Archive for Resources
As part of our ongoing effort to raise awareness about neurological conditions, we are always looking for new personal stories about your lives with these diagnoses.
These stories can be completely anonymous, if you wish, or you can provide your real name or even a made-up pen name.
You don’t have to be a ‘writer’ as such – we don’t mind if you don’t have perfect English; we just want what you have to say.
We do not believe in judging others, and everyone involved in the website has been diagnosed with multiple related neurological conditions themselves.
All we want is your personal testimonials to be listed in the ‘Your Stories’ section of our website. We’ve already had so much positive feedback from the stories posted so far – they have helped others feel less alone with their symptoms, inspired people to think of themselves and their diagnoses a bit differently, and taught us all about the truth behind such conditions.
No story will be censored – these conditions often come with dark and disturbing elements, so if you feel you can’t tell your story without these, they will definitely be included on our website.
We believe the world needs to be made aware of the seriousness of such diagnoses – we want to remove the stigma in speaking out about them, but also help stop people making jokes about them.
Please do click the ‘Your Stories’ tab at the top of this page to look at what others have written.
To share your testimonial, just click the ‘Contact’ tab and write your story in the body of the message. If you’d like to remain anonymous, please list your email address as ‘anonymous@anon.com’ and give your name as ‘Anonymous’.
We hope to hear from you soon!
Vrinda, Sharon, Jennifer and Lynn
Conditional Publications
Don’t forget to get your copy of Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD – on Amazon and Amazon Kindle
Autism Is Just Another Personality Type – It’s Not Always a Problem
Posted by: | CommentsI need to put a disclaimer here before I go on: YES, there are extreme cases of autism where it is definitely a problem – where it absolutely interferes with the person’s ability to function in life, and where it can cause them to be a danger to him/herself and to others. However, contrary to what the media would have you believe, this only applies to the minority of autistics, while the majority of us might not be diagnosed for years because we’ve found a way to blend in enough with society to be mainly ignored. Just as Tourette’s is not all about swearing, OCD is not all about hand-washing, and ADHD is not all about having screaming fits and smashing up your property, so too is Autism much more than the stereotypes you see on television.
Check Mates – OCD Fiction, Poetry & Art – GOT YOUR COPY YET?
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t forget to get your hands on a copy of ‘Check Mates’ - the first ever collection of fiction, poetry and artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD. It is a project conceived and developed by genuine sufferers and survivors of the condition, who met via a social networking website dedicated to OCD.
If you’re in the UK, you can buy it here, or in the US just click here.
It’s now also available in a handy Kindle edition! And be sure to visit our main page where you can read extracts from the book before you buy.
Look around and you’ll find that usually such books are either medical or autobiographical accounts of the subject – which makes ‘Check Mates’ truly unique.
It has been kindly endorsed by OCD author Jeff Bell and OCDTribe.com – the only dedicated social network for OCD.
OCD-UK also published an extract from a short story from the collection (‘The Royal Bank of Scotland’) in their members magazine back in October 2008. A portion of all profits from the sale of the book will be going to this and other OCD charities.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER AND EDITOR OF CONDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS
The aim of the project is to help others struggling with the condition realise they’re not alone and they’re not strange for it – they don’t need to feel ashamed or suffer in silence.
We also want to make people aware of the truth behind the stereotypes of this often disabling condition. OCD seems to have taken on a ‘trendy’ persona these days, due to celebrities coming out with their condition. While we love that more people are recognising this condition and becoming aware of it, there still seems to be a definite lack of understanding of how deep it goes. It’s not just about counting and handwashing – there are dark, intrusive thoughts that go with it, thoughts that permeate every aspect of existence and can often be severely disabling – and yet, there is still always hope.
And don’t forget – we have a social network, http://conditionalpublications.ning.com, we’re on Twitter as ‘NeuroBooks’ and be sure to join the Conditional Publications fan page on Facebook!
In time, we hope Check Mates will touch people’s lives and that this venture will build up into the important niche publishing house we believe it can become.
Herbal or Pharmaceutical: Your Choice
Posted by: | CommentsLast week I read an article in the London Metro newspaper about the EU’s recent move to ban many herbal / Chinese remedies from being sold / promoted / practised in European countries. The UK government have declined to participate in this movement, instead opting to institute a requirement that all such practitioners register themselves with a new regulatory body so that their activities can be monitored in case something dangerous does come up. Read More→
‘Bipolar Soldier: My Story’ by Tracy Mellor
Posted by: | CommentsBY TRACY MELLOR
I was always a moody child. My mother would diplomatically explain it away as having an “artistic temperament”, as I used to enjoy drawing, painting, and music. When I became a teenager prone to extremely depressed moods and suicidal thoughts, they were blamed on the ups and downs of adolescence. No one ever thought to take me to a psychiatrist, and all was swept under the rug. You see, I grew up in a household where the “stiff upper lip” was the norm, and mental illness was certainly nothing that was ever discussed.
Watch the ‘Check Mates’ OCD Book Launch Party!
Posted by: | CommentsThe launch party for ‘Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD’ – available on Amazon today. Also, now in a kindle edition! Part of the proceeds will be donated to OCD charities.
At the launch, Vrinda Pendred (Editor & Founder of Conditional Publications), Sharon Meyer (Promotions & Communications Assistant) and Beth Barker, all writers for ‘Check Mates’, gave readings from the book, talked about its purpose, and shared a little bit about what OCD really means.
Conditional Publications Interviewed by Joanna Penn on YouTube
Posted by: | CommentsWe’re on YouTube! Don’t miss this personal interview on The Creative Penn, all about Conditional Publications, what we stand for, what we’re trying to accomplish, and of course Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD.
VIDEO: Author, publisher Vrinda Pendred on how writers with OCD, Tourette’s & other neurological disorders came together to write international bestseller Check Mates.
If you cannot view the video on this page, click here to watch it ON YOU TUBE now.
Neuro-Atypical: We Are All X-Men
Posted by: | CommentsOkay, who watched X-Men 3: The Last Stand and felt like, in many ways, it was the story of their life? Not with me? Let me explain.
Household chemicals responsible for some neurobehavioural disorders?
Posted by: | CommentsSurprise, surprise – the EPA are now making a list of chemicals that could put children at risk of developing neurobehavioural problems…chemicals found in almost everything we use, every day. Read the full article here.
Don’t forget to purchase your copy of Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD on all Amazon sites – now also available as a handy Kindle edition.
‘Check Mates’ is now on Kindle!
Posted by: | CommentsFor those of you who are more technologically inclined, you can now purchase the Kindle edition of Check Mates: A Collection of Fiction, Poetry & Artwork about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, by People with OCD.
In the US, visit here.
In the UK, visit here.