Organized Chaos - Volume 4
Going Public In A Big Way
by Elyse Monti
Being interviewed by "Cosmo Girl" was one of the best experiences I've ever had sharing the story of my OCD. What most of you are probably wondering right now is how exactly did I, a teenager with OCD, come to be featured in a national magazine. I still can't believe that it actually happened. It all seems so surreal. But I have Patti Perkins, the Executive Director of the OC Foundation, to thank. In May of 2003, Patti contacted me to tell me that a journalist from "Cosmo Girl" wanted to do an article on a young woman with OCD. Patti gave me her name and phone number. I ended up doing an interview.
The interviewer was Laura Pearlman, a freelance writer. The next few months, Laura and I probably spent about 12 to 15 hours on the phone. I told this complete, but sympathetic stranger, the story of my life with OCD. At the end of the process, I felt like Laura was a good friend I felt this despite the fact that I have still not met her in person.
I had an amazing experience with "Cosmo Girl." Laura was extremely friendly and a great listener. We would talk for two hours at a time; and then she would add more to the piece and call me back with other questions. I can't imagine how many times she edited the story.
The article was definitely worth all the hours we spent on the phone. I still have difficulty believing that I am in a national magazine. Even, after I've seen the article in print. My article has reached thousands of girls and young women across the nation. I hope the article will help to increase awareness about OCD and give other people with OCD a chance to see that they are not alone. I recently receivedS an e-mail from the editor, I think I have achieved this goal. A couple of days ago, the editor wrote to tell me that they had been getting letters from readers with and without OCD in response to the story.
By spreading the word about OCD, we are getting closer to curing it.
