EP.14, Vulnerability Rocks Ryan Ridgeway, MMA Fighter living with OCD

My guest this week is Ryan Ridgeway. Ryan is an MMA fighter and Mental Health First Aid Trainer who lives with OCD. OCD can be stereotyped and glamorised as someone who likes things super clean and tidy. This can be the case for a ‘good day’ but I learn from Ryan that OCD can be far more complex and frightening than most of us can imagine.
With compulsive actions and rituals becoming something that had to be completed or serious harm would come to those that he loved, OCD is really far more than lining up our plates and having tidy shelves.
Ryan shares with me some of his darkest moments, compulsive thoughts and having
multiple blood tests in a year due to fear of contracting HIV and living with auditory intrusions. We also discover how he came to live with the name Daisy Sparkles for over 5 years....
Thank you, Ryan, for taking your time to share your story and educate me and our listeners on the reality of what living with OCD has been like for you.
All my love Emma Belle x
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Ryan is an absolute legend! Trained me in mental heath first aid, one of the nicest and open people I've ever met!