Dr Jordan Levy & Dr Tatyana Mestechkina: What if this is not OCD?: Doubting the “Doubting Disease” (#338)

In episode 338 I chat ​Dr Jordan Levy and Dr Tatyana Mestechkina. Both Jordan and Tatyana are licensed clinical psychologists who treat OCD. 

We discuss their therapy story, we chat about the thought of what if this is not OCD and other thoughts that get in the way of therapy, such as, What if this time is different? What if I’m doing therapy the wrong way? What if this is the piece of “evidence” that leads my therapist to think this isn’t OCD after all? What if these thoughts are bad, and I’m a bad person for having them and letting them be there? What if my therapist doesn’t know what they’re talking about? We discuss how to navigate the thoughts, the back door spike, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jordan-and-tatyana-338 

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Story: Geoff (#337)

In episode 337 I chat with Geoff who has kindly agreed to share his story with us. 

We discuss his story, depression, spending 20 years with a traditional psychoanalyst who did not help or recognise OCD within him, the red flags of this therapy for OCD, realising that there are different schools or types of therapy, and the trauma caused by this particular therapy relationship for Geoff, eventually finding some more helpful therapists, getting a cancer diagnosis, we discuss ethics in therapy, what’s helped him in his journey, doing movement therapy, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/geoff-337 

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Lily Bailey: When I See Blue (#336)

In episode 336 I chat with Lily Bailey about her new book ‘When I See Blue’. Lily also wrote the book called, ‘Because We Are Bad’. 

We discuss her new book, Lily reads us a section of chapter 1 from her book, how the main character was inspired by some of Lily’s own story, the themes of OCD the main character Ben experiences, why Lily wrote more back story for Ben including other struggles, we discuss trauma and OCD, what she hopes readers will get from the book, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/lily-bailey-336

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Story: Traci (#335)

In episode 335 I chat with Traci who has kindly agreed to share her story with us. 

We discuss her story, misophonia, perfectionism, religious scrupulosity, starting with therapy, ADHD, sexual intrusive thoughts, unwanted arousal, groinal, needing to get therapy perfect, rumination, and so much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/traci-335

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Jonny Say – Self-compassion, and building up psychological flexibility in OCD treatment (#334)

In episode 333 I chat with Jonny Say. Jonny is a UK based therapist. 

We discuss how he’s doing, Jonny’s mental health and how he practices self-compassion daily, we discuss shame around intrusive thoughts and in doing compulsions, the inner critic, self-compassion and how it can help, building up psychological flexibility skills before exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), values based exposure, dropping anchor, a compassionate approach to ERP, and much more. Hope it helps.  

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jonny-say-334 

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Dr Roberto Olivardia – ADHD and OCD (#333)

In episode 333 I chat with Dr Roberto Olivardia. Roberto is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. He also maintains a private psychotherapy practice.

We discuss his therapy story, and personal story with ADHD, the school system and ADHD, what ADHD is, the comorbidity of OCD and ADHD together, how ADHD can feed into OCD, common OCD themes he sees with ADHD, how ADHD can undermine therapy for OCD if untreated, shame in ADHD and OCD, making accommodations for ADHD to enhance OCD treatment, medication for ADHD, why ADHD gets undiagnosed in OCD and more so in women, and much more. Hope it helps.  

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Story: Kim and Jack (#332)

In episode 332 I chat with Kim and Jack Vincenty who have kindly agreed to share their story, from the perspective of mother and son. 

We discuss Jack’s story, Kim’s story as the parent, moral scrupulosity, being surrounded by triggers, going through multiple rounds of exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), going to Colorado to do his biggest exposure, depression, where Jack’s at now, we discuss their new not-for-profit JACK, spreading ERP in Puerto Rico, words of hope and much more. Hope it helps.  

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/kim-and-jack-332 

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Art as healing: A live podcast with Catherine Benfield, Lily Bailey and Laura Johnson

In this special midweek episode of the podcast which was recorded at the OCD in Society event recently. I chat with these 3 OCD advocates and artists about who they are, what their creative expression for OCD is, dealing with imposter syndrome and self doubt, the benefits of creative expression, how art can help spread information about OCD, and much more. Hope it helps.  

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ocd-in-society-live

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Story: Amanda (#331)

In episode 331 I chat with Amanda who has kindly agreed to share her story. 

We talk about her story, growing up catholic, sexual intrusive thoughts, fears of sinning, seeking help from her priest, some of her compulsions, hitting rock bottom and considering suicide, doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), how her grandmother helped her, her grandmother’s own struggles, what else helps her, and much more. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/amanda-331

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Dr Amita Jassi – OCD and ASD, and BDD (#330)

In episode 330 I chat with Dr Amita Jassi. Amita is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the National and Specialist OCD, BDD and Related Disorder Service for Children and Young People (South London and Maudsley NHS Trust). 

We discuss her therapy story, adapting OCD therapy for people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), she shares what ASD is, how rigid thinking in ASD can impact treatment, bringing in special interests into therapy, tracking feelings without the use of a 0-10 scale, disentangling what is OCD vs what is ASD in terms of symptoms, how the family members can help their loved ones with autism and OCD. We then change topics to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), she shares what it is, the lack of insight in BDD, where BDD comes from, the unrealistic expectations/representations of beauty in the media, the therapy for BDD, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) for BDD and how it differs from ERP for OCD, bringing compassion in, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/amita-330

The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers affordable, effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans, if they currently take your insurance, or to download their free app, head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories