Coming Clean

Hayley Leitch was just four when she felt the need to jump her father's fishpond. Small for her age and unable to swim, Hayley almost drowned but she couldn't stop herself. One compulsion followed another until soon Hayley was performing exhausting rituals and was plagued by intrusive thoughts every day. As she grew, Hayley became obsessed with germs. She washed her hands with neat bleach and scrubbed her house for hours on end. Her fear of contamination was so crippling it prevented her from holding her babies at birth because her illness required the blood to be wiped from them first. On the eve of her wedding, Hayley cleaned the house for 18 hours solid. Her husband Robin pleaded with her to seek help. He suspected post-natal depression but he was wrong; Hayley was suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The illness had blighted her life and almost driven her to suicide. In Coming Clean, Hayley describes her daily battle with this much misunderstood illness. Her story is honest and heartbreaking - Hayley knows she will never be cured of OCD but explains how she sought professional help. It saved her life. By appearing on television, this remarkable young woman has brought the very taboo subject of OCD into the public arena. It's Hayley's wish to give hope to other OCD sufferers and allow them to lead a happier life.