TOCs. Soul tics. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. A brain disease, from which Stéfanie suffers.
This young 41-year-old woman, unemployed, living in the hills of Nice, married, mother of a child, will detail the illness she has suffered since the age of 7, during the program “Dans les yeux d’Olivier” , this Monday, February 20 at 10:55 p.m. on France 2.
She will be one of the witnesses of this report, presented and moderated by Olivier Delacroix. Some will talk about their depression, their bipolarity, the schizophrenia of a loved one. Stéfanie will talk about her TOCs on a daily basis.
What are your TOCs?
I redo things a hundred times. Dressing, undressing… Reading, re-reading… It’s a whole panel. I have OCDs of everything. Of superstition. I have to do something over and over again.
How did it come?
From the fear of losing my mother. I was 7 years old. Over time, OCD multiply, become resistant and it is rare to recover from it when it occurs during childhood. A small mechanism is set up with rituals. We are predisposed to OCD. It’s physiological. You need a trigger and then you sink into the system.
Why did you agree to participate in this show?
I stayed behind for a very long time. I was scared, ashamed of my OCD. I have seen programs that did not reflect reality. I knew Olivier Delacroix and if I had to testify one day, I wanted it to be with him. When the opportunity to do so presented itself, I said yes.
What can your testimony contribute?
We talk a lot about mental health, but OCD goes beyond this field. Maybe because it seems light, it is not dangerous for others like other diseases. However, for me, this is not trivial. I have impulse phobias. So, my goal is to talk about the disease and its management so that we don’t reach an age where it becomes irrecoverable. Because I continue to take treatment, I am followed, but OCD have become my religion. It’s my way of life.
You have founded an association. What is it about?
This association is called “Toc to me”. I co-created it with a friend in order to promote people who have OCD, but also talents, to bring them a little lightness, to guide them. People with OCD have a strong emotional side. Through this association, we want to encourage them to come out of their shell so that they are no longer afraid to talk about their illness. This association is also aimed at parents of children suffering from OCD. We want to destigmatize.
How does the association work?
There is a messaging system that allows me to exchange, to collect testimonials. In case of difficulty, I can redirect people to the AFTOC (French association of people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorders, editor’s note), give them contacts of therapists… This association is a gateway aimed at generating momentum.
“In Olivier’s eyes”, Monday February 20, 2023 at 10:55 p.m. on France 2.