Thank you so much Thom for this very enlightening and helpful video. As a child I had enormous difficulties with OCD behaviors, many of the same ones you talked about here; checking locks over and over, light switches, arrangements of objects, etc. But the most intense and anxiety provoking was 'Sensory Processing Disorder,' or 'Tactile Defensiveness.' Happily it faded with time as I entered late adolescence and has never reared its ugly head in adulthood with exception of one two things: I still cannot touch cotton balls or anything with a similar texture. The condition was a nightmare because no one realized it was a 'condition.' I was made to feel ashamed of my anxiety and that I was being deliberately difficult and disobedient. I was often severely punished when I reacted to the intense discomfort of the fabrics touching my body. Education and information about these kinds of conditions are essential and need to be discussed often. I can only imagine what a relief I might have felt had I been diagnosed with an actual condition and received professional treatment, or simply looked upon with some compassion. I will definitely look into the OCD Workbook. Thank you again for giving voice to this very important topic.
This video definitely did help me and I'm sure others as well. I have suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life, probably from early childhood trauma and also brain chemistry. After so many years (40+) of dealing with it and being on medication which at a minimum didnt help and at worst caused terrible side effects, i got a DNA test done and was finally put on meds that help. I'm not magically better, but its much more manageable. You are right that it takes courage and perseverance to deal with mental illness. I am very grateful that it is finally destigmatized to a certain extent, and people like you being open about your struggles only further that cause. We are not alone ❤
Thank you for being here and sharing this. 💜I think it's important to share these experiences with mental health issues, because sometimes getting a diagnosis can finally help you realize that there's nothing wrong with you, but it's a genuine condition that can be managed (even though it's not curable) and you can also gain tips on how to tackle it from other people. I've had a fair share of "alphabet soup stickers" stamped on me all my life, but no one could really help and it was only getting worse and then I came across a FB group of neurodivergent people and 90 percent of posts felt like they were written by me and I was like huh. So I mentioned it to my doctor and fast forward a year later I'm on partial disability pension with AuDHD. And some of your descriptions of the way OCD manifests also sound a tad too familiar to me to be honest.
Thank you so much for this video. A person very dear to me is going through a tough time related to her mental health. Listening to you makes me want to educate myself and take better care of myself so that I can be a source of support for her. Thank you for being so open and sharing this with us. I'm sending you love and I hope that every day you feel better!
I think it's important to talk about mental health wherever and whenever we can, to decrease the stigma and let people know they're not alone. It's one of the things I love most about Heartstopper. Their approach to mental health is SO good. They give example after example of good communication, asking for help, watching out for your friends, and so much more. Thanks for being brave and sharing so much of your personal story.
Thom, you are a wonderful human being 🤗. Thank you for sharing. Your voice is very soothing and I admire your composure and how coherently you went through everything in less that 15min and without notes. I teared up simply because people started talking about mental health and so many doors and floodgates are getting open, so many lightbulbs are being switched on in our brains. Thank you ❤❤❤ Recently Shaaba's videos are helping me with my undiagnosed adhd.
There were absolutely notes, they were just on my computer screen so hopefully they were less obvious. XD I don't trust myself to speak coherently on important subjects without some semblance of preplanning. :P Also, ❤❤❤
i was told for so. long. that what i was experiencing was “just” generalized anxiety. i’m finally working with a provider who recognized my symptoms as intrusive thoughts and compulsions, is starting to explore an OCD diagnosis with me. from one chicago queer to another, this makes me feel SO seen ❤
Thank you for sharing Thom. I have struggled this year , tbe state of the world in general , worry about family members who were not well., and now the cherry on top the election. It hit hard and I don’t even live in America. I am really trying to live intentionally this year. I am very lucky to have the most wonderful children and grandchildren , cousins that are besties. It is also good to recognise when clouds appear . Your videos bring such joy and a sense of tranquility to our lives, I always look forward to watching them ❤️ of course if they announced season 4 of Heartstopper we would be very very happy .
I have a good friend who lives with anxiety and OCD and one thing that I needed to learn with regard to her reassurance seeking was that she was not going to hold me accountable if I was wrong. My mindset is "Yes, the bad thing can happen" and I can't promise it won't happen, but you will survive. That was my way of dealing with possibilities. What she heard with that was not the "You will survive" but you will have to suffer first. What I see as a possibility she sees as a probability. I needed to learn to reframe things as either "No that won't happen" for the very unlikely or to be able to talk to her about the odds. "That is really unlikely" or "No, I don't think that will happen."
For one, congrats on learning that about yourself at least. As we've learned from certain shows, it is nice to discover something about yourself that you have an inkling of. I feel you on the superstition angle of wanting to do things to ensure some calm on your anxiety in your brain. I don't think I have OCD cause it's not compulsive or the end if I don't do it. But I always tell my cat where i'm going when I leave my room, as well as I need to tell my mom to drive safe anytime she leaves just incase anything happens it might stave it off lol All that to say I empathize with those thoughts of anxiety and such. Def keep taking care of your metal health and doing what you can each day at a time
Thank you so so much for this video. I have always questioned if I have OCD because I know it runs in my family, but I wasn’t sure since I wasn’t aware of all of the ways it could manifest. I just thought even if I did have OCD, it doesn’t interfere with my life very much so there’s no need to get help. But you just described so much of the way that I think about literally everything, even since I was very young, and I didn’t realize how much of an impact that has had until now. I think I’m going to try and talk to a friend about it.♥️ Thanks so much again, I really needed that realization.
TRIGGER WARNING, OCD DESCRIBED (similar levels of detail to the video) Thank you so much. I'm in the middle of an OCD relapse (new diagnosis for me too) which keeps flinging me back into depression and anxiety. I'm going to try looking at that workbook, because 100% it is wild how intertwined my OCD is with everything else (ADHD and suspected ASD as well). My OCD is very much also not the more typically portrayed kind -- it's much more mental, very morality-heavy, and fear of uncertainty around my actions and worthiness (especially with the trauma of rejection and stigma from others). All uncertainty and grey areas are absolutely terrifying. Thank you so much for sharing how it manifests for you. Checking, reassurance-seeking, etc, I'm right there with you. I'm finally getting help (through NOCD) and learning about how regular therapy for my anxiety was actually making my OCD worse, because therapy for anxiety involved thinking through rationally and examining and trying to understand, which for me was just feeding the rationalizing/flooding/checking compulsions, as well as just-right/perfection. For me, ERP involves saying "maybe, maybe not" to intrustive thoughts of "you are xyz bad thing" or "you did xyz bad thing" and at first it feels like I'm going to d13, but finally getting to step off the frantic cycle of fear and seeking certainty is a kind of freedom I haven't experienced in a long time. Keep going. You can do it. ❤ We both can.
So I have panic anxiety disorder I was diagnosed at 21 I’m 42 now. I also have depression brought on by a chronic autoimmune disease it’s been 10 years. I struggle both physically and mentally but I have medication and I never mind talking about it.
Thank you sharing this. My mental health has been bad this year, and the election might’ve made it worse. I think I think I have OCD also because I too have done certain behaviors like that and have also had intrusive thoughts like that. I haven’t told anyone about that, not even my parents. My parents aren’t really the right people to talk to about these kinds of issues so like so many of my emotions, thoughts, and feelings, I just keep it bottled up.
To help with election anxiety, try watching Zaid Tabani's video, "how to block project 2025 (and other things you can do!) I'm going to reccomend it in the comments of every left-leaning channel I can. It really did help me , hopefully it will help others as well.
