I can relate to the author’s descriptions of her struggle with OCD in “Unfriending Lauren.” I was diagnosed with OCD freshman year of high school, though I have had it all my life. It seems like an endless battle against myself that I never win, and yet I know I will never give up fighting it.

Lauren wrote, “My life is being consumed by an obsession I don’t have a reason for.” When you have OCD, you may overanalyze everything, whether it’s the number of steps you take, how office supplies are arranged on your desk, or like the author, washing her hands again and again. People who have OCD are tied down by their obsessions, but many of us continue to fight in hopes that one day we will conquer our meaningless fears.

There are many forms of OCD. The author continuously feels discomfort with her body. My OCD is like a string of thoughts that never seem to stop. The things we obsess about aren’t things we should fear; as the author reminds us, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Thank you for sharing your story, and don’t ever give up your fight against OCD.