Our executive director Christian John Lillis penned an essay for Mad In America, sharing his experience of overcoming his anxiety issues to lead PLF.

The Worst Thing: How My Mother’s Death Pushed Me to Overcome OCD

By Christian John Lillis

The first time I saw a therapist was in 1981, when I was eight years old. Her name was Sharon. She had red hair and freckles, just like me. Once a week, my mother would take me to the Flatbush Guidance Center, where I would spend an hour talking to Sharon. My parents’ marriage had imploded a couple of years before and I was having trouble in school. Primarily, I was being teased and bullied for being a “sissy.” It would be eight years before I came out as gay to a largely supportive family. Throughout that time, I was in therapy on and off.

Read the full essay here: The Worst Thing: How My Mother’s Death Pushed Me to Overcome OCD