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Traveling with a mental illness

Mental health conditions shouldn’t stop you from traveling.

It’s Meggie’s mission to destigmatize mental illnesses through travel. In this talk, Meggie Tran will share what they’ve done while traveling with a mental illness based on their experiences.

Together, we will learn how to:

  • Look at mental illnesses objectively as medical conditions
  • Unlearn misunderstandings about how travel plays a role in mental health
  • Accommodate your travels and make plans that best suit you
  • Seek therapy before and during travel
  • Manage mental health medications
  • Use helpful resources and tools

MEGGIE TRAN (she/they) is a second-generation Vietnamese American who has OCD, social anxiety, and intergenerational trauma.

Meggie shares practical resources to make travel more accessible for people with mental health concerns. They also enjoy writing hilarious and inspiring stories about people, places, and the planet we live on. Their writings have been featured on Fodor’s Travel, Thrive Global, and the International OCD Foundation.

Disclosure from Meggie: I am not a doctor or therapist. Do not use my advice as a diagnosis or official treatment/therapy. I only share thoughts and information based on my experiences. Please visit a registered doctor and/or therapist before basing any mental health decisions from me.

Connect with Meggie on their blog Mindful Meggie, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Meggie leads another life as a famous figure in an online gaming community. If you’re a gamer or a fan of an online community game called Club Penguin, follow Meggie (known as Tech70) on their Twitter gaming account @Tech70CP.

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Do You Have OCD and Also Struggle with Self-Judgment, Self-Criticism, and Self-Punishment? This Might Be the Answer…

Guest blogger, Kim Quinlan, LMFT

[NOTE:] The following blog post comes from our guest contributor, Kim Quinlan, LMFT, who recently spoke at our OCD Awareness Week 2021 Event!:

Hello everyone,

If you suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chances are you’re very not only familiar with feelings of anxiety, panic, shame, and uncertainty. You also experience the stigma associated with OCD, often making you feel unworthy of receiving the compassion and kindness you need and deserve. 

In addition, chances are you are incredibly hard on yourself.  After experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, feelings, sensations, images, and urges, you might find yourself engaging in harsh self-judgment, self-criticism, and self-punishment.  While these behaviors are not your fault, they can actually hinder recovery and lead to additional mental health problems. 

So, how can you break this destructive cycle and start living the life you want to live?

The answer is SELF-COMPASSION!  Self-compassion is a powerful practice that involves you treating yourself the same way you would treat a loved one if they too were experiencing similar intrusive thoughts or struggling to not engage in compulsions.  Self-compassion is being kind instead of judgmental when times are tough.  Self-Compassion is the practice of cheering yourself on as you face your fears instead of berating yourself and saying words that only make you feel more hopeless.  

Let’s take a closer look at this.  Imagine that someone you love dearly came to you and said, “I have a disorder called OCD.  It means I have intrusive, repetitive, unwanted thoughts, and I cannot make them stop.  It is torture!”  What might you say to them?  Would you stop what you are doing to help them?  How would your voice change? Would you speak softer or slower now that you know how much they are suffering?  Would you reach out and touch them tenderly (if appropriate)?  What form of support would you offer them?  

Self-Compassion is saying and acting precisely this way, just this time saying and acting that way towards yourself.  When you are struggling, you can choose to lean into your suffering and truly offer yourself warmth and kindness.   In addition, when you are struggling, self-compassion can also include setting kind, compassionate limits with fear, reminding yourself that you no longer want to allow fear to make your choices for you anymore.  These two important practices of self-compassion can be instrumental in OCD recovery.  

Living with OCD can be extremely challenging, so adding self-compassion practices to your recovery can be life-changing.  You are so much more than your disorder! And you deserve to be treated with the same respect and compassion. 

If you are interested in learning more, I so excited to announce that I wrote a workbook that combines the practice of self-compassion with Exposure and Response Prevention (the gold-standard treatment for OCD).  The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD can be your guide to supporting and caring for yourself as you face your fears and practice managing uncertainty, anxiety, and doubt.  

Thank you,

Kim Quinlan, LMFT

To purchase “The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD,” by Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT, please visit HER OFFICIAL AMAZON PAGE HERE.

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Are you an athlete with significant anxiety or OCD?

IOCDF recently launched a new resource focused on mental health in sports called Anxiety in Athletes. Our lead advocate, Tom Smalley, is heading up the task force developing content and resources for this website. Anxiety in Athletes will serve as a resource for team staff (coaches, managers, trainers, etc.), athletes, and loved ones. If you or someone you know would be interested in contributing to this resource, we would like to invite you to fill out our interest form. We will follow-up with more information about how you can get more involved. 

Mental Health in Sports Interest Form: https://www.tfaforms.com/4920144

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Check out “The Monster and Gus,” a new animated book for kids with OCD

“The Monster and Gus” by Zoey Schwartz

The Monster and Gus is a book written and illustrated by Zoey Schwartz as a part of a Girl Scout Gold Award Project. The goal of the book is to explain OCD in a way that is tangible for siblings and children struggling with a diagnosis. As Gus struggles with his OCD monster, his journey with fighting back against the monster is representative of methods like exposure therapy. You can access the online version of the book for free here.