Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth McIngvale.
Hi Elizabeth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
At the age of 12 I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. Also known as OCDI grew up in Houston home to the largest Medical Center in the world yet we could not find appropriate treatment or care for my disorder. After years of searching and having no luck, of course with an untreated mental health condition my disorder continued to get worse and I deteriorated overtime by the time I was 15 I was completely homebound unable to engage in everyday activities go to school or maintain any sense of normality. My day was filled with unwanted intrusive thoughts that rocked me to my core followed by repetitive behaviors, also known as compulsions or rituals. Eventually, my parents were able to find a residential treatment center for me in Topeka, Kansas at the time called the Menninger clinic and I went there at the age of 15 and spent three months doing effective, evidence, based treatment for OCD known as exposure and response prevention, ERP. I was able to regain my life and understand that with effective treatment, I could live the life that I wanted despite having an OCD diagnosis. I returned home and was able to go back to school and reengage with friendships in life as I had previously known it however, I was still continuing to struggle. I began doing advocacy and became the first ever national spokesperson for the international OCD foundation at the age of 17. I knew that I wanted to make a career out of serving others. The way clinicians had served me and saved my life. I went to school received my degree got appropriate training and background and eventually ended up where I am today which is running the same residential program that saved my life over 20+ years ago. Today I have the honor of doing the work that I do serving the patients that I do and saving lives. I’ve learned that effective treatment can truly get you to a place of freedom not just a place of functioning and I’ve made it my life mission to spread that word to teach others this and to walk alongside them in the journey to freedom.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. My path to effective treatment was certainly tumultuous, took a long time and caused my illness to run more rampant and caused more disability in my life. After effective residential treatment, it was a journey to find effective outpatient treatment and it took me a long time to really be able to find a good team in Houston and to understand what treatment would look like for me. I also unfortunately spent decades of my life, thinking that this was a chronic illness I would always have to live with, and so even though I had had effective treatment, I did not understand that I could actually get to freedom. I thought that treatment was something I would have to do every day that it was a grind. I would have to engage in from the time I woke up to the time I got to bed just to be functional and this message really helped me back. It kept me stuck candidly. Eventually I realized freedom was a choice I could make I could choose to use treatment to really let go to completely loosen the grips and to get to a place where OCD played no part in my life and when that happened roughly about five years ago, that’s when my life really really changed.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the director of the OCD Institute at Texas, and I am a clinician who specializes in evidence based treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. I am most proud of the work that I get to do every day and honored to be able to see patients who admit to our program in the worst place of their life and leave a short period later able to return to full functioning and in one of the best places they’ve ever been in. It is truly my pride and joy to get to see how treatment works, how it changes lives and how it saves lives.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I think my favorite childhood memory is playing with my sister and our backyard and swimming together. I have countless memories of just spending summer outside learning together, playing together, eating together and growing up.
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