Carly Pearce Opens Up on Lifelong OCD and Anxiety Battle

• Carly Pearce’s OCD and anxiety began in childhood, not just during adulthood or stressful events.
• Early family dynamics, especially modeling after her perfectionist mother, influenced her mental health issues.
• The pandemic and her 2020 divorce intensified Pearce’s need to address these lifelong struggles.
• Therapy has played a critical role in helping Pearce manage her “crippling” OCD and anxiety symptoms.
• Pearce’s public openness contributes to breaking mental health stigma in the entertainment industry.

Country music star Carly Pearce has recently opened up in a deeply personal conversation about her ongoing battle with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), sharing how these mental health challenges have affected her life from childhood into adulthood. Her revelations during an August 2025 episode of the Dumb Blonde podcast with host Bunnie Xo provide a compelling look into Pearce’s mental health journey, shedding light on how early experiences and family dynamics played a role in shaping her struggles.

Carly Pearce Shares a “Core Memory” of When She Believes She Developed Mental Disorders as a Child

Pearce revealed that what she had long thought to be anxiety emerging only in recent years actually traces back to when she was about six or seven years old. She described repetitive behaviors typical of OCD, such as obsessively checking her backpack and alarm clock. Pearce remembers how storms would trigger panic attacks, and how her mother took her to meet a meteorologist in a local library to help ease those fears. This “core memory” is vital for understanding that her mental health difficulties were not sudden or situational but deeply rooted from an early age.

While on the Dumb Blonde Podcast with Bunnie Xo, Carly Pearce Revealed She Has Anxiety and OCD

During the candid podcast episode, Carly spoke openly about how she initially believed her anxiety started during her very public divorce from fellow country singer Michael Ray in 2020. However, reflecting through therapy and self-awareness, she realized that her anxiety and OCD were lifelong battles. The pandemic and the divorce acted as catalysts that forced her to confront and prioritize her mental health. She admitted feeling “trapped in her own body” during that stress-filled period but expressed how therapy and growth helped her develop coping skills to manage these disorders.

“I Watched and Led by Example,” Pearce Said of Picking Up Patterns as a Kid

Pearce credits her upbringing, particularly her mother’s perfectionist tendencies, as influential in developing her own need for control and order. Although her mother never explicitly pressured her, Pearce subconsciously mimicked habits like always maintaining a polished appearance and arranging Barbie doll shoes in precise order. This upbringing contributed to her own “crippling” OCD, leading to a lifelong desire to have everything perfect, which sometimes became paralyzing.

How Carly Pearce’s Journey Highlights the Importance of Mental Health Awareness

Carly Pearce’s openness about these struggles comes at a time when mental health discussions in entertainment are gaining significance. By sharing her experiences with anxiety and OCD publicly, she joins a growing movement of artists breaking stigma and encouraging others to acknowledge and seek support for their mental health issues. Her story is a reminder that mental health conditions often have complex origins and require sustained attention and care.

Healing Through Music, Therapy, and Transparency

Despite the challenges, Pearce continues to find strength through her music career and honesty about her journey. Her 2024 album “Hummingbird” symbolizes both personal healing and a return to her country roots. On her Hummingbird World Tour, she connects with fans not just through song but also by discussing topics like resilience and authenticity—demonstrating how mental health management is an ongoing process. Carly emphasizes that therapy has been crucial in helping her understand and address her lifelong OCD and anxiety, giving her tools to better navigate life’s uncertainties.

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