LISA:

I used to work as a teacher. I never thought of myself as a worrier, at least no more than the next person. However, I gradually started to find myself worrying about the silliest of things; or, at least, they might seem silly to you, but to me they were deadly serious.

I used to work as a teacher. I never thought of myself as a worrier, at least no more than the next person. However, I gradually started to find myself worrying about the silliest of things; or, at least, they might seem silly to you, but to me they were deadly serious.
NEWSCASTER:

: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, affects three in every one hundred people, regardless of age, sex or race. And nobody quite knows why.

: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, affects three in every one hundred people, regardless of age, sex or race. And nobody quite knows why.
LISA:

At first, on my way to work in the morning, I'd worry that I'd forgotten to lock the front door, or that I'd left a window open. I simply had to go back and check. Of course, when I got home again, the door was locked and all the windows were closed.

At first, on my way to work in the morning, I'd worry that I'd forgotten to lock the front door, or that I'd left a window open. I simply had to go back and check. Of course, when I got home again, the door was locked and all the windows were closed.
NEWSCASTER:

At first, OCD sufferers experience repeated, unwelcome and upsetting thoughts or impulses. These are what we call 'obsessions'and they are the symptoms of OCD. Actually, we all have doubts about forgetting to lock a door or close a window sometimes, don't we? Howeverthe difference between a person who suffers from OCD and someone who doesn't is that the person with OCD has to check and re-check these things again and again.

At first, OCD sufferers experience repeated, unwelcome and upsetting thoughts or impulses. These are what we call 'obsessions',and they are the symptoms of OCD. Actually, we all have doubts about forgetting to lock a door or close a window sometimes, don't we? However,the difference between a person who suffers from OCD and someone who doesn't is that the person with OCD has to check and re-check these things again and again.
LISA0:

A few months later, I started worrying about germs. If I touched a door handleor a telephoneor if I picked up a knife or a forkI'd immediately have to wash my hands. In one day, perhaps I'd wash my hands over 50 times. Repeated actions such as checking, hand washing and putting objects in a certain order are the 'compulsions'' part of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They're called compulsions because the sufferer knows they shouldn't do them again and again, but can't stop.

A few months later, I started worrying about germs. If I touched a door handle,or a telephone,or if I picked up a knife or a fork,I'd immediately have to wash my hands. In one day, perhaps I'd wash my hands over 50 times. Repeated actions such as checking, hand washing and putting objects in a certain order are the 'compulsions' part of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They're called compulsions because the sufferer knows they shouldn't do them again and again, but can't stop.
LISA1:

One day, when I was driving to work, I felt a bump. I thought I'd run something over, maybe a child or a dog. I panicked. At the bottom of the street, I turned around and drove back. I was terrified.

One day, when I was driving to work, I felt a bump... I thought I'd run something over, maybe a child or a dog. I panicked. At the bottom of the street, I turned around and drove back. I was terrified.
LISA2:

I really thought I'd killed something, or someone. Of course, when I got to the same spot, there was nothing there! I turned the car around and headed for work but, as I was drivingI began to worry that I had actually hit somethingbut I just hadn't checked carefully enough. Maybe the injured child was lying behind a bush or a tree and I hadn't seen it! So I drove back again, and this time I got out of the car and looked carefully about, but still I couldn't find anything.

I really thought I'd killed something, or someone. Of course, when I got to the same spot, there was nothing there! I turned the car around and headed for work but, as I was driving,I began to worry that I had actually hit something,but I just hadn't checked carefully enough. Maybe the injured child was lying behind a bush or a tree and I hadn't seen it! So I drove back again, and this time I got out of the car and looked carefully about, but still I couldn't find anything.
LISA3:

There was nothing to find. And yet I couldn't get it out of my mind. I had to return two more times to the same spot before I was satisfied I hadn't hit anything. I was more than an hour late for work.

There was nothing to find. And yet I couldn't get it out of my mind. I had to return two more times to the same spot before I was satisfied I hadn't hit anything. I was more than an hour late for work.
NEWSCASTER:

OCD can affect the sufferer's job, study, and their relationships with family members, friends and partners. In fact, if it isn't diagnosed and treated, it can ruin a life.

OCD can affect the sufferer's job, study, and their relationships with family members, friends and partners. In fact, if it isn't diagnosed and treated, it can ruin a life.
LISA:

My work suffered as my OCD got worse. I was constantly lateI kept worrying that I'd made mistakes, so I had to check everything I did, again and againso that it took me twice as long as my colleagues to finish my work. Eventually, I was fired.

My work suffered as my OCD got worse. I was constantly late;I kept worrying that I'd made mistakes, so I had to check everything I did, again and again,so that it took me twice as long as my colleagues to finish my work. Eventually, I was fired.
NEWSCASTER:

Lisa went to her local doctor and asked for help. At first, the doctor didn't know what was wrong with her. By the time she was eventually diagnosed with OCDshe was unemployedhad broken up with her boyfriend and was living the life of a recluseterrified of the outside world.

Lisa went to her local doctor and asked for help. At first, the doctor didn't know what was wrong with her. By the time she was eventually diagnosed with OCD,she was unemployed,had broken up with her boyfriend and was living the life of a recluse,terrified of the outside world.
LISA0:

I'm now seeing a psychiatrist three times a week and I'm getting better. He's also put me on a course of medication, which helps. You know, when my OCD was bad, people used to look at me and think I was crazy. My boyfriend left me. My friends stopped calling me.

I'm now seeing a psychiatrist three times a week and I'm getting better. He's also put me on a course of medication, which helps. You know, when my OCD was bad, people used to look at me and think I was crazy. My boyfriend left me. My friends stopped calling me.
LISA1:

No one seemed to realizeI wasn't crazy, I was sick.

No one seemed to realize:I wasn't crazy, I was sick.