In OCD Love Story, Corey Ann Haydu infuses her story about Bea, a teenage girl who gets diagnosed with OCD and doesn't quite believe it, with ...SkiptomaincontentNavigateArticleContentSomepeoplesaythatOCDisadoubtingdisease.Thoughourobsessionsmanifestforvariousreasons,ourcompulsionsareoftencharacterizedbydoubt.Wedoubtthatwewillorcanbeokaywithoutourcorrespondingbehaviours.Weengageinthiswaytorelievetheanxietythatcomeswithourdiscomfort,adistressthatiscomplicatedanddeep-rooted.Thereliefisalwaysfleetingandthedoubtpersists,sometimesgrowing,sometimesreinventingitselfinnewforms.Attheriskofoversimplifying,wedoubtourselvesdeeply.InOCDLoveStory,CoreyAnnHayduinfusesherstoryaboutBea,ateenagegirlwhogetsdiagnosedwithOCDanddoesn’tquitebelieveit,withtheback-and-forth,pulsingpresenceofthisdoubt.Theresultisafirst-person,insider’saccountofwhatOCDfeelslikeformany.WeareintroducedtoBeaintheformofapanicattack.Whilethepowergoesoutinthemiddleofaschooldance,Beahearssomeonegaspingforair,a“rhythm”shesayssheisfamiliarwith,andfindsherwaytowardthesound.Shefindstheboyexperiencingtheattack,Beck,andhelpshimthroughit.WhenBeaisforcedtoattendgrouptherapy,Beckisthere,andheremainsacentralfigurefortheremainderofthebook.Alovestorydevelopshere,asthetitlesuggests,butitissecondarytotheportrayalofBeanavigatingherOCD.It’simportanttonotethatherrelationshipwithBeckdoesnotactasa“cure”asIwasworrieditwould.Instead,allofBea’srelationships(includingherbestfriendandtherapist)arecomplicatedbyherOCD,exposingthewaysitinformsherday-to-daylife.Beck’scharacterhelpsBeaunderstandOCDasbothbroadandspecific;hisexperienceisentirelydifferentfromhers,allowinghertoacknowledgeOCD’sbreadth,andyettheidiosyncrasiesembeddedinBeck’scompulsions,thepriortraumathatlingersoninhisOCD,highlighthowmuchspecificityisacentralpartofthedisease.Withthatsaid,Bea’sself-understandingisstifledbycommonmentalhealthstereotypes.Shecan’tpossiblyhaveOCDbecausesheisnotthat“crazy.”BeckandBeainitiallyostracizeJennyandRudy,othermembersofthegroup,fortheseeminglysevereq