Sebastian’s upbringing was shaped by mental health challenges in his family, and he felt like he had to bear every difficulty without showing his anxiety and depression. He was taught that this was something to feel proud of. One day Sebastian accompanied his mother to therapy and finally realized what he had been missing. When the same challenges affected his academics in college, he made up his mind: being “tough” felt good, but being free from his anxiety and depression felt better. Committed to becoming a counselor, Sebastian turned his academic career around. Now, as a NOCD therapist, he specializes in treating OCD and helps others conquer their own shame and stigma. Read more about the journey that led Sebastian from resisting therapy for years to becoming a source of hope and support for others.

I wish I could get help Im 29 and had to get ssi cause I can’t work cause I can’t even function cause my ocd I’ve had ocd for 15 years always tried getting help going to hospitals seeing doctors and therapists takeing medication but I never got better I just realized there’s exposure and response therapy I just realized there’s ppl out there that can help me and actually understand me but I’m on ssi and get medicade and noone takes medicaide I live in Tennessee and there’s absolutely no help for ocd here I’m already non functioning and have been that way on and off for years and I just have to keep suffering keep being told by all these doctors and therapist that they understand me but really don’t that they can treat me but really can’t being told I can’t go to an inpatient cause I’m so depressed and helpless feeling but can’t perform my ocd rituals in the hospital they take objects I feel I need to finish rituals and these intake reseptionists are so rude speak so horribly to you everyone you speak to blows you off fuck this and the ppl specialized in helping but not takeing ssi insurance for ppl who can’t even fucking love you can’t help us but can pay us to just be alive and barely be able to live off wat we get I can’t help it I’m sick I can’t help it I can’t stop I need help and can’t even get it I could literally stand outside an ocd residential place wishing I could get in and be so close and still can’t get help cause of medicaide fuck this.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my story! Hope that it resonates with others.

That's horrible our society doesn't are about people with mental illness, they all think we're lazy deadbeats who have dress loose. If only people were offered therapy and the government realized hey if this person is sick and can't work let's find out why not so they can work but so they can recover. Instead they only care about if you truly can't work and once that settled they give you some cash and refuse to do anymore. The worst part is irs a disgusting amoral thing to do but our society is taught if your not making money your worthless. For one logically helping out people would result in them working regardless of how much they contribute and for those who want work at all... Who gives a shit everyone deserves to live a happy life that's the whole point of goverment to help out it's ciztiens if not it's just a police state that protects rich people's land rights and screw them. Literally I'd say it's because mental illness isn't treated like a physical disability and it isn't it's treated as fake anexxgeration or somehow your fault u can get better you have legs and feet bullshit. But at the same time I know people who are phyicall disabled and the government probably spends more money trying to kick them off receiving help with their beuracrcy then helping them. Our society has always hated people who are both physically and mental disabled before the industrial revolution and Capitalism has only made it worse. It's disgusting out lack of morals when neathandrathals in the ice age took care of their own regardless of their contributions when it would've made logical sense not to. People just hate others so they can look down on them disgusting :(

Sebastian, thank you so much for sharing your story.

Sorry you are going through this. Keep fighting! I have to fight because medication doesn't seem to relieve my symptoms. Giving up is not an option!

You are very brave. Never give up.love to you

I tried admitting myself into a pscyhiatric hospital the admissions part was closed and they told me to go threw the emergency room so I did I stay up late anyways so round 3 I got evaluated and told they had no beds but would take me upstairs to my own room so I could get some rest and be admitted I was excited bout that cause being in a room wit someone bothers me cause I have dressing rituals I’ve been doing for 15 years and I need to wash my hands and stand by my bed we’re I lay my clothes out and change a certain way I can’t do that wit a roommate but they never came so I kind of passed out for a few hours and woke up round 8 and asked when I was going to go upstairs they told me they don’t do that that I’d have to wait till the psychiatric part opened up and they’d take me over there and be evaluated and stay there till they found somewere I could go I was exhausted and would’ve went home if they would’ve just told me they couldn’t get me in a room but my bf drove me to the psychiatric part and tlk to admissions and they told him that he could come in wit me and tlk to the doctor wit me to help explain my ocd and that they’d see me and then I could get some rest so I went in and tlk to them and then they told me my bf couldn’t come in wit me I told them it’s hard for me explain my ocd so my bf was gonna help me and they told me I couldn’t lay down anywere cause they didn’t have any beds I told them I was tired I had been there since 10 o’clock yesterday and that it was extremely hard for me to do all this cause of my ocd I have rituals and have to do things a certain way I need certain clothes to do my dressing rituals so I need more clothes than they allow and qtips is apart of my dressing rituals but you can’t have those and I don’t like ppl touching my clothes I keep my clothes in closed containers even my dirty clothes I leave my deodorant qtips and face pads on my shelf none of them can touch so it’s hard packing those and I no there’s rules I don’t want ppl to think I’m just a brat cause I’m not I just have to do these things cause I have ocd but they don’t understand that so I just get so upset and I hate it I wasn’t always like this I use to put my clothes in drawers and hang them up I use to be able to keep all my stuff out and have stuff touch I just have contamination ocd bout certain things that aren’t dirty but the thing itself my ocd doesn’t like and can’t touch but it’s hard getting help wit my anxiety and depression in these hospitals cause so much is aggravating my ocd if I just had someone that could help me explain it to these ppl it would make it easier I’m very depressed from my ocd and no I need to just go to the hospital and be in a safe place and get regulated on some medicine and maybe they can help me get into an ocd place cause my insurance won’t cover any ocd place and there’s none in Tennessee and I can’t do outpatient cause I can’t drive back and forth everyday being so depressed and upset all the time I need help I need support I’m just haveing a hard time.

Can HE help me...? I'm in Georgia

Call NOCD they have new ways to accept insurance. Don’t give up

Yes, I'm tired of people refusing to understand why its important to talk about mental health. If only more people knew about ocd it would be easier I think it should be covered in health classes that lots of people are different and that it isn't worth to be different. Your not dangerous for being different and people aren't crazy we all have to deal with different things in our lives that's. l wish people understood that

That’s awesome Sabastian! I am a certified peer support specialist but am currently not working in the field due to letting my social anxiety get the best of me. I hope someday I can work in the field too.