Thank you for sharing. I've been neglecting my own mental health for the past few years, just going through the motions and trying not to think about it. This is motivating me to do something about it. ❤️
Thank you so much Thom for this very enlightening and helpful video. As a child I had enormous difficulties with OCD behaviors, many of the same ones you talked about here; checking locks over and over, light switches, arrangements of objects, etc. But the most intense and anxiety provoking was 'Sensory Processing Disorder,' or 'Tactile Defensiveness.' Happily it faded with time as I entered late adolescence and has never reared its ugly head in adulthood with exception of one two things: I still cannot touch cotton balls or anything with a similar texture. The condition was a nightmare because no one realized it was a 'condition.' I was made to feel ashamed of my anxiety and that I was being deliberately difficult and disobedient. I was often severely punished when I reacted to the intense discomfort of the fabrics touching my body. Education and information about these kinds of conditions are essential and need to be discussed often. I can only imagine what a relief I might have felt had I been diagnosed with an actual condition and received professional treatment, or simply looked upon with some compassion. I will definitely look into the OCD Workbook. Thank you again for giving voice to this very important topic.
This video definitely did help me and I'm sure others as well. I have suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life, probably from early childhood trauma and also brain chemistry. After so many years (40+) of dealing with it and being on medication which at a minimum didnt help and at worst caused terrible side effects, i got a DNA test done and was finally put on meds that help. I'm not magically better, but its much more manageable. You are right that it takes courage and perseverance to deal with mental illness. I am very grateful that it is finally destigmatized to a certain extent, and people like you being open about your struggles only further that cause. We are not alone ❤
Thank you for being here and sharing this. 💜I think it's important to share these experiences with mental health issues, because sometimes getting a diagnosis can finally help you realize that there's nothing wrong with you, but it's a genuine condition that can be managed (even though it's not curable) and you can also gain tips on how to tackle it from other people. I've had a fair share of "alphabet soup stickers" stamped on me all my life, but no one could really help and it was only getting worse and then I came across a FB group of neurodivergent people and 90 percent of posts felt like they were written by me and I was like huh. So I mentioned it to my doctor and fast forward a year later I'm on partial disability pension with AuDHD. And some of your descriptions of the way OCD manifests also sound a tad too familiar to me to be honest.
Thank you so much for this video. A person very dear to me is going through a tough time related to her mental health. Listening to you makes me want to educate myself and take better care of myself so that I can be a source of support for her. Thank you for being so open and sharing this with us. I'm sending you love and I hope that every day you feel better!
I think it's important to talk about mental health wherever and whenever we can, to decrease the stigma and let people know they're not alone. It's one of the things I love most about Heartstopper. Their approach to mental health is SO good. They give example after example of good communication, asking for help, watching out for your friends, and so much more. Thanks for being brave and sharing so much of your personal story.
Thom, you are a wonderful human being 🤗. Thank you for sharing. Your voice is very soothing and I admire your composure and how coherently you went through everything in less that 15min and without notes. I teared up simply because people started talking about mental health and so many doors and floodgates are getting open, so many lightbulbs are being switched on in our brains. Thank you ❤❤❤
Recently Shaaba's videos are helping me with my undiagnosed adhd.
There were absolutely notes, they were just on my computer screen so hopefully they were less obvious. XD I don't trust myself to speak coherently on important subjects without some semblance of preplanning. :P Also, ❤❤❤
i was told for so. long. that what i was experiencing was “just” generalized anxiety. i’m finally working with a provider who recognized my symptoms as intrusive thoughts and compulsions, is starting to explore an OCD diagnosis with me. from one chicago queer to another, this makes me feel SO seen ❤
Thank you for sharing Thom. I have struggled this year , tbe state of the world in general , worry about family members who were not well., and now the cherry on top the election. It hit hard and I don’t even live in America. I am really trying to live intentionally this year. I am very lucky to have the most wonderful children and grandchildren , cousins that are besties. It is also good to recognise when clouds appear . Your videos bring such joy and a sense of tranquility to our lives, I always look forward to watching them ❤️ of course if they announced season 4 of Heartstopper we would be very very happy .
