This poem is dedicated in memory of Riley Sisson
His passion for raising awareness has inspired me to do the same
OCD should not be used lightly, it’s not some kind of cool catch phrase
It’s a debilitating mental illness, much like being lost in a maze
If you go right it brings you deeper and deeper, but left will set you free
You know left is the way to go, but the fear and anxiety won’t let you be
You are consumed, if you go left something bad will happen to those you love
Logically it doesn’t make sense, your mind giving you a strong right shove
Your mind screaming telling you what to do, forcing you into the dark
“Just come on and do it, just go left” People compelled to remark
You know without a doubt right is the wrong way, but you must comply
For if you don’t the ones you love will be in danger, and will surely die
As you get deeper and deeper into this maze you know you are lost
You will do whatever OCD tells you, no matter the cost
You lose relationships, jobs, time, hope, you become a prisoner to your mind
If only you had gone left from the beginning, to start again and just rewind
Instead with every passing day OCD is getting stronger and stronger
It sucks every ounce of strength you had, until the fight is no longer
You surrender to OCD, you do whatever it says for a moment’s peace
You hope and pray that its grip on you will someday release
As the days turn to years, you wonder what happened to the person you were before
The endless torture engulfs your life. Hurting, suffering to your very core
You tell someone in hopes to be understood, your honest plea
Only to hear “me too, I am soooo OCD”
You look at this person with confusion and awe
When they say “I have so many quirky flaws”
OCD is not some sort of quirky flaw, it’s a serious mental illness that is misunderstood
If we were able to shut our brains off and not ritualize we would
OCD’s grip on us is so strong it consumes every aspect of our lives
We are trying to live a normal life and simply survive
The reality of OCD is this…. it can be and is a deadly disease
The next time you think you are soooo OCD, take a moment and freeze
Think of the millions who battle every day even kids, and those who lost their fight
Raise awareness, educate, and help those who suffer to see the light
By: Nicole