It'll Be Okay: How I Kept Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Ocd) from Ruining My Life

Keynote Speaker, 2010 International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) Annual Conference and Member IOCDF Speakers Bureau.  Shannon Shy is a senior civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy and a retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel. In 1997, while on active duty with the Marines, he was diagnosed with a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder or "OCD." His OCD had become so severe he became practically non-functioning. He constantly found himself in a seemingly endless loop of intrusive and irrational thoughts, mental anguish, physical pain, and odd behaviors. It got to the point where he secretly and repeatedly thought that suicide would be better than the anguish, embarrassment, and the pain. While he had suspected for several years that he had some disorder, he was afraid to admit it to anyone and afraid to be diagnosed. He had concluded that doing so would cause him to lose his career and his wife and two young sons. Finally, after some nudging from his wife and a colleague and after one very memorable OCD episode, he called a psychiatrist. With the aid of doctors, medication, and behavioral therapy, he developed an effective behavioral strategy (what he calls "Ground Rules and Checkpoints") to manage his OCD. He now lives a very happy and productive life and has for many years--without medication and without doctors. OCD no longer adversely affects him. This book is about how a young Marine officer, attorney, and family man faced and overcame a relentless "enemy" called OCD. It is a story about struggle, perseverance, and overcoming adversity. This book is not intended as medical advice. Rather, it provides hope, comfort, confidence and insight to some practical techniques for those suffering from OCD and for those trying to help someone with OCD.

Shannon Shy was the Keynote Speaker at the 2010 annual conference of the International OCD Foundation. He is a civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy. He and his wife Debbie have three children—Alex, Andrew, and Samantha—and live in Dale City, Virginia, just south of Washington DC. After graduating from Southwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, he went on active duty with the Marine Corps. In 1999, after eleven years of active duty, Shannon accepted a civil service position in Washington D.C. with the Department of the Navy Office of General Counsel and a Marine Corps Reserve commission. In 2007, he retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal. In 2009, the Secretary of the Navy awarded him the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, which is the highest honorary award the Secretary can confer upon a civilian. In a volunteer capacity, Shannon has coached youth football, baseball, and soccer. In 2003, he co-founded the Northern Virginia Youth Athletic Association (NVYAA), a non-profit youth football and cheerleading organization dedicated to excellence in athletics, scholastics, and community service. Serving over two hundred children between ages 5 and 15, NVYAA teams won four American Youth Football (AYF) national championships from 2005 to 2007. From 2007 to 2009, Shannon serves part time as AYF’s National Membership Director. A “ham” behind the mike, Shannon volunteers as stadium announcer for C.D. Hylton High School’s football program and for the AYF national championships and national all-star game.