Wheat Stalk Swaying, Not Severed

By Fatima Yusuf

There is deep stigma associated with OCD, not only in society but also in the minds of those affected by the disorder about themselves. The author unravels seemingly complicated situations and presents easy to comprehend solutions, which are visualised via the illustrator’s creations that speak as aloud as the words around them.
This book in no way attempts to replace medical treatment. It is only a tool which can enhance the process of recovery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Aug 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9789388942904

Fatima Yusuf

Fatima Yusuf battled OCD since the age of 13. It took a decade and gettng to the brink of obsessive hand washing to realise that she can take charge of the situation. She found that her reactions to the surrounding environment is within her control. She observed how ‘normal’ people lived and copied their atttudes. She learnt to respect herself and ignore social stigma. Her talents resurfaced and manifested themselves in surprising ways. Her faith increased, as did her willpower. It was not an easy journey. Yes, there are problems, but deep down in her heart, she firmly believes that inner peace is every person’s birthright. About the Illustrator: Fernweh is a doodler and engages with pen and ink in her attempt at responding to the world.

Book preview

PART I

Triggering The Change

EVERY DISEASE HAS A CURE. SO DOES OCD.

It is not that one is not capable of recovering. It is thus, that one does not know ‘how’. Learning to fill in that blank will open doors, the existence of which one wouldn’t have dreamt of.

Real life case: People would say, You will never change. Meanwhile, an inner instinct called out, It is not that you don’t have it in your DNA to be normal. It’s just, that your mind had temporarily ‘forgotten’ how to respond to your environment. The latter drowned out the former. I started observing other ‘normal’ people and imitating their reactions to stressful situations. This slowly became a habit which grew strong roots in patience and practice. I retrained my brain!

DO YOU GET OVERWHELMED BY THE PROBLEM IN A PROCESS?

Do you react by indulging in an obsessive habit? Realise that the process is only a means to an end. Not an end in itself.

Real life case: I used to obsessively avoid exam preparation by listening to music. I confronted my fears, understood that perfection only belongs to the heavens, and went ahead by reading for a while before putting a pen to the exam paper. That’s all it is, a piece of paper. I stopped giving importance to that paper as if it meant