Episode 4.10: The Doubting Disease, with Vardaan Arora
Vardaan Arora, Singer-Songwriter and Actor
“Once OCD is identified, diagnosed, and treated... you get a better sense of when [your thoughts are] your OCD versus when it’s your reality. You start to become more aware of how your brain works.”
Take all the stereotypes you’ve heard about people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and just throw them out the damn window. Host Tanushree sits with singer-songwriter and actor Vardaan Arora to get a real account of his personal journey with mental health and specifically, OCD. Although OCD looks and feels different for each individual, Vardaan sheds light on the cycle of obsessive thoughts, compulsions, and ritualistic behavior. Calling OCD “the doubting disease” is an apt descriptor; Vardaan opens up about his sense of identity and mental security as a result of the distressing, and sometimes dangerous, nature of ego-dystonic* thought. Finding help for OCD isn’t easy – and Vardaan covers why treatments like talk therapy or logicking yourself out of obsessive thoughts only feeds the disorder. Finally, he shares how his OCD has affected his relationships as well as his life and craft as an artist.
A longtime mental health advocate, Vardaan has released several tracks on the topic:
*Ego-dystonic thought refers to impulses, and behaviors that are inconsistent with one’s idea of themselves. They are often felt to be repulsive, upsetting, and unacceptable.
**Please note that this episode is only a personal experience. It is not meant to give actual medical advice. If you suspect you or someone you know has symptoms of OCD, always seek advice from a trained, medical professional.
Vardaan Arora can be found:
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter: @vardaanarora