Nancy Lee Grahn’s Daughter, Kate, Releases a Powerful New Song, “Untangling”
Fans know that Kate Grahn, daughter of GENERAL HOSPITAL star Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), is a very talented musician, but her new song, “Untangling,” has a very special meaning for the young woman. “I have OCD and Tic Disorder,” Kate explained in an Instagram video. “Tic Disorder is commonly associated with OCD and it’s an offshoot of Tourettes. A lot of people don’t realize how hard having OCD actually is. It’s not a cute quirk. It’s actually constant worrying and intrusive, horrible thoughts. And the only way that I was able to cope with those thoughts was by playing music.
“My guitar was my security blanket and my voice was my emotional release,” she continued. “I wrote this song because I didn’t know how else to express my feelings. And I wanted everyone to understand how I was feeling. I’m so happy that it’s coming out with a video because it was really important to me to release this song with a visual representation of what it’s like having OCD and Tic Disorder. And I hope if anyone is dealing with something similar that they feel heard and they feel seen and they know they’re not alone.”
On her own Instagram, Grahn shared what her daughter’s struggle was like from her own perspective. “When Kate was just eight years old, after finally surviving four years of an extremely traumatic custody battle, I noticed that Kate started demonstrating behavior that seemed compulsive,” she explained. “She would tap the floor a specific number of times on both sides of her while walking, and look left and right an equal sum of times. I immediately called her pediatrician who set us up at UCLA Anxiety Disorder Clinic, where she was diagnosed with OCD and Tic Disorder.
“She was immediately put in treatment as well as several clinical trials for the next eight years with intermittent therapy as needed after that,” Grahn added. “I was also given instruction on how to cope and help her cope. The challenge for Kate growing up was substantial, and it was no small feat for her to learn management of this disorder behaviorally, for there is really no other way to truly live with it. I have witnessed up-close and personal the effort and discipline it took Kate to tame that ‘bully’ in her head as she calls it.
The GH star revealed that her daughter produced this music video with money she received from her godparents following her graduation from the Thornton School of Music. “As you can tell, I’m so very proud of all her accomplishments, her professionalism, and talent,” Grahn declared, “but most of all, her willingness to share her beautiful heart through her art.”
Kate co-wrote the edgy rock song with David Kidd, and you can watch the music video for “Untangling,” directed by Anthony Anchelowitz, right here!
