My Journey through Mental Illness to Becoming a Therapist with Breanna Catucci

Along the Gravel Road Podcast

In this week’s episode I talk with Breanna Catucci about her long journey through OCD, trauma, depression, anxiety, self-harm, to now actively pursuing her mental health counseling degree at NYU. Breanna is from New York, and I was lucky enough to meet her through our online graduate program. So often we try to separate professionals from their personal life, but, as counselors, it’s important for us to understand our journey before we can help others navigate theirs. Breanna shares about her traumatic experience as a patient at an in-patient behavioral health clinic. We also talk in detail about her OCD symptoms, specifically hypochondriasis, now more widely recognized as Illness Anxiety Disorder. And finally, we delve into trauma and how unique it is to each person that experiences it, but that doesn’t make it any less real. As a warning, this episode touches on self-harm and suicide. If you are feeling triggered at any point, please take the time you need, reach out to someone for support, and listen when you feel more comfortable doing so, or ask someone else to listen with you.
Resources

Illness anxiety disorder (previously called hypochondriasis, a term which has been revised in the DSM-5 due to its disparaging connotation) is a psychiatric disorder defined by excessive worry about having or developing a serious undiagnosed medical condition.[1] People with an illness anxiety disorder (IAD) experience persistent anxiety or fear of developing or having a serious medical illness that adversely affects their daily life.[2] This fear persists despite normal physical examination and laboratory testing results.[2] People suffering from IAD pay excessive attention to normal bodily sensations (such as functions of digestion or sweating) and misinterpret these sensations as indicators of severe disease. IAD is typically a chronic condition.[1]

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which patients experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts that are only relieved by performing behaviors or compulsions.[7] Compulsive behaviors demonstrated in obsessive-compulsive disorder are typically ritualized, repetitive, and stereotyped, e.g., repetitively checking door lock. Furthermore, patients with OCD usually have obsessions and concerns pertaining to more than one concern.[7] Patients with IAD may experience intrusive thoughts about the illness and have associated compulsive behaviors, such as typically body checking or seeking reassurance. Still, these concerns are primarily preoccupied with health and disease only. They are not present in other areas of life.[7]

For Immediate Help

If you are in crisis: Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to everyone. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency.

If you are thinking about harming yourself or thinking about suicide:

• Tell someone who can help right away.
• Call your licensed mental health professional if you are already working with one.
• Call your doctor or health care provider.
• Go to the nearest hosp

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