Portroe man leads ocd campaign

Portroe native Simon Tierney is leading a campaign to raise awareness of the mental health illness Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
This week (October 11th-17th) is 'International OCD Week', during which the 'Plant a Tree for OCD' campaign highlights the pervasive nature of the condition across Ireland by planting a tree for OCD in every county in the country.
It is led by recovered OCD sufferer Simon Tierney, who is giving a talk on the subject in Nenagh this Wednesday. Simon is a son of John and Fedelma Tierney of Portroe, and he lived in the village until he was 12.
“I realised that I had been staring out the window at a spot on the road for over thirty minutes,” Simon said of learning that he had OCD.
“It was 3am and there was a cold sweat developing on my brow. 'Here we go again,' I thought. My mind was filled with frightening images. I was convinced that the peaceful scene out the window was in fact the site of a terrible car accident. There was no evidence for this of course, but my mental illness was telling me that something awful had happened, and I was responsible.
“I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental health condition in which the sufferer is compelled to carry out certain behaviours in order to assuage their anxiety, otherwise the belief is that something terrible will happen.
“That particular night, I went out onto the road I had been gazing at and patrolled it, in the rain, for two hours, wearing only my pyjamas. I was looking for evidence of a car accident, searching under parked cars, crawling along pavements, smelling the air for a hint of catastrophe. I was caught deep inside the mental vortex of OCD, unable to rationalise what, to most people, would be ridiculous.
“I am now better, and as a result I am passionate about raising awareness of this condition, which is listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the top ten most debilitating illnesses in the world.
“I run a campaign called 'Plant a Tree for OCD', in which I am travelling around the country, planting a tree in each county in order to recognise that there are people suffering with OCD in every corner of Ireland. I am speaking to local communities and schools in order to raise awareness about it, to discuss what this condition means and the ways in which people can get help.
“Experiences like the one mentioned above were a regular occurrence for me, over a period of ten long years. These were times in which I felt such deep levels of anxiety that my body had a physical reaction: all my muscles would tighten, my hands shaking, my body covered in a cold sweat, my breathing erratic, my eyes full of tears, my mind exhausted, despairing and angry.
“It would be easy to do nothing now that I’m better. It would be easy to wade in self pity for the cruelty with which this illness treated me. But that’s not what I want to do. And the reason is this: I have a very positive message that I want other sufferers to know about. I found myself in the abyss and I came out again, I got better, and now I lead a normal, healthy life.
“In 2014 I planted trees in each county in Leinster and this week I am visiting towns across Munster, speaking to people about their experiences of mental health issues and attempting to create a national dialogue which is open and reflective.
“What always strikes me about OCD is that there are so many people across Ireland who suffer quietly with this condition, unaware that they are not unique in their problem. There is an inordinate amount of silence associated with OCD because many sufferers, understandably, feel shame and embarrassment about their troublesome thoughts. The obsessions and associated compulsions can be of a very personal and humiliating nature. However, we must remember that this is a diagnosed mental health condition which is highly treatable and suffering in silence is an unnecessary and frightful alternative to getting help.
“When I did eventually get medical care, I underwent a long spell as an inpatient in St Patrick’s Mental Health Hospital in Dublin. With the aid of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) I was able to learn how to deal with my obsessions and how to disarm the anxiety which had crippled me for so many years, years of my life which I will never get back.
“With 'Plant a Tree for OCD', I want people to understand what this condition means so that they can recognise it in themselves if it ever rears its ugly head, or indeed to help loved ones if it arises in them. What is the value in this? Early acknowledgement of the illness and getting the required help can mean that people may be spared years of quiet and abhorrent suffering.”