The Central Times on ... obsessive compulsive disorder

This story about high school students struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder was first printed in The Central Times in its Sept. 24, 2007 issue. Writing about medical issues that are sometimes embarrassing or personal can be challenging, so to protect the privacy of the students, the writer changed their names.

It's second nature to double-check that car doors are locked or to make sure the stove is off before leaving the house.

It's common at Naperville Central High School to see someone tugging on a combination lock before leaving for class to ensure a locker stays closed.

What some may fail to think about during these routine activities is that these behaviors are rituals, and people often associate rituals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

If you imagine living with OCD, you probably envision a life defined by compulsive, repetitive actions or rituals.

But three NCHS students refuse to fall victim to the misconceptions of the disorder, defining their lives instead by the way they conquer the condition.

Sophomore Ryan Dallas* had a positive attitude about his OCD from the start. "I was actually relieved (after learning my diagnosis)," said Dallas, who found out he had OCD in eighth grade.

"Once I figured out I had (OCD), everything just came together. I understood why I did things, and things just started to make sense," he said.

MORE COVERAGEWhat made the front page at Naperville Central? Find out here.Socially, OCD caused Dallas to speak before thinking.OCD had little other impact on Dallas' life except at school. During tests, if he got stuck on a problem, he remained fixated on the problem without moving on. Also, for tests that involved bubbling in, he had to fill in the bubble perfectly.Although the disorder had minimal effects on Dallas, it had a greater impact on sophomore Olivia Gage*."The OCD got extremely out of hand,Ãcirc;cent;Ãcent;â#128;šcirc;not;Ã#130;circ;ť Gage said. Ãcirc;cent;Ãcent;â#128;šcirc;not;Ã#133;â#128;œIt was so bad that it would take two hours for one ritual."The urge to complete rituals distracted Gage during tests and lectures at school. In addition to rituals, Gage feared touching people she didn't want to be like. She felt the need to rub off the germs of those people after physical contact, causing her to avoid touching people in the hallway.Sharing a similar fear of germs, senior Will Damon* felt he had to wash his hands repeatedly after watching a movie about germs in seventh grade, leading to his diagnosis."I would be washing (my hands) to the point where they started bleeding," Damon said.Like Gage, Damon had trouble handling OCD at first. Just before his diagnosis, he found out he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and was battling insomnia as well. On top of fearing germs, he continuously checked locks and doors."In three years, I broke two car handles by checking locks," Damon said.Despite their initial struggles with OCD, Damon, Gage and Dallas learned to manage their situations.All three saw therapists for some time after their diagnoses and agree the meetings helped significantly in the long run. At first, talking with a therapist failed to assist Gage, but it later provided relief."I was expecting what (the therapist) was telling me to automatically cure (OCD), so I didn't really think I had to do anything," said Gage, "but really, it's all you." Gage and Dallas continue to attend sessions even now, although less frequently.In addition to meeting with therapists, Damon and Dallas take medication to help control their OCD. Damon takes Luvox twice a day while Dallas uses Zoloft, which he takes once a day. But Damon knows medicine only helps to a certain degree."By (night) the medication has worn off a little bit, and you canÃcirc;cent;Ãcent;â#128;šcirc;not;Ãcent;â#128;#158;circ;cent;t really take it again unless you'll stay awake," he said.Dallas agreed."(Medicine) is supposed to help you recognize (OCD), and then you're supposed to get off of it," he said.Besides therapy and medication, the students credit their families and friends for supporting them."I can talk to (my best friend) about (OCD) and not feel weird about it," Gage said. "If I talked to anyone else, I would feel like I was psycho."Dallas relies more on his family for assistance."(My family helps) me recognize when (OCD behavior) is going on," Dallas said. "The first step was just accepting it and realizing why (I) do things, and after that, it has to come from within."Damon, Gage and Dallas agree focusing on the positives is essential."I always think (the situation) could be worse," Gage said.Dallas concentrates on the benefits of the disorder."(OCD is) just part of my personality," said Dallas, "so I was able to take the organization skills, motivation and self-control skills that it gave me and block out the useless, annoying stuff."Dallas also said he appreciates OCD for helping him better understand himself and others.Damon advises other OCD patients to work hard and hope for the best."Realize that over time, (OCD) can go away," he said.Although Gage, Damon and Dallas have to work to master their OCD, it fails to dictate their lives.By taking command of the disorder, they control the impact it has on their lives, whether negative or positive."If I had a choice of having (OCD) or not having it, I wouldn't change it," Dallas said. "I think of it as more of a gift than anything else."* Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.