"Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.

Give me a reason to end this discussion,
To break with tradition.
To fold and divide.

Cause I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes,
Talking with strangers, waiting in line..
I'm through with these pills that make me sit still.
"Are you feeling fine?"
Yes, I feel just fine.

Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.

I'm sick of the things I do when I'm nervous
Like cleaning the oven or checking my tires
Or counting the number of tiles in the ceiling..
Head for the hills, the kitchen's on fire!

I used to rely on self-medication,
I guess I still do that from time to time.
But I'm getting better at fighting the future,
"Someday you'll be fine.."
Yes, I'll be just fine.

Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.

Give me a reason (I don't believe a word)
To end this discussion (of anything I've heard)
To break with tradition (they tell me that it's not so hard)
To fold and divide (it's not so hard)
So let's not get carried (away with everything)
Away with the process (from here to in-between)
of elimination (the long goodbye)
I don't want to waste your time.

Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.

(Alright)
Tell me that you're alright, (Hi, everything's great)
Yeah everything is alright. (Everything's fine)
Oh please tell me that you're alright, (Hi, everything's great)
Yeah everything is alright.
(Everything's fine)[x4]"

The lyrics to the song kind of pop out to me, very catchy but I can understand where the writer is coming from…just watching my guy go through his motions and how he behaves with and without his medication for 9 years has me keenly tuned in to his moods and behaviors. As an advocate to help educate him about his fears to hopefully overcome them AND advocate to explain OCD to people who don't have a clue and want to whisper about something they know not of has been a very draining, full-time job for me. However I wouldn't trade it for the world, the late night phone calls and long conversations seeking comfort help me feel as if I have become somone he trusts and feels he can go to.

It seems to come and go in cycles and this year has started to a rough cycle, the virus fears have gotten to be more consuming for him, and I've about tapped out every resource that I consider to be trustworthy and factual online so I feel the strain of looking for further resources to help him recognize that the biggest fears aren't based in 100% fact. Slow but steady process, now that I've found OCDTribe I've been gifted with so many recomendations for books I can sit down with and see if they offer insight I can use with him.

Love sees not physical or mental disabilty, not true love, nor does it discriminate or ridicule the deepest fears that our loved ones have even if we find them to not be frightening. True love holds a flame to illimunate the way and chase the fears into the darkness.