Warning: This article contains discussion of mental health conditions, child abuse and suicidal thoughts which some readers may find distressing.
A woman who was convinced she was a pedophile before receiving a medical diagnosis has shared a positive update after speaking out.
22-year-old Molly Lambert, from Manchester in the UK, started experiencing intrusive thoughts of a violent and sexual nature when she was a teenager, and they soon became so intense that she was terrified she was a danger to others.
This led to her becoming wrongly convinced that she was a pedophile.
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Eventually, Molly found out she was suffering a specific mental health condition called pedophile obsessive compulsive disorder, or P-OCD.
Sufferers experience unwanted intrusive thoughts about the sexual abuse of children, and it's important to note that P-OCD is not pedophilia.
Molly went public with her story back in March in a bid to help others and raise awareness - and in a new update, she's revealed she's achieved exactly that.
'It could have saved me years of suffering'
"People have sought help, got diagnosed, or realised they’re not alone after hearing my story. That’s what matters," she said. "I wish I had earlier awareness, it could have saved me years of suffering."
The 22-year-old went on to say that she's received messages from people who were convinced they were 'the only ones' suffering from the condition.
"It’s heartbreaking, but it shows how vital it is to talk about it," she added. "If even one person reaches out for help because of my story, it’s worth it. The response shows how many people are silently struggling - and how important it is to break that silence."
There's 'no quick fix' with mental health conditions
Although she is now managing her condition with therapy, Molly still experiences intrusive thoughts daily and is keen to emphasize that there is no quick fix.
She said: "They’re the same lie in a different disguise, but recognising the pattern helps me manage them."
Experiencing intrusive thoughts is entirely normal, and people who do not suffer from OCD are usually able to recognise them and brush them off.
However, someone who has OCD may experience intrusive thoughts more intensely and find them difficult to ignore, which then leads to them believing the thoughts are true.
Over time, this can have a major impact on someone, and in Molly's case her entire day-to-day life was impacted by her condition.
“It was fight or flight constantly," said Molly. "Every thought was dark, I wasn’t eating properly, I wasn’t sleeping, I was so scared of being alone and going to bed."
Molly realized that she had traits of the condition for a long time, but it wasn't until she saw someone talking about P-OCD on TikTok that she was able to make the connection and eventually get a diagnosis.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.