Car Guy With Panic Attacks Finds Therapy in Letting People Into His Garage and Life
Matt Moreman has panic disorder. His obsessive fears occasionally cause him to pass out or give him anxiety attacks. In his search for answers to his mental health, he found a therapist who told him he should try to let people in instead of retreating into himself. So, as awkward as it was for him, he began to journal about his passion for cars. That led to inviting people into his garage to learn how to do detailing.
Since then, Moreman has created a business revolving around his automotive passion. He shares his life and knowledge via podcasts and the YouTube channel Obsessed Garage. That sharing has become a pivotal part of his therapy.
Matt Moreman treats his obsessive worrying by opening up to people
Moreman was surprised at how many people began watching his YouTube videos. At first, he started creating them as an outlet to discuss his life. But thousands of viewers began subscribing to his channel. From this, he discovered other people could relate to his situation and love cars.
Whether it’s discussing the Porsche configurator, BMW repairs, or the water filtration system in a pressure washer, Moreman covers a wide range of automotive topics. He even holds events where he provides people training on various detailing techniques, set-ups, or tools.
Obsessed Garage is born
Through it all, Moreman has created Obsessed Garage, a brand that nods to his phobia. The brand offers all the tools, equipment, and detailing chemicals he has obsessively studied and used. It includes everything from detailing rags to toolboxes. So, in effect, his extreme worrying has opened a business opportunity for him, creating an additional income stream.
Moreman’s sharing of his knowledge and challenges has contributed to his YouTube subscriber base growing significantly. It has expanded so much that he has begun doing giveaways. One of his nearly 400,000 subscribers recently won a garage makeover from Obsessed Garage. So, ironically, Moreman has entered other people’s lives by letting them into his.
With this particular giveaway, Moreman was hands-on and spent a week personally working on the project. Of course, he documented the build on Obsessive Garage.
Matt Moreman has learned how to control his phobia better
Panic disorder is a part of Matt Moreman’s life, but he has not let it confine or define him. Instead, he shares the effects of his condition in addition to opening up about his passion for cars. For example, in the above video, he describes what it’s like to own one of his iconic, cherished cars while dealing with his compulsion to detail it constantly.
A passion for the automotive industry can be therapeutic. It provides a focus when the anxieties of life come crashing in. Sometimes, an exhilarating drive with loud music can rekindle that passion. Other times, as with Moreman, the automotive link is an outlet to let people with similar interests into his garage and life and alleviate some of those anxieties.
Either way, the car community is vast and diverse. In this case, people with similar interests — or conditions — freely exchange information and help one another through challenges with their cars and life. Yes, a garage can be therapeutic.
