“My intrusive thoughts were taking over my life.” (Carrie Berk)

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of mental health, anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts, and suicide. Please listen with care. Carrie Berk is a bestselling author who published 21 books before the age of 20, but behind the bubbly book covers and growing TikTok following, she was privately battling debilitating anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Carrie opens up about the moment her intrusive thoughts began to spiral, how a panic attack led to her OCD diagnosis, and what exposure therapy actually looked like for her. Lucie and Carrie also explore the pressures of growing up in the public eye, the impact of privilege on mental health, and what it means to be misunderstood online. Plus: the reality show experience Carrie rarely talks about and how bullying shaped both her inner world and her activism. If you’ve ever questioned your own thoughts, wondered if you were “going crazy,” or struggled to explain your mental health to friends, this episode is for you! Pre-order Carrie’s new book, Mindfire: Diary of an Anxious Twentysomething here: https://amzn.to/44kC0j2 Follow Carrie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieberkk/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carrieberkk  00:00 introducing Carrie Berk 02:10 becoming a published author at age 8 04:26 privilege and imposter syndrome 9:03 being on a reality tv show 11:03 dealing with online hate and bullying 21:51 anxiety and OCD diagnoses 25:04 examples of intrusive thoughts 29:34 how therapy has helped her cope 32:30 opening up to family and friends 39:21 normalizing mental health struggles 42:58 social media’s impact on mental health 46:11 Carrie’s new book & future plans Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices