Woman whose health condition made her think she was a paedophile explains other symptoms she experiences

A British woman whose health condition left her believing she might be a paedophile has opened up on some of the other symptoms she struggles with.

Molly Lambert bravely shared her distressing intrusive thoughts with her parents and therapists, having grappled with her own existence after being left concerned that she was a danger to children.

She said: "I was 15 and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a paedophile - I thought, I’m never going to forget this thought. My life is over'."

However, in 2025 she was diagnosed with P-OCD, a condition which causes an individual to have unwanted sexual thoughts or images about children, without the desire to hurt or abuse those minors.

Despite the 22-year-old receiving some abuse after sharing her story, with many unwilling to accept her medical diagnosis and writing her off as a paedophile, she is keen to raise awareness of the condition, and has shared some of the other symptoms she goes through.

(SWNS)

On her TikTok account, Molly wrote: "I wanted to speak more about my general anxiety and panic attacks as they have had the same grip on my life like my OCD has."

She discussed 'feeling unbalanced', as if the floor is being moved from beneath her feet and seeing black dots when she's feeling anxious.

The worst symptom she described was feeling like she needs to force herself to swallow, while she also feels the need for stability and having somewhere to lean or sit when out in public.

Anxiety rashes and redness of the skin is also something Molly struggles with.

Even though she has never abused anyone, or felt the desire to, the anxiety associated with P-OCD can often be overwhelming, causing fears that she had assaulted someone in the past.

She said: "The shame was overwhelming, I felt like a monster. I couldn’t even tell anyone what I was going through."

Things have improved for Molly since she received her official diagnosis in July last year.

Molly was diagnosed last year (SWNS)

She recalled: "The weight that lifted off my shoulders was crazy. I thought only freaks had this.

"My therapist said it is an awful thing to go to but that it is way more common than you would ever expect.

"Getting all of that outside of me was the biggest part of my journey. It felt like I was in a war with myself, but now I knew what I was fighting."

The digital PR worker is continuing to use her social media to raise awareness of P-OCD, despite the stigma that is attached to it.

She previously said: "I get a lot of hate, but this conversation is so important for the people suffering in silence.

"The scariest part is how many people might not be here anymore because of this. I remember thinking I’d be 50 and never escape these thoughts, or I would be dead.

"Always talk to someone, once you understand what it is, you realise it’s not you. It’s OCD."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.

Alternatively, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.