Support For Those With OCD Provided In Dale City Author's Book

DALE CITY, VA — A new book from Shannon Shy, an author and lawyer who lives in Dale City, intends to assist people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. "Turning Points" uses Shy's personal experiences with OCD and peer support to help others find a way to keep living when it seems impossible.

Shy was diagnosed with OCD in 1997, when he was a marine stationed at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. In the years since, Shy has learned to live with the disorder and works to help others cope.

"It wasn't until my first son was born that I really noticed something was happening," Shy said. "Over the next five years, it progressively got worse until I was practically non-functional."

Shy described living with OCD as "a hell pit."

"OCD is one of the most debilitating disorders on the planet," he explained. "It feels like you're trapped. There's complete darkness and sadness and sorrow."

Shannon said the OCD he lived with is not the same OCD he saw represented in media and in conversations with others. "People tend to minimize the disorder, or mock it," he said. "I think it adds to the stigma of people who are trying to make a decision about receiving help."

However, Shy noted that OCD is not insurmountable. "On the positive side, it's treatable," he said. "It's necessary to seek treatment. You don't have to do this by yourself."

As he notes in "Turning Points," Shy believes peer support can be a beneficial approach for those living with OCD. "There's nothing like talking with someone who has lived with the disorder," Shy said. "Peer support brings that special angle."

In Virginia, peer support specialists are certified by the state. They are people who have experienced a mental illness and help provide support to those coping with a mental illness. Shy is a certified peer recovery specialist. Their training includes a 40-hour course and a yearly recertification.

Although, peer support is not a replacement for seeing a mental health professional. Instead, it can be an effective complement to treatment. "It can be an awesome augmentation of your treatment," Shy said. "I want sufferers and family members and professionals to know that. This is another tool in the toolbox to help people."

The stigma surrounding OCD and other mental illnesses can prevent people from receiving the treatment and support they need, according to Shy. By taking OCD seriously and having open discussions about it, people can help reduce the stigma.

"Using OCD as an adjective, saying 'I'm so OCD,' adds to the stigma," Shy said. "Having OCD doesn't mean you're crazy, it doesn't mean you're defective."

Shy's third book, "Turning Points," is available now. In it, Shy outlines pillars to help people cope with OCD and discusses the beneficial role that peer support can play in people who are recovering from the disorder.

Shy offered some general advice for people with OCD. "You don't have to be perfect," he said. "It's possible to get better."

The National Alliance on Mental Illness operates a help line for people with OCD. To learn more about OCD, or for help finding resources or treatment options, call 1-800-950-6264. They also have resources available on their website.