Bryony Gordon: 'I wish we were more honest about mental health because the shame kills people'
Journalist and author Bryony Gordon told the Loose Women that she wished society was "more honest" about mental health because the "shame" and stigma attached "kills people".
Speaking with the panel about her own experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) during ITV's Britain Get Talking week, Bryony explained how the mental health condition had taken over her life as she obsessively ruminated on distressing thoughts she was having.
"OCD is extreme and the World Health Organisation have listed it as one of the top ten most debilitating diseases to live with", she said. "So I describe OCD as your brain refusing to acknowledge what your brain can see."
Bryony also revealed how she'd turned to alcohol to cope with her OCD and thought getting married and having her daughter would miraculously make it go away. However, she learned that things weren't quite that simple.
She's now a mental health advocate, who wants to change the way we talk about mental health and encourage others to seek help too.
"You're not a bad person," she said, addressing those who might be watching at home. "You're just a person who might sometimes do bad things because you're suffering from an illness."
If you've been affected by any of the issues raised you can use these helplines
Watch Loose Women weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV, STV and the ITV Hub. And don't forget you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too.