Nancy has had OCD since the age of 7.  Her first symptom was trichotillomania (hair-pulling), but her symptoms have morphed through all types during her lifetime.  She was officially diagnosed in 1986.  With therapy and medication she resolved the majority of her symptoms.

She has run the group since 1990 and learns something new from each person she meets.  She has done television, newspaper and magazine interviews as well as working with the Mental Health Association of AZ in the past to coordinate OCD Awareness Week.  She wrote a module for her former employer teaching about Dealing with Mental Illness in the Workplace in order to guide Managers in assisting their staff members to get the help they need.  Her goal is to give each person the attention, education and support they need to overcome their challenges and become the person they are meant to be.

Paul has had OCD since he was young which has presented in various forms such as intense organization and checking. He was officially diagnosed while attending university in 2012 when struggling through debilitating repetitive intrusive thoughts, ruminations, and obsessive organizing. He tried to "conquer" his OCD on his own, but it led to his obsessions just shifting to new ones. The year of 2020 was one of the worst experiences with OCD he had thus far due to the intense stress from the Covid pandemic's isolation combined with personal family events. He found this community in February 2021 and it has been a saving grace. 

This group provided a sense of community and a safe space to hear what works or what has not for fellow sufferers. Listening to others stories and having a safe space to speak about his struggles gave him the encouragement he needed to find a suitable mental health professional that has provided a structured approach to gaining confidence in managing his mental health.

In November 2021 Paul became a support group facilitator for https://mentalhealthaz.org and is assisting with facilitating the OCD group. This group has given him so much and this is an opportunity for him to now give back.