I Have OCD... Let's Talk About It! 

As a cosplayer who also has OCD, I just wanted to say how thankful I am for this video, it's just great to know that other cosplayers have similar problems and that we're not alone 💕

if I talk about mental health problems the answers are always the same: - stand up! - you are just hiding behind depression! - I know a person whose state of life is much worse! - your mental health problems are not even real! - you're just looking for attention. Fan Fact: when you have depression you don't control your thoughts. Your thoughts control you. I wish people would understad this... Thank you that you talk about this 💖

I get compulsions when I’m manic, and they’re horrible. Thank you for being so open about mental health and helping break the stigma! As the wise Dumbledore said, “Just because it’s happening in your head doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

I'm not diagnosed with OCD or OCP (OC Personality, that was neat to learn about in a rabbit hole of internet researching), but I feel so much about what you're saying. I follow rules to a T and live with absolutes: _"You have to do this. You can't do that."_ Even after hearing many times "It's okay to buy a cosplay. *It's okay to buy a cosplay!* " and seeing others do so, I wouldn't allow myself to, as if it would make me less of a cosplayer. (Making vs Buying is a divided topic in cosplay.) Agent May is my breakthrough cosplay. I had to accept the fact that working with leather is beyond my ability and it's okay to buy the vest. And the shirt. Iron-on patches. Pants. Boots. I don't _have to_ make *anything* if I don't want to. I was so happy to cosplay a character that means so much to me.

I started crying during this video. This is so important to talk about and hearing that you were able to break through in such a big way made me emotional. I'm so incredibly proud of you for 1. Being comfortable with being transparent about something that can be difficult to talk about. And 2. For acknowledging your growth and struggles. For many people acknowledging even the idea that you can be better is hard so I'm so proud of you for allowing yourself to take this win. I wish you much more success in the future💕

I don't have OCD but as part of my PTSD I do struggle heavily with intrusive thoughts, so this was a great video to listen and relate to.

I know I'm just an internet stranger but I'm super happy and proud of you for being able to make these breakthroughs. I know that OCD has lots of stereotypes and it's common to joke about. I'm still trying to figure out my path to mental health myself and seeing people make this type of progress is very encouraging.

ahh, knowing that one of my favorite creators has the same illness as me is… comforting? idk if that’s the right word but it definitely makes me feel less alone for sure. my ocd also has affected me as a cosplayer - part of mine is really bad sexual intrusive thoughts so it took me a while to be comfortable doing sexy cosplays because i was fully convinced i’d be sexually assaulted if i wore them to a con. here’s to healing and finally finding the strength to step out of your comfort zone ☺️💕

Thank you for talking about this! I have had ocd for about 5 years but I wasn’t diagnosed until last year. Recovery has been slow and steady but therapy and medication helped get me back on my feet.

Hi Anya I am a cosplayer with severe OCD too, and I do the “contracts” as well. It really made me feel so good hearing about your progress and it is very inspiring to me. I can’t tell you how much this video meant to me. If you see this I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm so glad you made this video. It's so validating to hear someone else's experiences with OCD that mirror my own. It's also hard cuz no one I know has it, so when I try to explain myself, most people look at me differently. I wish I was better with words so I could fully convey how thankful I am for this video. I also wish the general public understood what OCD truly is. It's really disheartening when most people think its "oh, you are very organized haha" when in reality its like "I have the choose the 'right' Gatorade off the shelf in the store because if I pick the wrong one, I will die" Great video and I'm sure many non-OCD people learned a lot! :')

As a cosplayer I don't have OCD but knowing more about this will help with other and understand more about this I like this video and appreciate you feel comfortable talking about it 💕💕🤗

It's great to hear that you're making strides in your mental health, as someone who also dealt with my own mental health through cosplay. The right doctor and the right medicine can be absolutely life changing!

I don't struggle with OCD but I do have mental illness and it's just good to have a space to talk about it. Thank you for sharing your story :)

I hope your ok! I have something called DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and its sometimes hard from me to control my emotions. We’re all here to support you ❤️💕

As someone struggling with similar feelings I really started tearing up when you said you overcame the fake eyelashes lol I'll definitely look into getting that book, thank you!

