It's TED Talks Daily. I'm your host, Elise Hugh. Today, something a little different. Here's an episode of Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter. It's another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. If you like what you hear, and we hope you do, you can find and follow more episodes wherever you're listening to this.

Just letting you know, this episode discusses mental illness. Take care while listening.

When I was a kid, it felt like my dad was obsessed with getting to the airport on time.

It would start a week ahead of our flight,

sometimes even more. On the day of the flight, if the taxi we'd scheduled for 4 a.m., already two

hours earlier than needed, wasn't there by 359, he'd get really agitated. Then we'd always get there so early that nothing would be open yet.

And so he'd start screaming at people, the folks who work there, my mom. He was clearly in a lot of

distress. And when you try to talk him down and explain it was okay, he'd brush you off. He was in

the right, and we just couldn't see it.

He did other things that felt similar. He'd always worry that he'd left the stove on or that

he left the iron on. And my brother and I started checking these things when we were getting

ready to go anywhere in hopes that my dad wouldn't worry if we took care of it.

But it never helped.

My dad's anxiety permeated a lot of things and caused a lot of chaos.

As a kid, this was really hard on me.

I was embarrassed all the time. Other people thought my family was strange hard on me. I was embarrassed all the time.

Other people thought my family was strange.

My friends didn't want to come over to my house to hang out.

I didn't know anyone else who was like this,

and it felt like there was something uniquely wrong with my family.

Now I recognize my dad had a severe anxiety disorder.

He never sought treatment for it.

...