I head out on a plod with Chloe Trigg, fellow personal trainer and endurance athlete. She is currently working as Head trainer for Blok and committed to lots of events this year including 2 ultras. Chloe was diagnosed with OCD in her teens, which subsequently became a hurdle in a number of goals she had set out for herself, such as trying out for the army. Chloe has found fitness as a way to embrace how mentally and physically strong she can be, and to feel in control of her body.
According to OCD Action, OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder is a clinically recognised disorder which affects around 1-2% of the population. It is debilitating and paralysing. People with OCD experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, combined with a chronic feeling of doubt or danger aka the obsession. In order to comfort the thought and quieten the anxiety, they will often repeat an action, again and again aka the compulsion.
One of the greatest challenges that people with OCD face is the need to fight both the enormous stigma attached to mental health disorders and the widely held belief that OCD is a mild problem that is nothing more than hand washing. Many people now use the term “a bit OCD-ish” without understanding the consuming and paralysing nature of the disorder.
It is incredibly important to open up the conversation around all mental health disorders and issues, so I am very passionate about sharing Chloe story to help provide anyone listening with a bit more understanding. You may not suffer with OCD but may know if someone who is.
I do want to pre warn you, there may be some triggering stories in this podcast, of which Chloe describes as dark thoughts related to self harm, so if you think certain thoughts/compulsions may be triggering to hear then feel free to skip ahead when Chloe gives you the nudge to do so.