I have a good friend who lives with anxiety and OCD and one thing that I needed to learn with regard to her reassurance seeking was that she was not going to hold me accountable if I was wrong. My mindset is "Yes, the bad thing can happen" and I can't promise it won't happen, but you will survive. That was my way of dealing with possibilities. What she heard with that was not the "You will survive" but you will have to suffer first. What I see as a possibility she sees as a probability. I needed to learn to reframe things as either "No that won't happen" for the very unlikely or to be able to talk to her about the odds. "That is really unlikely" or "No, I don't think that will happen."
It is nice to see people venturing into exploring mental health. Otherwise it’s a very lonely journey.
Great video, thanks for sharing
For one, congrats on learning that about yourself at least. As we've learned from certain shows, it is nice to discover something about yourself that you have an inkling of. I feel you on the superstition angle of wanting to do things to ensure some calm on your anxiety in your brain. I don't think I have OCD cause it's not compulsive or the end if I don't do it. But I always tell my cat where i'm going when I leave my room, as well as I need to tell my mom to drive safe anytime she leaves just incase anything happens it might stave it off lol All that to say I empathize with those thoughts of anxiety and such. Def keep taking care of your metal health and doing what you can each day at a time
Thank you so so much for this video. I have always questioned if I have OCD because I know it runs in my family, but I wasn’t sure since I wasn’t aware of all of the ways it could manifest. I just thought even if I did have OCD, it doesn’t interfere with my life very much so there’s no need to get help. But you just described so much of the way that I think about literally everything, even since I was very young, and I didn’t realize how much of an impact that has had until now.
I think I’m going to try and talk to a friend about it.♥️ Thanks so much again, I really needed that realization.
TRIGGER WARNING, OCD DESCRIBED (similar levels of detail to the video)
Thank you so much. I'm in the middle of an OCD relapse (new diagnosis for me too) which keeps flinging me back into depression and anxiety. I'm going to try looking at that workbook, because 100% it is wild how intertwined my OCD is with everything else (ADHD and suspected ASD as well). My OCD is very much also not the more typically portrayed kind -- it's much more mental, very morality-heavy, and fear of uncertainty around my actions and worthiness (especially with the trauma of rejection and stigma from others). All uncertainty and grey areas are absolutely terrifying. Thank you so much for sharing how it manifests for you. Checking, reassurance-seeking, etc, I'm right there with you. I'm finally getting help (through NOCD) and learning about how regular therapy for my anxiety was actually making my OCD worse, because therapy for anxiety involved thinking through rationally and examining and trying to understand, which for me was just feeding the rationalizing/flooding/checking compulsions, as well as just-right/perfection. For me, ERP involves saying "maybe, maybe not" to intrustive thoughts of "you are xyz bad thing" or "you did xyz bad thing" and at first it feels like I'm going to d13, but finally getting to step off the frantic cycle of fear and seeking certainty is a kind of freedom I haven't experienced in a long time.
Keep going. You can do it. ❤ We both can.
So I have panic anxiety disorder I was diagnosed at 21 I’m 42 now. I also have depression brought on by a chronic autoimmune disease it’s been 10 years. I struggle both physically and mentally but I have medication and I never mind talking about it.
Thank you sharing this. My mental health has been bad this year, and the election might’ve made it worse. I think I think I have OCD also because I too have done certain behaviors like that and have also had intrusive thoughts like that. I haven’t told anyone about that, not even my parents. My parents aren’t really the right people to talk to about these kinds of issues so like so many of my emotions, thoughts, and feelings, I just keep it bottled up.
To help with election anxiety, try watching Zaid Tabani's video, "how to block project 2025 (and other things you can do!) I'm going to reccomend it in the comments of every left-leaning channel I can. It really did help me , hopefully it will help others as well.
Thank you for sharing.
I've been neglecting my own mental health for the past few years, just going through the motions and trying not to think about it.
This is motivating me to do something about it. ❤️