When I was diagnosed with OCD in 2019, I didn’t even know what that really meant. Like many people, I assumed OCD was all about being obsessively clean or organized, which don’t reflect my experience at all. Instead, I discovered that my OCD falls into other lesser-talked-about subtypes. Learning about these opened up an entirely new way of understanding myself. For a while, I didn’t think the term “neurodivergent” applied to me. I had only heard it used in reference to autism, which I haven’t been diagnosed with (though friends have sometimes speculated). But once I started working with an OCD therapist who specializes in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), she pointed out the very real neurological differences that come with OCD, plus how those differences shape the way I think, feel, and process the world. It took me a while to accept, but eventually, I realized that I am neurodivergent. Since then, I’ve stopped judging myself so harshly. I now understand why I intellectualize my emotions, why I sometimes feel misunderstood, and how my brain just works differently. I’d love to support others who are just beginning to explore their neurodivergence, especially if they’re navigating an OCD diagnosis or questioning what it all means.