04. My Mental Health Journey: Part 3

In part 3 of this episode of A Chat with Uma, I share the third + final (for now!) part of my full + lifelong story with mental health. This part 2 episode serves to share my mental health journey from 23 to 26 (now), when I began working with an unethical and abusive therapist. This episode goes through my experiences with navigating unhealthy therapist dynamics, relentlessly seeking proper treatment for my conditions, the ways treatment has and has not worked, navigating my OCD and PTSD comorbidity, medication decisions, regaining more functionality, going through extensive psychological and cognitive assessments, and where I am now + where I am going. The diagnoses & conditions discussed include: OCD, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, C-PTSD, panic disorder, suicidal ideation, PTSD, bulimia, dermatillomania, trichotillomania, neurodivergence, sensory processing disorder, and non-verbal learning disabilities. This episode series serves to provide a deeper context into my complex, nuanced, and lifelong journey with mental health, as most of my work as a neuroscientist, researcher, mental health peer specialist, advocate, educator, organizer, and podcaster all comes from this journey. To that end, I give a high-level overview of: Diagnoses + misdiagnoses Incorrect & harmful treatment Unethical, illegal, & abusive therapy Medical gaslighting Road to proper diagnoses + treatment Intersectional identities & how they mediated my journey Treatment attempts Medication Types of therapy The PTSD & OCD comorbidity Functionally dynamic PTSD & OCD Major depressive episode(s) Psychedelics Psychological and cognitive testing/assessments + my results Where I am + where I'm going Topics covered in this episode + timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro, preframes, & disclaimers (00:06:03) 23: Relationship with abusive + unethical therapist (00:12:30) Going back to school, physical functionality vs. untreated mental illness (00:20:16) EMDR therapy for PTSD, how it didn't work because of OCD (00:31:21) Beginning treatment for the cult, religious & spiritual abuse (00:33:18) How + why I finally left my unethical therapist (00:43:14) 24: Pandemic waning, OCD relapse, how I learned about + sought proper treatment for the first time (00:56:31) Beginning proper OCD treatment, PTSD & OCD comorbidity, complications that arose from functionally dynamic relationship (01:14:00) Medication update + choices (01:23:48) Beginning with a new OCD therapist, seeking psychological testing (01:33:13) Depression, microdosing, dissonance between outward circumstances vs. internal suffering, losing hope (01:39:25) Psychological & cognitive testing, overview of all the results, rationality as a coping skill (02:01:00) Where I am now, where I'm going, lessons, reflections, take-aways, empowerment, and closing I cannot wait to connect with you, answer all of your questions, and co-create this with you. Welcome to a Chat with Uma! Connect with me! My website: umarchatterjee.com Instagram: @UmaRChatterjee Twitter: @UmaRChatterjee TikTok: @UmaRChatterjee Email: [email protected]