The upside of obsessive compulsive disorder

Ellen MacDonald-Kramer has obsessive compulsive disorder. She was diagnosed at the age of 10, and started to engage in rituals like tapping things and walking in certain patterns. 

"I definitely remember the bedtime rituals being the worst. The tapping on things, and then the kind of internal ruminations where I'd have to do sort of a thought ritual where something would happen or I'd hear something and in my head I would have to justify it in a way," she said.

There was a niggling fear of death, be it for herself or someone close to Ellen, that kept pushing her to continue these patterns. Eventually, her father sat her down and asked why she was acting strangely. 

At age 12, Ellen went to see a child psychologist who told her that she had OCD. She felt relieved after receiving a diagnosis, but the rituals resurfaced every so often during stressful periods as a teenager and young adult. 

She came around to the fact that her OCD might also be influencing her in a positive manner — namely, making her more dedicated to projects. And in her working life as a freelance editor, she's found that its benefits have been quite helpful.

"My obsession makes me very detail-oriented — to the point where I just notice when little things are off. I don't always need to try to notice, things just jump out at me, so it makes me quite a good copy editor in particular," Ellen said.

"I think having a more obsessive type of brain enables me to follow through on things and investigate more deeply the things that I care about. If you're already a creative person, being obsessive can help you do more creative things maybe because it makes you more determined to get somewhere."