The OCD Stories

Dr. Anthony Pinto, an expert on Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), discusses the core features of OCPD, its impact on functioning, and the cognitive behavioral therapy interventions for managing maladaptive traits. He distinguishes OCPD from OCD, explores the negative effects on relationships and burnout, and emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and accepting the messiness of life in OCPD treatment. Additionally, he addresses the relevance of physiological changes and expresses gratitude to listeners and sponsors.

Dr Michele Bechor and Dr Ciana Mickolus, both licensed psychologists at the Neurobehavioral Institute in Florida, discuss the team approach to OCD treatment, including the benefits of involving families and early intervention, the advantages of a multidisciplinary team, the importance of discretion and peer consultation in sharing information, the significance of including spouses in therapy sessions, the benefits of a group setting for treatment, and the customization of treatment to help patients live their desired lives.

In episode 396 I chat with Dr Jesse Spiegel and Dr Sarah A. Haider. Jesse and Sarah are licensed clinical psychologists working with OCD.  We discuss their therapy stories, why exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) doesn’t work sometimes, including intensity, frequency, and duration. We also cover asking clients to tell on themselves, psychoeducation, checking for small compulsions that interrupt ERP, mental compulsions, how much homework is ideal, uncertainty, reassurance, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jesse-and-sarah-396 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

In episode 395 I chat with Hannah who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss harm worries around her children, hit and run themed OCD, finding a therapist who is an specialist in OCD, her core fears, doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), doing ERP while raising kids, medication, support groups, OCD and faith, and much more. Hope it helps.   Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/hannah-395  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

In episode 394 I chat with Will who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his story, growing up in a toxic environment, intrusive thoughts, confessing as a compulsion, perfectionism, being active duty in the US military, identity struggles, a bad relationship with alcohol, pOCD, relationship themed OCD, sexual orientation themed OCD, suicidal themed OCD, harm themed OCD, a fear of crossing bridges, health anxiety, being hyper-fixated on sleep, his journey to finding suitable therapy, peer support, intensive outpatient therapy program, masculinity, developing self-compassion, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/will-394  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

In episode 393 I chat with Jonny Say. Jonny is a UK based therapist and co-director at The Integrative Centre for OCD Therapy.  We discuss our new OCD centre, we talk about 9 barriers to OCD recovery, including using exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) with the agenda of controlling symptoms, automatic compulsions, secondary spikes, intense feelings, difficulties with urge surfing, shame, unworkable beliefs, core fears, and systemic issues. But more importantly some ideas on how to overcome these barriers. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jonny-say-393  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast  Our OCD centre, The Integrative Centre for OCD Therapy: https://www.integrativecentreforocd.co.uk/  

In episode 392 I chat with 6 members of an OCD support group. The support group members on the show were Bri, Bridget, Cassie, Joe, Kim, Steve, and Dr Lauren Wadsworth.  We discuss what is the group about, what’s it like being in an OCD support group, the benefits of being in an OCD support group, they share some nice memories of being in the group, setting goals within the group, managing challenges in the group, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ocd-support-group-392  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

In this midweek special episode I chat with Ethan Smith, and Dr Jonathan Hoffman of the Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI) in Florida.  We discuss aha moments, Ethan’s story and aha moment, aha moments of all kinds, pseudo aha moments, the catalysts for an aha moment, whether people need them, and much more. Hope it helps.   Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/nbi-6  The midweek special episodes which go out at the end of the month on a Wednesday are made possible by and in partnership with the Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI) in Florida. I will be interviewing different members of their clinical team on a range of topics. NBI specialise in treatment and programs for anxiety, OCD, comorbidities, and complex cases. They also offer an intensive outpatient program, and a residential program called the NBI Ranch: A supportive living experience that complements intensive treatment for Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorders. To find out more about their intensive outpatient services, or the NBI ranch, as well as to read some of their free information online about OCD via their blog, click here to find out more: https://www.nbiweston.com/

In episode 391 I chat with Katryna who has kindly agreed to share her story with us. We discuss her OCD story, masking symptoms, self harm, OCD themes including: harm, symmetry, existential, suicidal, relationship. We talk about compulsively tapping and blinking, panic, her dog Oliver who helped her a lot, how taking mind altering substances triggered an OCD theme, a traumatic event (attempted kidnapping) triggering harm OCD, the use of humour in therapy, doing intensive outpatient therapy, NOCD, group therapy, depersonalisation and derealisation, and much more. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/katryna-391 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

In episode 390 I chat with Kevin Ashworth. Kevin is the clinical director & senior clinician at the Northwest Anxiety Institute.  We discuss his therapy story, helping parents help kids and teens with OCD, helping with parental shame and guilt, psychoeducating parents on OCD, reducing accommodations, the therapeutic program SPACE which stands for supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions, having Mum, Dad or care giver in the therapy room, dealing with conflict between child and parent, how much should parents remind kids of therapy homework, the importance of humour, learning to be miserable on purpose, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/kevin-390  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast