"Suffering with OCD"

I have suffered with OCD for nearly 20 years. It began in my teenage years but looking back there was lots of tendencies there previously too. My OCD involved fear of germs and contamination and lots of hand washing and obsessive cleaning. Recently I have had counselling which has really helped to change my life. Although very difficult at times, the exposure therapy (facing the things you are most scared of) was ultimately the best thing  for me as it made me realise that nothing bad is going to happen. I feel a lot stronger and more able to deal with situations now and although I know I will never be free from this horrible disorder it is a lot easier to cope with by remembering certain strategies and the exposure sessions I had undertaken with my counsellor who was fantastic.