#RealTalkTuesday: Inside Shannon Purser’s Struggle With OCD

“It was me being super self-conscious, to the point where it was debilitating”

Ever since her scene-stealing role in Stranger Things and subsequent acting success in Riverdale and Sierra Burgess is a Loser, Shannon Purser has been seriously slaying onscreen. But things haven’t always been that way for the Atlanta native. 

Shannon recently opened up about being diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD is “a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccuring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels to the urge to repeat over and over.” 

She also revealed details of her personal struggle, in an effort to help spread awareness and fight the stigma associated with the disorder. “Everybody hears OCD and they think, ‘Okay you like to clean or be organized,'” she says. “That’s really not what it is, especially not for everybody.” 

For Shannon, she was extremely self-conscious, which made her afraid to talk to people. “I don’t have a typical body type and that used to be something that made me feel very alone and weird.”

Shannon sought therapy and encourages others who are struggling to do the same. “I think I’ve landed on my feet, which I’m thankful for.”

She sure has! Watch our latest interviews with Shannon below: