Free Yourself From Anxiety & OCD! School of Rock Bottom 21: Ria Fay

[TW//OCD, POCD, Obsessions, Compulsions] Actor Ria Fay's anxiety, panic, fear, intrusive thoughts and compulsions were out of control. The pandemic proved to be a challenging period for the world, but it was especially harrowing for those dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Ria has suffered OCD symptoms since aged 5 and today she provides a poignant and powerful account of what it's like to live with untreated OCD, recounting how her condition reached it's lowest point during the pandemic, posing a significant threat to her acting career. However, this low point became the catalyst for Ria's remarkable recovery. With the support of her loved ones, she managed to conquer her demons. Through this ordeal, Ria learned that even in the darkest moments, you can discover inner strength and freedom and she shares it all to help anyone struggling with OCD, anxiety, worry and intrusive thoughts. Approximately 1-2% of the population in the UK, or around three-quarters of a million people, are affected by OCD, although the actual numbers could be higher due to many keeping their condition hidden. More on Ria - Ria is Co-Artistic Director of Concept Theatre graduating from East 15 Acting School. She is about to appear in The Polar Express in Edinburgh this Christmas and this summer produced the theatre show SONS which sold out at both Vault Festival and Brighton Fringe and has since been nominated for an OffFest award. She has worked with OCD Action & performed her show "I'm Just a Little Bit OCD". The show later toured London in 2022 to Southwark Playhouse, Chickenshed and The Cockpit with support from Arts Council England and The National Lottery Community Fund. She recently recorded "Director of Me", for Radio 4, detailing a month in the life of someone with OCD. Topics - 0:00 Intro 02:27 Ria's rock bottom 12:00 The emotional strain of OCD 14:15 What is OCD? 16:10 Obsessions, intrusive thoughts & seeking reassurance 20:15 The subsets/themes of OCD 24:25 What Is Pedophile OCD? 28:50 The power of sharing your intrusive thoughts 31:26 Breaking the stigma surrounding OCD 33:45 Managing compulsions 38:15 What's the cause of Ria's OCD? 39:50 The role of medication/therapy in OCD recovery 47:35 Dealing with the acting industry & OCD For information and support Ria recommends - https://ocdaction.org.uk https://www.ocduk.org https://www.treatmyocd.com/ This Podcast is not for profit but my goal is to break even. To help me make more please donate here. Thank you! https://bit.ly/3kSucAs Follow Ria Instagram - https://instagram.com/riafay Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Riafay94 Twitter/X - https://x.com/RiaFay9 Concept Theatre - https://www.concepttheatre.co.uk Follow Oliver Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm Twitter - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l Listen or watch on: (please subscribe/follow & rate/review) Spotify - https://bit.ly/49SJeeo Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ YouTube - https://bit.ly/49RrCj1 or search 'School of Rock Bottom' where you listen to your podcasts.