Loving a band, an author, a vlogger, a footballer… even a politician can be very fulfilling. It can be on your mind all the time and become a key part of your daily routine. When you’re dancing in the front row of a gig hoping to catch their eye, or commenting on their latest video hoping they’ll reply directly to you, it can be a very positive and life-affirming experience.

It can also become a negative force, and begin to take over your life to the detriment of your wellbeing, and recognising this can be difficult. If the infatuation starts to take over and become an obsession then you could be heading into dangerous territory. But how much is too much? There are no rules; a perfectly healthy fandom may look excessive from the outside looking in, but in fact be quite normal. There is lots of help available though.

One key sign that a fandom is becoming an obsession is that you’re thinking about your obsession all the time, and not spending time with your friends or family or other interests. Your schoolwork or job may be suffering, and you may be feeling very lonely and losing sleep.

In the episode Sarah talks about her experiences being bullied at school having lead her to find solace in an online community. Bullying can be a very painful experience, and one that’s hard to talk about with your family and friends.

She also discusses loneliness, which can be both a cause and symptom of obsession. According to the mental health charity Mind loneliness can have a big impact on your wellbeing, including your self-esteem, which can make it harder to open up and make new connections.

If you think you, or someone you know, is suffering from an unhealthy fan obsession, or any of the issues raised here, then the following organisations offer help and support.

Bullying

• Channel 4 Help and Support
• Bullying UK
• Childline
• NSPCC
• Government Advice

Fan Obsession

• Healthline
• NHS advice sheet on obsession

Loneliness

• Childline
• Mind