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As for future plans, I\u2019m not really sure. Honestly, Not Alone Notes was started as such a simple idea, and I didn\u2019t expect it to become this big or last this long. I\u2019m so grateful it has, but so far we\u2019ve just allowed it to expand and evolve organically. That\u2019s the plan!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
And it sounds like a great plan! What other projects do you work on — as we know you have a few! \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
One of our most recent Not Alone Notes additions is a mental health book club, called Shelf Help. About quarterly, we meet online to discuss a book, sometimes centered around OCD, but other times more generally about mental health. Our next meeting is in January, if you want to join! As a librarian, I love reading, so it\u2019s great to have this space to then discuss the books with others in the OCD community too.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
What is your ultimate mission in terms of helping people (especially young people) with their mental health\/OCD issues?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I truly want to help others feel less alone in having OCD. Especially as a young person, OCD can make you feel like you are the only one with these experiences, or to feel shame like you can\u2019t tell anyone about your thoughts and compulsions. I hid mine for over a decade, which contributed to such a late diagnosis. Once I finally found out these thoughts and behaviors had a name, that in itself was a huge sigh of relief. That meant there was a treatment and there was a community of others. Hearing \u201cme too,\u201d isn\u2019t a cure, but it does make a difference.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
We are a site about how children’s books can positively impact children’s mental health — help young readers see themselves, sometimes for the first time. Tell us, what were your\u00a0favorite books when you were growing up? What stories had an impact on you?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
I read constantly as a child, so it\u2019s hard to pick just a few favorites. Honestly though, in terms of mental health, more books have had an impact as an adult than as a child. This is especially true post-diagnosis, as I was learning so much more about myself and my brain. A few favorites include<\/span><\/span>\u00a0OCD Love Story<\/span><\/span><\/em> by Corey Ann Haydu; <\/span><\/span>It\u2019s Kind of a Funny Story<\/span><\/span><\/em> by Ned Vizzini; <\/span><\/span>Turtles All the Way Down<\/span><\/span><\/em> by John Green; and anything by Jenny Lawson.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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