roz Crowley.

‘Rebecca is 16, but since the age of four she has experienced symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental illness marked by obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviours and other “nonsensical” rituals,’ explained Roz. ‘At 13 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 at all.’

The story, written by herself in a humorous and clear style, details Rebecca’s experiences with symptoms, school, therapy and ultimate management and recovery. She hopes it will assure young people struggling with this disorder that they are not alone.

‘When she leaves school Rebecca hopes to study animation, and her own sketches appear throughout the book,’ Roz said.

A movie maker is looking at the book with a view to filming her story, she added. The book is available now in good bookshops and at onstream.ie.