For the final day of Pride Month, we're chatting with two wonderful queer humans: Ali Naimo and Maia Fattahi, the co-founders of Hard Quirk, a nonprofit for OCD advocacy and support.

Have you ever made a joke about how you're "so OCD," because you like organizing your bookshelf? Yeah, that's not exactly what it's like to live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. And you're not alone - many mental health professionals don't even understand exactly with OCD is and how it shows up. In this episode, Ali and Maia share their own lived experiences with the disorder, from diagnosis to treatment to leading support groups for others through Hard Quirk.

Media mentioned in this episode:

Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant short film: https://vimeo.com/429895816

Biohaven OCD commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ijVJ8c4_u8

Birdie is the personal safety alarm designed by women, for women. Use promo code CASSIDY for 10% off your Birdie!

Support the Show.

You can keep up with Mentally Together on Instagram @mentallytogetherpod. Cassidy's Instagram is @cassidyquinntv, and you can watch the video version of each podcast episode at YouTube.com/cassidyquinn.

Books recommended by Mentally Together guests: https://bookshop.org/lists/mentally-together

Happy LGBTQIA+ pride month! The month where we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and living openly and authentically.

It’s also a month to honor and celebrate the progress we’ve made in LGBTQIA+ rights… and to stand up against the anti-LGBTQIA+ hate and laws that have been popping up all over the country. The Human Rights Campaign just officially declared a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY for LGBTQ+ Americans. That’s the first time they’ve ever made a declaration like that, because now THIS is the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ bill. There have been more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law.

I don't want to make this episode all doom and gloom - but it's important to talk about. AND in this episode, we get to celebrate some wonderful humans in the LGBTQIA+ community. People who have graciously come on the pod to share their stories and experiences with mental health. And since identity is very much tied to mental health, they’ve shared stories about coming out, about becoming a drag queen, about queer representation in media, and online harassment…

Clearly, the experience of everyone in the LGBTQ+ community is different, which you’ll hear in these stories.

Here are the wonderful humans we hear from in this episode:
Poison Waters
Megan Mitchell
Lisa Cazes and Alizeé Falque
Lianne Saffer
X. Ari
Logan Lynn
Alayna Joy

Download the HRC's guidebook: https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/LGBTQ-Guidebook-for-Action.pdf

Learn the actual facts about trans people, and combat misinformation: https://www.hrc.org/resources/myths-and-facts-battling-disinformation-about-transgender-rights

Get your .gay domain here: www.godaddy.gay

Birdie is the personal safety alarm designed by women, for women. Use promo code CASSIDY for 10% off your Birdie!

Support the Show.

You can keep up with Mentally Together on Instagram @mentallytogetherpod. Cassidy's Instagram is @cassidyquinntv, and you can watch the video version of each podcast episode at YouTube.com/cassidyquinn.

Books recommended by Mentally Together guests: https://bookshop.org/lists/mentally-together

Ivan Maisel is an award-winning reporter and writer, who has covered college football for nearly four decades, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and now on3.com, where he’s a Senior Writer AND Vice President of Editorial.

8 years ago, Ivan's 21-year-old son Max died by suicide. And what I haven't yet shared on this podcast is the fact that I can really relate - I lost my mom to suicide almost two years ago.

Ivan writes about Max's life, death, the stigma around suicide and men’s mental health, and his discovery that grief is love in his book, I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye: A memoir of loss, grief and love. It’s a beautiful book that made me cry and smile.

I am honored that he took the time to talk with me about all of it - his love for Max, his grief that he continues to honor, and the healing he’s been through and continues to go through. And really, this conversation was healing for me too.

Read Ivan's book: https://bit.ly/ivanmaiselbook
Follow Ivan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ivan_Maisel

Birdie is the personal safety alarm designed by women, for women. Use promo code CASSIDY for 10% off your Birdie!

Support the Show.

You can keep up with Mentally Together on Instagram @mentallytogetherpod. Cassidy's Instagram is @cassidyquinntv, and you can watch the video version of each podcast episode at YouTube.com/cassidyquinn.

Books recommended by Mentally Together guests: https://bookshop.org/lists/mentally-together