OCD Action

Steve (Volunteer)
Member

Hi everyone,

My name's Steve, and I was one of the "Inspirational Speakers" at this year's OCD Action Conference. It was quite surreal to see my name up on the wall behind me, with the words "Inspirational Speaker" beneath them!

I was petrified before going on stage, but afterwards I felt fantastic. After decades of hiding my OCD (or what I now realize is OCD), it was incredibly liberating to be able to talk about my life in front of 300 people, most of them fellow OCD sufferers.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of the people who came up to me after my speech to tell me about their own struggles, and to give me words of encouragement. I got to chat to quite a few people, but my only regret about the conference is that I didn't get to talk to everyone else. (I was torn between attending the AGM Meeting, and speaking to more sufferers. In the end I felt it's important to take part, and to vote, and listen, in the AGM Meeting, so I did that.)

If anybody who attended the Conference heard my speech and would like to tell me about their own lives, then feel free to put something on this thread.

I have decided to set my username as "Inspirational" Steve, as a jokey reference to my speech at the conference, and so anyone who was there will know who I am. But I have to say that everyone that I met at the Conference, and everyone that I heard talking that day, was incredibly inspiring to me.

People were in tears as they listened to Keira, one of the other inspirational speakers that day. I listened in awe as she described how, despite her own anxieties, she has not only set up an OCD support group in her area, but she has started jumping out of aeroplanes and learning how to do parachute jumps! I think that Keira really was an inspiration to all of us who were there.

I want to book my ticket for next year's conference now. It's a bit like when Christmas is over, and you start counting down the days till the next one.

Thank you so much to everyone who listened to my speech, and to everyone who took the time to talk to me afterwards. I had a session of CBT today with my psychotherapist, and he was very proud. He told me that his supervisor told him, "Couldn't you go down there and film him, for our website?"

If there had been any cameras I probably would have fainted. I'm not quite ready to go on The Jeremy Kyle Show just yet...

To everyone who couldn't make it this year, I'd urge you to beg, borrow, or steal a ticket to next year's conference. And maybe you'd even like to get up on stage and talk about your life, next time?

If I can do it, you can too!

Steve.

Tue Nov 29 2011 14:24:47 #
Tess
Member

Hi Steve
Did you write your speech and read it out or did you work from memory? If you wrote it maybe it could be published on this website so that those who couldn't get to the conference can share it. Well done standing up and speaking in front of such a huge audience.

Tue Nov 29 2011 15:32:14 #
Cuthbert ffoliott
Moderator

Great uplifting report, Steve! -

oh how I wish I could have attended the day; but I live in Holland and moreover, I was ill. I'll try to gather as much info as is possible on last Sunday, certainly there'll be more posts on the events then, scattered around here.

Great respect for your courage, and many good cheers from Cuthbert in the Netherlands.

PS: needless to say I second Tess' request.

Tue Nov 29 2011 15:39:36 #
wannabefree
Member

Hi Steve, me too... I would definitely like to attend the next one, but yes, if it can be written down for us it would be great...
I didn't get there this time, but well done on getting up and speaking...
Wannabe

Tue Nov 29 2011 19:39:08 #
Nimrod
Key Master

I attended the conference and I can say without the slightest doubt that Steve's speech was truly inspirational. And not to take anything away from Steve all of the inspirational speakers were awesome and truly amazing. Not only did they have the courage to tell us about their own problems but they gave us all huge encouragement to tackle our own difficulties with the knowledge that it can be done. Many thanks to you Steve and the other speakers.

Steve, if you are happy for your presentation to be on the website please PM me and I will arrange it. Also if you have a particular point or message that you want to get across to other sufferers please let me know.

With thanks and Best wishes,
Nimrod

Tue Nov 29 2011 20:25:34 #
aishah
Member

Hi Steve,

I too was inspired by your speech and the others too. Well done!

Bridget

Fri Dec 2 2011 18:06:49 #