My Journey with Tourettic OCD

After struggling with anxiety and inexplicable physical and mental behavioral patterns, at the age of 17, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It was not until I was 21 that I received my full diagnosis of Tourettic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (TOCD). Since that day, I have spoken at Columbia University and at The Reelabilities Film Festival to spread awareness and offer insight. 

Fortunately, I was able to seek help and gain the strength to take back my mind and body from TOCD. Although the mental disorder is a constant battle, I am lucky. I am so incredibly lucky. Many suffer without any knowledge, any aid, any hope. In the simplest of ways, laughter and entertainment help. I missed over a year of school growing up due to my mental and physical barriers. Standup, cartoons, films, sitcoms: all transported me from my situation and dropped me off safely, anywhere else.

The isolation that often comes with physical and mental disabilities is devastating to communities and individuals. Entertainment is one of the few services that can reach most people, most able bodied people anyway. That is exactly where I aim to help. Let us hire comedians to write audio description for comedies! Let us make captions that replicate the feeling of music! Let us have sign language interpreters at performances, choose theaters that are wheelchair accessible! The world should be everyone’s oyster! And at the very least, everyone should be able to enjoy an occasional pearl.