This week I spiraled out with psychotherapist, OCD specialist, writer & content creator Alegra Kastens! We talked OCD origin stories and the thoughts that broke our brains, the obsessive struggle to discern if you don't like someone because you're not into them or because there's something wrong with you, fear of being cancelled and social media trolls, the idea of "harm," and what it really means to harm someone, obsessing about finding a partner and worrying about your eggs dying, the dangerous proliferation of unlicensed TikTok mental health "coaches" and the messages they disseminate, the intersection of trauma, shame and OCD, how being a therapist can actually make things MORE difficult for you in dating, love and life, and SO MUCH MORE!
Plus, Alegra shares a relatable and vulnerable shame story about being in a dark place in her life and ending up hospitalized for one night- and the shameful aftermath that ensued. And I shared with Alegra a little *casual witchcraft* that I employed when I was looking for love....I promised her the full spell and haven't recovered it yet, but when I find it, trust I will share it with all of you potential witches out there!
Alegra is an incredible, radical force of change on social media, sharing openly and often hilariously about her own experience with OCD and doing the good work of shattering the debilitating stigma that comes with mental health struggles. Follow her NOW if you don't already on IG & TikTok @alegrakastens! And stay tuned for news about the upcoming BOOK she's writing!
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.
*** special note! After over a year of weekly episodes, this is the FINAL EPISODE OF THE EXTREMELY BULKY SEASON 1! I'm taking a few weeks between seasons to record new eps and recalibrate, and will be back to launch Season 2 shortly. Thank you so much for listening this year- your support for the pod means everything to me, truly! Stay tuned for news of official Season 2 drop date, and in the meantime catch up on old episodes, and please review, subscribe, and leave those five shining stars.
Audio Engineer: Sarah Gabrielli, IG @cruisingpod
Editor: Theresa Gaffney, IG @theresagaff
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa
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