Thanks for making this video! It really helped me learn more about OCD since I just learned that I have it. What I hate about it are intrusive thoughts, which when they happen I question myself a lot and it makes me really upset

I honestly dont know if I have ever related to someone with OCD more. We got this! The more you reject compulsions, the stronger you get and the smaller OCD will get. I related to the part about thought swapping so much. Thought contamination is a big thing in OCD and god, its the worst. I cosplay as well, and Im Canadian too! Im over in Ontario. I subscribed to you here and Im going to follow your instagram as well

It's so great that you're talking about this and shining a light on a subject that not a lot of people are very familiar with. I have really bad ADHD and I remember being relieved and thankful when people began talking about it more frequently and sharing their experiences. I'm sure there are a ton of people with OCD who feel the same way!

When I first found out Anya had OCD I felt related to and now I'm so happy that she made a whole video on it

this made me cry. I'm honestly so happy for you

Great video!!! :'D I'm a cosplayer with OCD too!

Thank you for being able to talk about this and bring awareness to OCD, although I don't have it it's good to learn about it to help break the stigma behind it :)

I have OCD and have been dealing with is specifically related to emetohobia, and I’ve stopped myself from doing a lot of things because of correlation kind of like “oh, I ate this food on this date that someone got sick, if I eat it it’ll make me sick too” or “I did this thing on this date and then felt like I was sick afterwards, if I do the thing again, I’ll feel bad again” and unfortunately it led to a lot of negative effects. I’ve been on medication for a couple years and it’s helped so much. Glad to know I’m not alone in this. Thanks so much.

God, when I've told people. The look they gave was piercing. You know their opinion had changed. But at the same time. I know who I am. And I know that I'm a good person. Also, the way that I've come to realize my thoughts were coming on was the phrase "I want to..(insert viscous self harm thought here)" When this happened, I had to change the end of the phrase. I had to train myself to catch it. "I want to... Eat icecream." "I want to...kill god." Cause when you're forging a new path through the jungle, it's going to take quite a few times to make a new trail, instead of taking the trail that you've been on for so long.

It warms my heart to hear all of the progress you have made! It's so great that you are willing to talk about this with other people. As someone who didn't know much about OCD, it was great to learn more about it and what it really is, so thank you. We are always here to listen if you do want to talk about it more. Stay awesome Anya! 💛

I am diagnosed with OCD so I understand mines mainly from covid and the fear of getting it. I’m glad people are speaking out about it because yes it is very stereotyped

Thank you so much for sharing this! I honestly did not know that much about OCD and hearing it from someone who has it is super informational 💜 Edit now that I've watched the whole thing: I am so proud of you for making leaps in you treatment, I hope you're proud of yourself too 😁

Thank you for sharing this difficult part of your life. I hope you continue to grow as a person. I hope this helps others seek help. You are stronger than you know, thank you for sharing your art and your life.

this was so beyond comforting to watch, thank you for sharing your experiences.

thank you so much for talking about this :)) i am also a cosplayer with OCD

im diagnosed with ocd (pure O), so ive struggled with intrusive thoughts most of my life, without a diagnosis. so it was really awful to think those thoughts were part of me. it was liberating when i got my diagnosis, to found out that those despicable thoughts were not mine nor part of me.

It takes a lot to talk about mental health, so thank you for sharing your story! I am about the same age as you and so I didn’t know anything about mental illness growing up, but I was finally diagnosed with depression and anxiety about 5 years ago and I started medications and seeing therapists 3 years ago and it’s been life changing. Especially knowing I’m not alone and I’m not weird was the biggest relief of the whole thing. I’m so happy for you for overcoming your OCD and I wish you the best moving forward. ❤️

I started treatment for anxiety a few months ago and a lot of this really resonated with me, especially the part about intrusive thoughts. I always thought I was a terrible person because my brain would always have these really dark horrible thoughts pop in. I also can’t watch really dark media (“You” is one that I’ve been trying to avoid, for example just because I already have a terrible feeling of being watched all the time). This video gave me a lot of hope that I’ll be able to overcome my own intrusive thoughts :) Thank you so much for sharing your story! 💖💖

As a viewer I can see how hard this was to talk about. You did well in spite of being very nervous at some points. I didn't think you were 'crazy' or weird or anything like that, just a sweet girl struggling with some annoying bits of being the human you are. The only thing I might add when talking about mental illness is how important it is to feel comfortable having a good cry when you need to, some people worry being 'emotional' will bring on the illness or particular symptoms. On the contrary, having a good cry is the best thing you can do for yourself at those times, it's healing.

