Country music sensation Luke Combs recently shared his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during an interview with “60 Minutes Australia”. His candid discussion aims to raise awareness and inspire those who might be facing similar mental health challenges.

Understanding Combs’ OCD

In the interview, Combs described his experience with a more “obscure” form of OCD, which manifests primarily as intrusive thoughts that induce stress and anxiety. He elaborated on the cycle of these thoughts: “It’s thoughts, essentially, that you don’t want to have… they cause you stress, and then the stress causes you to have more of the thoughts.”

He went on to explain, “It’s really tedious to pull yourself out of it. It takes a lot of… you have to know what to do. I’m lucky to be an expert to know how to get out of it now.”

Impact of OCD on Daily Life

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD is characterized by uncontrollable thoughts or repetitive behaviors. Combs’ experience, however, highlights a unique aspect: “the variant I have is particularly wicked because there’s no outward manifestation of it,” making it less recognizable to those around him.

He shared that traditional compulsions, like checking or repeating actions, are not present in his experience. Instead, these intrusive thoughts occur silently within, making it challenging for others to understand the extent of his struggles.

Coping Mechanisms and Management

Combs has developed strategies to manage his OCD, emphasizing the need to disregard the validity of intrusive thoughts. He remarked, “The way to get out of it is… it doesn’t matter what the thoughts even are. You giving any credence to what the thoughts are is only fuels you having more of them.” He emphasized the importance of acceptance and nonchalantly acknowledging these thoughts without attaching significance to them.

This perspective is crucial in his journey. “Accepting that they’re happening and just going, ‘Whatever, dude. It’s happening,’” has been a significant relief for him, allowing the thoughts to dissipate over time.

A Commitment to Mental Health Advocacy

Combs hopes to leverage his experiences to impact others positively. He envisions engaging in mental health outreach to share his journey and provide hope to individuals grappling with OCD. His message is clear: success is attainable despite mental health battles. He states, “It’s possible to continue to live your life and be really successful and have a great family and achieve your dreams while also dealing with things that you don’t want to be dealing with.”

By openly discussing his challenges, Combs hopes to show that it is possible to live a fulfilling life alongside mental health issues and that embracing one’s struggles can lead to empowerment.