Shakira Akabusi
Shakira Akabusi is a fitness expert, public speaker, presenter, women’s health specialist,, social influencer and the founder of StrongLikeMum & author of the StrongLikeMum Method....
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What is postpartum OCD?
Postpartum. OCD is something that can be born out of anxiety, which is something that I struggled with, and for me, it manifested itself in tapping and counting. It can be different for everybody.
What are the symptoms of postpartum OCD?
For me, my symptoms manifested in tapping and counting, so I felt the urge to perform certain rituals a certain number of times and different numbers, had different feelings. I think for me that was kind of the crux of it, was that I felt calm in some numbers if I'd done it the right amount of times, and at other times it would make me feel really stressed or it would feel unfinished, and that was certainly how it displayed for me.
How much did postpartum OCD affect you on a daily basis?
In the moment, it felt like that was what was keeping me safe. It felt like my best friend. It felt like the thing I could trust and rely on more than anybody else, because I knew if I completed these compulsions and got it right, it would feel great. But now looking back, I can see the constant, constant damage that it was doing to my day-to-day life. From my work, to my relationships, to everything, it really was destroying every element. But in the moment, it felt so different.