proud of you!!! i don’t have ocd but i have adhd and i can empathize with feeling like you can’t do something, breakthroughs might seem silly to people who don’t understand what it’s like but it’s so amazing and freeing to have these breakthroughs and fight through them

You did a great job explaining OCD!!! I'm so sorry you struggle with that I struggle with depression myself... and COVID-19 sure hasn't helped!!! Hang in there, my friend!!! We'll get thru this (not cured, but better able to cope)!!!

Very proud of you for coming to the point you are now ! I read a book about ocd that helped me know more than the stereotypes about ocd and also just helped me in my mental health too, it was by Jon green and the title was something with turtles but I don’t remember it exactly 😂 I have intrusive thoughts about horror image often when I go to bed but I think it’s rather my anxiety or adhd. Tho I recognise myself in some ocd stuff. I think that sometimes some symptoms are similar through several illnesses (it would be too easy to get diagnosed otherwise huh lol)

Do you find that when you watch particularly triggering things in movies or games they manifest as intrusive thoughts. Cause I've always had this that like I can't watch horror movies or anything even slightly out of the ordinary otherwise it will just stick vividly in my head for days. Asking since you mentioned about the intrusive thoughts and wondered how you dealt with that.

As someone who has OCD (clinically diagnosed) who also likes to cosplay, I wanted to thank you for posting this. I can truly relate to a lot of points you brought up.

It's great to hear you've made these steps forward! It's nice that you are sharing your experiences because it's not talked about enough. ^-^~

I literally just read the title of this video and got a little emotional because it feels so nice to know that I’m not alone in struggling with OCD. As a cosplayer with OCD too, I appreciate you so much for being so open in this video and it really gave me a sense of comfort❤️

My friend has ocd she used to think she had anxiety like me but she didn’t have symptoms of anxiety and when she found out about her ocd she was shocked

Another Cosplayer with OCD here! Thank you so much for this video, it means so much to me to hear someone else can understand my struggles. My OCD is based around smells, and only worsened once COVID started, so I haven't gotten the bront of its effects on conventions yet, but once it does it will be hard to overcome. I am working hard though, so I'm hoping once things start back up I'll be able to hang out in the food court or outside and not freak out about food smells or any other odd smells :)

Thanks for sharing a bit of your mental health journey with us! It is so good to know we don't struggle alone. It's also great to hear about others progress with mental health.

Thank you for this video. I am also a cosplayer with OCD.

Firstly, nice t-shirt! Many thanks for talking to us about your OCD; how you copped with it using contracts, how your therapist helped you once you were diagnosed & how you have worked to improve your life (through acceptance, understanding & overcoming some of the contracts) & how it is a life long mental illness. Your Heart Hunter Miku cosplay is AWESOME & the fun & enjoyment during the photoshoot sessions was very clear on your face. It was interesting to hear how you overcame several of your contracts to wear this cosplay. More like this please, Anya. xx

Thank you for this video, Anya! I love your channel and always find comfort in your videos.

I Haven't Finished The Video Yet But, It's Good That Your Talking To Us About It, It's Also So We Get To Know You More! ^^ (Sorry If This Is Awkward-)

I started seeing a therapist at my college and he pointed out that I have some obsessive compulsive tendencies (no diagnosis but he said it’s something to watch). This helps me figure that out more.

Thank you for sharing your story 💜 I’m also a Cosplayer with OCD, and I actually figured out my OCD through cosplaying. I was a brand new Cosplayer and I was really into Soul Eater, especially Death the Kid. My friends and I did our first con as Kid, Liz, & Patty. Watching the show and seeing myself in DTK, and then literally embodying him was crucial for me to accept that I have OCD and proceed to get my diagnosis.

We love you no matter what

Thank you for talking about this! And awesome shirt!

