There is a reason why I refer to Dr. Steven Phillipson as the ‘Original Gamechanger’ (The OG!). Not only was Dr. Steven Phillipson one of the biggest gamechangers in my OCD recovery, but he has been a gamechanger to so many individuals by providing therapy when they have no other means or access. Our community is so lucky to have him.
I was diagnosed with OCD after a horrendous suicide attempt while I was a patient in a locked psychiatric facility. Even the therapist who diagnosed me was confused about his diagnosis because he’d never seen OCD manifest with sexual intrusive thoughts and no visible compulsions. But he felt certain it was the correct diagnosis. I wanted to believe him, but I’d never heard of OCD in any other form than hand-washing and organizing. And those behaviors were certainly not what I had been experiencing.
Over the next year while on medication and believing the diagnosis had ‘cured’ me, I was oblivious of the fact that managing OCD takes work. And I certainly was oblivious to what that work entailed other than taking a pill every morning.
So, with the belief I could ‘out-think’ my intrusive thoughts, I slowly backed off medication. And like clockwork about 6 weeks later, I found myself on the floor, riddled with intrusive thoughts feeling my only escape was suicide again.
I decided to take action. Even though it was 1999, there were barely any websites, and we were NOT operating on high-speed internet, I was determined. There had to be other people who experienced what I did and possibly someone who could help me through therapy. So I began my search on AOL dial-up!
It took me a couple days and a few combinations of words to finally find the website www.ocdzone.com. I opened Dr. Phillipson’s article ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’ and could barely contain myself from screaming across the computer lab. THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE OCD I HAVE! THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!
I composed an email to whoever this ‘Phillipson’ guy was and couldn’t send it fast enough. Then I sat there and thought, ‘Oh no…what if he comes back and says I don’t really have OCD? What if he never answers because he thinks I don’t have it? What if he believes the thoughts are real?’ I spiraled into a haze of panic, beating myself up for not being more vigilant on how I worded everything or even thinking through whether I should have sent it to him or not.
I was counting the minutes until I could check my email the following day. With a huge lump in my throat, I opened my email account knowing the anxiety would be present whether there was or wasn’t a response.
And there it was. A personal email from none other than Dr. Steven Phillipson himself.
No validation. No reassurance. Just an offer to meet THAT WEEK for a consultation.
Do I? Don’t I? What if? Maybe he? What do I do?!?!
I did. And even though he never reassured me or diagnosed me at all with OCD, he agreed to work with me over the phone in an entirely different state. I was so very lucky to have found someone who is so invested in helping people with OCD.
The following weeks learning to do exposure response prevention therapy were challenging, emotional, terrifying at times, and life-changing.
Dr. Phillipson will say that he doesn’t change people’s lives, but that we make the choice to do the work and he is just there providing the direction and support.
I politely disagree with him on this. He took the risk to meet with me even though I wasn’t in his state. He offered life-changing services over the phone well before that was even heard of or acceptable. And he not only did that for me, he does it for people worldwide, every day.
He has truly been a gamechanger and a life-saver for thousands of people along the way. And it will be my honor to share the stage with the man who tremendously helped me and helped to shape the advocate I have become in order to give back to others.
Yes Dr. Phillipson, to me you are ‘the original OCD Gamechanger!’
–Chrissie Hodges, OCD Gamechangers Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Phillipson will be presenting at the 3rd Annual OCD Gamechangers, March 7th, 2020 in Denver, CO
Click HERE to purchase tickets!
