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/44kC0j2Follow CarrieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieberkk/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carrieberkk 00:00 introducing Carrie Berk02:10 becoming a published author at age 804:26 privilege and imposter syndrome9:03 being on a reality tv show11:03 dealing with online hate and bullying21:51 anxiety and OCD diagnoses25:04 examples of intrusive thoughts29:34 how therapy has helped her cope32:30 opening up to family and friends39:21 normalizing mental health struggles42:58 social media’s impact on mental health46:11 Carrie’s new book & future plansWatch 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/luciebfinkWebsite: https://luciefink.com/ Executive Producer: Cloud10Produced 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.