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NOAH KAHAN Reveals His Battle with OCD & Anxiety - And What He’s Sharing for the First Time Ever

Jay sits down with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan to break down the pressure that comes after “making it” - the imposter syndrome, the constant comparison, and the fear of losing it all. Noah shares how music became his escape from anxiety growing up, what it felt like to finally land the record deal he dreamed of, and why success didn’t silence the doubt, it amplified it. Jay and Noah unpack the myth of the “tortured artist,” and the quiet fear that healing might take away what makes you creative. Noah opens up about his recent OCD diagnosis, how he let go of the belief that he had to suffer for his art, and what it took to find his voice again without relying on pain. Noah speaks candidly about his struggles with body dysmorphia and the unexpected therapy of creating his documentary. Together they explore what it means to find balance and to stop performing for the world so you can finally be seen by the people who matter most. In this episode, you'll learn: How to Stop Defining Your Worth by Your Work How to Face Your Unseen Fears Through Therapy How to Stay Present When Life Feels Overwhelming How to Extract Lessons from Painful Feedback How to Handle the Fear of Losing Your Success How to Stay Grounded Between Praise and Criticism How to Prioritize Your Time Over the Endless Grind Whether you are navigating a major life transition or simply trying to find your footing in a loud world, remember that your self-worth is not a mathematical equation based on your latest achievement. No one should have to navigate their mental health journey alone. Join Noah in the mission to prove that the more we share our stories, the more we empower others to do the same. Visit: https://www.busyheadproject.org/ SpringFest is happening now, and our best lineup is here at Lowe’s. Visit: Lowe’s.com With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 01:19 Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of Others 03:21 The Childhood Memory That Defined My Career 04:19 Middle Child Energy and the Need to Be Heard 05:34 Music Was My Only Plan A 06:57 The Disconnect Between Fitting In and Being Genuine 09:21 Expressing Yourself Without Giving Yourself Away 12:17 Songwriting: The Constant Search for a Simpler Life 15:17 Every Creative Process Is Different 17:31 When What You Do Becomes Who You Are 25:56 Does Healing Kill Creativity? 28:24 My Biggest Regret in Communicating with Family 31:33 The Vulnerability of Filming Your Private Life 35:25 Healing and Finding Peace as a Family 42:50 Has Success Made Mental Health Harder or Better? 45:09 The Honest Truth about Body Dysmorphia 50:44 Living and Dying by Your Own Honesty 55:42 The Difference Between Going to Therapy and Doing Therapy 58:22 Do You Secretly Find Comfort in Your Pain? 01:00:00 Re-evaluating What Truly Matters After Success 01:03:48 Finding the Strength to Believe in Yourself 01:09:32 Protecting Your Heart While Taking Criticism 01:13:21 Would You Rather? 01:15:31 Gut Reaction 01:18:20 Noah on Final Five Episode Resources: Website | https://noahkahan.com/ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahKahan Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/noahkahanmusic Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/noahkahanmusic/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@noahkahanmusic X | https://x.com/NoahKahan https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

Noah KahanguestJay Shettyhost
Apr 6, 20261h 21mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Noah Kahan on OCD, creativity, vulnerability, family, and criticism management

  1. Noah Kahan describes how anxiety, OCD, and depression show up daily—often as a baseline feeling of disconnection even when life looks objectively “good.”
  2. He unpacks the creative identity trap: when making art becomes synonymous with self-worth, both writer’s block and external feedback can feel like judgments of the self.
  3. Kahan shares a major mindset shift—rejecting the belief that suffering is required for great art—and explains how medication, therapy, and surrendering control helped him write again.
  4. The Netflix documentary becomes an unexpected family mirror, forcing difficult conversations (divorce, his dad’s brain injury, personal shame) and ultimately bringing closeness and clarity.
  5. He explores how success intensifies projection and people-pleasing (imagining others’ expectations), and he searches for an “equilibrium” that can hold praise and criticism without swinging extremes.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Success doesn’t remove mental illness; it changes its triggers.

Kahan notes his mental health challenges would exist regardless, but touring, visibility, and the self-focused nature of the industry add new stressors while also forcing him to confront issues he might otherwise avoid.

When ‘what you do’ becomes ‘who you are,’ creative blocks become existential threats.

He explains that struggling to create can feel like struggling with the self, making it harder to ask for help and easier to spiral into anxiety and avoidance.

Healing can increase creative capacity by reducing obsessive ‘rabbit holes.’

Though he feared medication/therapy would dull his art, he found he still had depth and sadness—just without being hijacked by compulsions and constant rumination.

Documenting family pain can be ethical only with proactive communication.

Kahan regrets earlier songwriting that aired family dynamics without discussing them first; with the documentary/new album, he emphasizes checking in, consent, and letting loved ones voice discomfort.

Projection is a hidden driver of anxiety in high-stakes moments.

At the Grammys and with the documentary, he assumed others would feel disappointed or harmed; learning others’ actual reactions (e.g., his dad simply loving the film) reduced shame and self-blame.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

I'm just now trying to unwind this idea that I have to be unhealthy physically or in pain in some emotional way in my life to create good music.

— Noah Kahan

I was holding off on getting the help that I really needed for a long time because I was so afraid of it dulling my creativity.

— Noah Kahan

I wish I had talked to you guys about this first because it would've been so much healthier. It would've been more fair to you.

— Noah Kahan

Like, you just never fucking know what someone's going through, man. Like, you really don't.

— Noah Kahan

If someone says that I did a good job, I'm like, "Yeah, I'm good!" If someone says that I suck, I'm like, "I suck."

— Noah Kahan

OCD/anxiety diagnosis and intrusive thoughtsCreativity tied to self-worth and identityFear that healing reduces artistryMarketing vulnerability vs authentic expressionFamily exposure, regret, and communicationBody dysmorphia and male mental healthTherapy vs “doing therapy” and breaking coping cyclesHandling criticism, projection, and emotional equilibrium

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