Obsessive and Compulsive? (Episode 85)

Nov 8, 2024

Delve into the fascinating world of anxiety disorders and their obsessive-compulsive traits. Discover how panic disorder, health anxiety, and those sneaky quirks of GAD intertwine with obsessional thoughts. Hear inspiring stories, like a listener's journey back to paddle sports after a panic attack. The hosts share humor and wisdom about childhood mischief as a metaphor for facing life’s challenges. Plus, learn about the often-overlooked selective mutism and the transformative power of exposure techniques in conquering anxiety!

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Understanding Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors

01:38 • 13min

Overcoming Panic and Embracing Challenges

14:21 • 3min

Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive Behaviors

16:58 • 12min

Unlocking the Right Door: The Challenge of Obsessive-Compulsive Thinking

28:54 • 2min

Unlocking the Lessons of Childhood Mischief

30:56 • 2min

Confronting Anxiety: Stories of Triumph and Strategy

32:41 • 13min

This week on Disordered we're starting with the assertion that all anxiety disorders are obsessive and compulsive in at least some way. Then we make our way through all the "usual suspects"

Panic disorder
Health anxiety
Social anxiety
GAD
OCD (obviously)

We're looking at the obsessional components of each anxiety flavor, and the corresponding common compulsions or rituals designed to easy anxiety and discomfort.

If you're worried because you think you have one type of anxiety ... and also OCD ... don't worry. While the usual "we're all a little OCD" thing is really awful and should be banned forever, within the context of anxiety disorders there are always obsessive and compulsive tendencies at play.

Also, shout out to selective mutism, which is officially an anxiety disorder according to the DSM-5 but has never been mentioned on this podcast before. Spoiler alert: neither Drew nor Josh had anything constructive to say in that moment because neither has any experience with that presentation. Sorry, selective mutism.

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Disordered Roundtables are here. Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our homepage and get on our mailing list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Struggling with worry and rumination that you feel you can't stop or control? Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Worry and Rumination Explained⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a two hour pre-recorded workshop produced by Josh and Drew. The workshop takes a deep dive into the mechanics of worrying and ruminating, offering some helpful ways to approach the seemingly unsolvable problem of trying to solve seemingly unsolveable problems.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/worryrumination⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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