Returning To Normal Means Recalibrating My Brain

In The Atlantic, the ending of the COVID-19 pandemic does not mean necessarily life will get easier for folx with mental illness, especially OCD. Fears of contracting a deadly virus, combined with a disruption of one's work and social lives, multiply compulsive and intrusive thought patterns. While the rest of society may be eagerly preparing for an end to COVID-19 this summer; people with anxiety and an intolerance for uncertainty are not entirely optimistic. For many folx who experience OCD, returning to "normalcy" is not as simple as eating indoors at restaurants again. It actually means recalibrating their brain. Stress, illness, and major transitions can make OCD worse, which is why the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many people's symptoms.