Another run, another charity ..... annoying isn't it!  But until we all pay higher taxes, and charities don't need to exist any more, its the only way of providing specialist, quality support and care for people who need it.  I've done one charity run before ( 10K) and remember the peculiar pagent, one heart-break ailment and dire cause after another jostling for the finish line and that crucial few hundred pounds to combat the designated afflication.  Everyone knows that their cause is the most deserving, and knows it is not.  Lets not try to rank them.

OCD is a wonderful charity that is run on a (running) shoe string and provides amazing levels of support nationwide for those affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder.  OCD comes in all shapes and sizes, very mild, subclinical levels became chic after David Beckham reported a need to organise his tins of lager just so.  But for those with full-blown OCD, life can be an open-ended nightmare of anxiety, doubting, checking, ruminating, depression, isolation ..... Relationships and love fail, opportunities pass by and talents lie buried.  Visible signs of the disorder like constant cleaning or checking of switches are only hints at a profound invisible distress that rapidly takes over a sufferers life.  Often the fear of causing harm torments people with OCD such that, outwardly calm, their minds are churning, investigating, trying to be sure.  Perhaps someone you know is affected by this 'mental checking' -- perhaps someone close to you.  However upset they may be, you would probably never know.

Today, there are effective treatments for OCD -- many can be helped to see their lives as a challenge and not a nightmare.  Information and awareness are crucial: so much depends on sufferers coming to realise that they just don't need to fight these battles any more.  OCD provides that information via its comprehensive website, workshops and conferences.  We were involved in drawing up the NICE GUIDELINES ('National Institute of Clinical Excellence) on OCD treatment -- just as we advocate for sufferers for whom appropriate psychological treatments are not available. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.