Today marks the start of OCD Awareness Week, the perfect time to reflect on the path that inspired us to create Presently®. For those of you who are new here, we’d love to share our story—how two sisters, with very different experiences of OCD, came together to build a brand that supports mental health.
Misunderstanding Our Symptoms
Let’s start with Lindsay’s story, as she’s the older sister (by 5.5 years). As a child, Lindsay displayed more “typical” signs of OCD—flipping light switches a certain number of times out of fear that something bad might happen to someone she loved, or meticulously lining things up because they didn’t “feel right.” Our dad, having experienced OCD himself, recognized these symptoms, even though there wasn’t an official diagnosis at the time.
However, in high school, things took a dramatic turn. Lindsay began experiencing distressing existential fears that flipped her world upside down. Questions like How do I know if I’m alive? What if nothing is real? consumed her thoughts, leading to a fear of leaving the house and being unable to eat. One vivid memory stands out: when we went to see Wicked on Broadway. The connection between the storyline and The Wizard of Oz—a movie where the girl is dreaming the whole time—hit too close to home for Lindsay’s fears. We had to leave the theater just as the show was starting. To her, these fears felt completely real, and none of us, including our parents, understood why this was happening. It wasn’t until Lindsay finally saw a therapist that we learned this too was a form of OCD.
Now onto my (Emily’s) journey. Growing up, I was the definition of an anxious child—always clinging to my parents and crying every day as my dad dropped me off at school. By middle school, this anxiety evolved into a constant loop of intrusive thoughts. I worried endlessly about whether I was a good person, confessing minor “crimes” to my parents to ease my guilt. Every night brought a new worry I felt I had to confess before bed.
In high school, my anxiety seemed to disappear entirely. But when I started college, it all came rushing back during my first psychology class, which touched on adolescence and sexual orientation. This triggered a flood of intrusive thoughts and a new wave of anxiety. I remembered a period of confusion in middle school about whether I liked boys or girls. Now, in college, that confusion spiraled into panic: If I was confused back then, maybe I’m actually into girls now. This thought led me to obsessively seek reassurance that I was still attracted to boys.
Throughout college, these worries—along with fears of illness, drinking too much, and being unfaithful to my then-boyfriend—completely consumed me. It wasn’t until after I graduated in 2016 that I finally gathered the courage to go to therapy and share everything I had been holding inside.
In that very first session, my therapist diagnosed me with OCD. I was shocked. How could I have OCD? I didn’t flip light switches or organize things obsessively like Lindsay did. How could we both have OCD when our experiences were so different? And how had none of us connected my struggles with OCD, even though Lindsay was diagnosed 11 years earlier? For so long, I thought I just had anxiety. Now it all made sense—the endless confessions, the constant “what-ifs.”
Realizing OCD Comes in Many Forms
Looking back at our journeys, we saw a huge gap in conversations about OCD. Millions of people probably experience existential fears like Lindsay or mental compulsions involving reassurance and overanalyzing every thought, like I did. The truth is, OCD shows up in many different ways—it doesn’t always look like the stereotypical hand-washing or obsession with neatness. This understanding was a turning point for us, giving us the clarity we needed to finally start spreading awareness.
From Struggle to Strength: Why We Created Presently®
In 2020, I was struggling more than usual. COVID was a big factor, but I was also anxious about starting a long-distance relationship. I wanted all the help I could get to keep my thoughts from spiraling and to apply what I had learned in therapy when anxiety took over. I wanted a bracelet that could ground me—a reminder to get out of my head.
But traditional mantra bracelets didn’t resonate with me. Phrases like “good vibes only” or “choose joy” felt out of touch with the reality of battling OCD and anxiety. I needed something more real, a reminder that spoke to the hard work of managing mental health.
That’s when Lindsay and I realized there wasn’t anything out there for people like us. That’s how Presently® was born. We designed our bracelets with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in mind, creating phrases like “Embrace Uncertainty” and “My Thoughts Are Passing Clouds”—reminders to help manage unhelpful thought patterns and ground you in the present moment when anxiety feels overwhelming.
Why We Share Our Story
Sharing our story is deeply personal, but we believe it’s important. OCD can feel isolating, especially when your symptoms don’t match the common stereotypes or when those around you don’t understand. By opening up about our experiences, we hope to make others feel less alone and to spark more conversations about the many forms OCD can take.
OCD isn’t one-size-fits-all, and there’s no perfect way to manage it. But through our struggles, we’ve learned that with the right tools and support, you can live a fulfilling life—even with OCD.
Final Thoughts
For us, OCD Awareness Week is a time to reflect on how far we’ve come, but it’s also a reminder of how much work there is left to do in raising awareness. There’s still so much people don’t understand about OCD, and we’re committed to helping others navigate its complexities.
If our story resonates with you, we hope you’ll find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone—and that even small tools, like our bracelets, can make a big difference.
Have you or someone you know experienced OCD? What’s something you wish more people understood about it? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments below.
1 comment
Thank you sharing. You have summed it up perfectly