Obsessed by Olivia

Obsessed by Olivia - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Out of all of the academic challenges I have faced in life, my experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have been the most impactful. More commonly known as OCD, the mental disorder consists of continuous series of what researchers call “brain hiccups” in which the mind becomes fixated on completing a specific task and is incapable of physically moving on until that task is completed. Although there are many different kinds of OCD, the simplest explanation of mine is that I developed a sense of wrongness upon touching certain objects and was forced to wash my hands for hours on end to relieve myself of the “dirtiness.” Soon, I began to think of certain words and ideas as “dirty” and had to blink to get rid of the feeling. This especially presented a problem within my time at school seeing as I had a hard time focusing and even touching materials I needed to do my schoolwork.
Before long, the disorder had consumed my entire life, and most of my time in public was spent trying to conceal the problem from my peers. Even in sports, I couldn't concentrate and was often distracted by the thoughts in my head. I have had to spend many years spent retraining my brain. Although the current effects of my OCD are more subdued, it is still difficult to get through various academic and school-related events.
For this reason, my New Year’s resolution for 2016 is to consistently relax and dismiss the subconscious nagging in my brain and to rid myself of the major aspects of my OCD. The disorder has already taught me so many lessons including the importance of perseverance and hope. As I continue through the 2016 academic year, I aim to strengthen my mentality in order to improve my focus in academics and school activities.