How Comedy and Community Pulled Kristy Quinn Out of Rock Bottom
Get to know OCD9 Mar 2025

How Comedy and Community Pulled Kristy Quinn Out of Rock Bottom

Kristy Quinn never expected to find herself at rock bottom. Growing up, she struggled with crippling OCD, intrusive thoughts, and overwhelming anxiety — challenges that few around her truly understood. To cope, she turned to alcohol, using it as a way to quiet the never-ending noise in her mind. But what started as an escape quickly became a trap, pulling her deeper into addiction and self-destruction. At her lowest, she suffered seizures, lost her memory, and nearly lost her life. She knew something had to change, but the road to healing felt impossible. How do you rebuild when the very thing you've used to survive is destroying you?

For Kristy, the answer came in the form of comedy and community. Taking the stage was terrifying at first, but it was also the first time she felt truly present — fully sober, fully herself. Each joke, each performance, each connection with an audience reminded her that she was more than her struggles. Through ERP therapy, support from others who understood her pain, and a newfound passion for making people feel good, she slowly took back control.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:53 Kristy’s background
2:09 Being in the moment while doing comedy
5:57 Kristy used to be terrified of doing comedy
9:27 OCD has been a part of Kristy’s life since childhood
13:13 When Kristy began using alcohol to cope with OCD
15:59 Talking about OCD openly
19:36 When others don’t understand the disorder
20:42 How Kristy uses OCD in her comedy
22:17 The low point in Kristy’s life
26:49 Talk therapy made Kristy’s condition worse
29:52 “What if” rules Kristy’ life before ERP therapy
31:48 The power of diet and helping others
34:46 What Kristy wishes she knew about OCD before
37:22 Kristy’s advice if you’re struggling with OCD
42:11 Where to find Kristy

If you are struggling with OCD, help is available. NOCD Therapists are specialty-trained in ERP therapy, the most proven treatment for OCD, to help you regain your life. Book a free 15-minute call to learn more about specialized treatment at https://learn.nocd.com/YT

Follow us on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/

https://twitter.com/treatmyocd

https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(195)

How I Stopped Fearing My Darkest OCD Thoughts

How I Stopped Fearing My Darkest OCD Thoughts

During the 18 years she went without a proper diagnosis, Alison Dotson lived inside a "horror film" of her own mind. She was suffering from Pure O — a form of OCD dominated by mental compulsions rathe...

5 Feb 48min

Nothing Was Ever “Just Right” For Alex Anele's OCD

Nothing Was Ever “Just Right” For Alex Anele's OCD

Alex Anele has been creating makeup videos online for more than a decade, building an audience of over a million people along the way. Behind the scenes, her lifelong OCD made almost everything feel u...

1 Feb 41min

John Green: The Thoughts I Was Too Scared to Share

John Green: The Thoughts I Was Too Scared to Share

Everyone has intrusive thoughts. With OCD, the difference is that they tend to escalate from 0 to 100 in an instant. Author John Green compares it to a snowstorm: three flakes, then four—then suddenly...

29 Jan 25min

What It’s Like To Have OCD In A Culture That Doesn’t Talk About It

What It’s Like To Have OCD In A Culture That Doesn’t Talk About It

Radha Bage grew up in India, a culture where mental health wasn’t discussed openly — not at home, not in the community, and not as something you sought help for. When OCD began to take hold in her adu...

22 Jan 45min

OCD Made My Own Thoughts Feel Unsafe

OCD Made My Own Thoughts Feel Unsafe

Faith Hilmer was terrified of driving — not because of an accident, but because of a thought. What if I have a seizure? What if I lose control? Those questions stemmed from her harm OCD that paralyzed...

18 Jan 38min

My OCD hit a breaking point on a Netflix set. This is what happened next.

My OCD hit a breaking point on a Netflix set. This is what happened next.

OCD hijacked Rachel's life. Perfectionism and obsessive thinking had always been a part of her life, but a new relationship gave OCD something to latch onto — and it escalated fast. Her thoughts spira...

15 Jan 44min

4 Simple OCD Tips For 2026

4 Simple OCD Tips For 2026

As 2026 begins, NOCD therapist Tracie Ibrahim offers up a few small but meaningful shifts that can make living with OCD feel more manageable. Instead of chasing quick fixes or “perfect” routines, thes...

11 Jan 4min

She Made A Comedy Show Out Of Her OCD Journey

She Made A Comedy Show Out Of Her OCD Journey

Olivia didn’t set out to make a comedy show about her OCD struggles. The idea came from noticing how much power her thoughts still had when they stayed unspoken. In her head, they felt heavy, urgent, ...

8 Jan 43min

Populært innen Helse

lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fastlegen
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
rss-gukild-johaug
psykodrama
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-garne-damer
leger-om-livet
foreldreradet
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
hjernesterk
klimaks
rss-lev-vel
rss-lopedrommen
hormonelle-frida
helsetipspodden
doktor-fives-podcast
g-punktet
sinnsyn