This video literally means so much thank you for sharing your experiences and stories. I'm also a cosplayer with OCD so finding out that someone i've looked up to for years has gone through such simallar experiences to me makes me feel so much less alone. It's comforting to learn that other people have gone through simallar things. Thank you again for sharing

thank you for this video and informing us about OCD as well as your struggles and progress. I'm so glad you're doing better 💕💕💕 and I 100% felt that depressing phase around the bday, I have it every year too 😅 ahh so stressful. I wish I could just skip August or sleep through it or whatever 😪 a question to anyone in the community: I have some mental health issues and would love to finally find a therapist, but I still live with my parents and they don't take mental health issues seriously. like in the "you're not depressed, you're just lazy" kind of way. does anyone have a similar experience? how do you tell such people that you need help and how do you get through all those really not supporting comments? would love to hear your stories and tips ✨

I think I had some of these problems as a child. But I am definitely depressed and anxious. Got diagnosed 5 years ago but I had some of these tendencies in my childhood.

I cosplay and I am also diagnosed with OCD. Watching your videos helps me so much and I feel in a safe place. It would take me 20-60 minutes to walk into my room because of my OCD. I personally need to talk/listen to people who understand me to help me out. I just want you to know how much you have helped me and so many other people. Thank you

Would love to hear more! I've also been struggling with mental illness and it means a lot to hear about other people's experiences. I appreciate you going out of your way to share your story.

I’m a bit speechless I can’t really say anything besides Thank you💗 for talking about it, I feel less alone

I have autism and OCD tendencies/ suspected OCD as a cosplayer its not easy, I really appreciate this vidio

I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to share that with all of us. 😊 I knew some basics since I worked with children that had mental disorders for a week, but my knowledge wasn't very much. So this taught me a lot more about OCD and the thought process behind the condition. I hope for the best for you and anyone else suffering with OCD.💕

My little sister has OCD too and is trying to start get into cosplaying with me. I really appreciate you sharing your experience!! 🧡

There's a lot of stuff you mentioned that i also go through in my life, i was wondering if you feel comfortable talking in the future about how you got you diagnosis more and things you do to combat ocd thoughts related to cosplay?

I haven't been diagnosed with OCD but listening to you explain everything and the struggle you went through and get better gives me confidence that I will get better soon. I really hope you reach more of your goals. I think your Miku was amazing

OMG I am a young cosplayer, and I just recently was diagnosed with OCD. and it so cool for me to discover that a cosplayer that I really like struggle with it as well 😁 (also, sorry if my English is bad, this is my second language 😅)

Coming from a random stranger on the Internet, I still want to say I am so proud of you!!! It always feels amazing to take steps towards growth~

When I was in elementary school I used to make contracts with myself like "if you don't see a family member within *this amount of time* you will get eaten by zombies" its sounds childish i know but to be fair I was like 9 yrs old, and at that age thoughts like that were very traumatizing. I also have a lot of intrusive thoughts, and for a period of time I could not look at someone with thinking very gore filled things would happen to them. Seeing this video was very comforting.

Really great video, Anya! Thanks for sharing all of this, I agree that it's really important to talk about this kind of stuff.

Thank you for sharing this. I can understand some of these things.

Thank you for talking about your OCD :)

Hey! Teen with OCD here! Thank you for making this video, I find that most representation of OCD don’t show the anguish of it or the illogical scary side. This is what made me hurt for so long and it makes my heart happy to see it talked about. 💖

Omg !!! I HAVE OCD AND IM A COSPLAYER, I was diagnosed with extreme ocd and my compulsions(and my ed) almost led me to my death, I did ERP and I'm so glad I did

Hey I love this channel because you cosplay a lot and hi I am new here

Proud of you!!

Thanks for sharing!!

Thank you for sharing.

Hey, I bought my first bodysuit and I don’t know if there’s something that I could wear underneath?

You repeated a couple times that you weren’t sure that if you made sense. You worded everything great and the metaphors you used were great

I haven’t been diagnosed with OCD but I show quite a lot of symptoms and with the thoughts part I will see something that’s ether really gory or sexual my brain kinda makes it happen to me or my friends so is that a sign/simpton bc one I saw a gory movie and for ages I kept thinking about it happening to me or one of my closest closest friends

i'm starting to think i should talk to a therapist,, i relate to a lot of what u said in this video,, i've always wondered if i have ocd but i always thought i was overreacting

:0 I have the same shirt

So are you wholly against self-diagnosis, including if people do their own research?

I have that

40 seconds early hiii

Uống nước hứa quá