Shannon Shy is a senior civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy and a retired U.
S.
Rather, it provides hope, comfort, confidence and insight to some practical techniques for those suffering from OCD and for those trying to help someone with OCD..
This book is not intended as medical advice.
It is a story about struggle, perseverance, and overcoming adversity.
This book is about how a young Marine officer, attorney, and family man faced and overcame a relentless ``enemy`` called OCD.
OCD no longer adversely affects him.
He now lives a very happy and productive Life and has for many years--without medication and without doctors.
With the aid of doctors, medication, and behavioral therapy, he developed an effective behavioral strategy (what he calls ``Ground Rules and Checkpoints``) to manage his OCD.
Finally, after some nudging from his wife and a colleague and after one very memorable OCD episode, he called a psychiatrist.
He had concluded that doing so would cause him to lose his career and his wife and two young sons.
While he had suspected for several years that he had some disorder, he was afraid to admit it to anyone and afraid to be diagnosed.
It got to the point where he secretly and repeatedly thought that suicide would be better than the anguish, embarrassment, and the pain.
He constantly found himself in a seemingly endless loop of intrusive and irrational thoughts, mental anguish, physical pain, and odd behaviors.
In 1997, while on active duty with the Marines, he was diagnosed with a severe case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or ``OCD.`` His OCD had become so severe he became practically non-functioning.
Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel.
Shannon Shy is a senior civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy and a retired U.
S
