Around and Around - The OCD Circle

PURE OBSESSION: A CHAT WITH ZACHARY GITTELMAN  In today’s conversation, Zachary Gittelman, a 29-year-old living in Manhattan, shares his experience with Pure O, a form of OCD marked by distressing thoughts (obsessions) without visible compulsions. His OCD symptoms became pronounced in his early 20s after moving away from his twin brother, with his obsessions often involving self-harm thoughts. Thr...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION - GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE My blog and current social media links are listed below: Facebook Group Page -  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1006937163975152 Blog – aroundandaroundtheocdcircle.blogspot.com Tik Tok - theocdcircle Twitter-- @aroundocdcircle Instagram - @aroundandaroundtheocdcircle YouTube- Around and Around – The OCD Circle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCby...

Managing OCD During COVID: My First Experience and Key Lessons Learned Today, I discuss my experience of having COVID for the first time and how I managed my OCD during that period. I explored the challenges of balancing pandemic-related health anxieties with my OCD tendencies and the coping strategies I used, such as mindfulness and self-care. I also reflect on what I learned about myself, includ...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION - MY HAPPY PLACE My blog and current social media links are listed below: Facebook Group Page -  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1006937163975152 Blog – aroundandaroundtheocdcircle.blogspot.com Tik Tok - theocdcircle Twitter-- @aroundocdcircle Instagram - @aroundandaroundtheocdcircle YouTube- Around and Around – The OCD Circle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbyTz1V6a5hinyl4z...

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: JOSH KIRSCHENBAUM'S JOURNEY WITH OCD AND SELF-HEALING In today's episode, I speak with Josh Kirschenbaum, a 39-year-old from Philadelphia who was diagnosed with OCD in his mid-30s. Big trigger warning here! Josh shares that he has experienced suicidal thoughts since the age of 6 and these are discussed throughout much of this episode. He discusses the compulsive behaviors h...

Mid-Week Motivation - The Story of Nick Vujicic In this week’s motivation, I will be telling you the story of Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker who was born without arms or legs. I think you will find his story very inspiring. My blog and current social media links are listed below: Facebook Group Page -  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1006937163975152 Blog – aroundandaroundtheocdcircle.blogsp...

Unwelcome Guests: Navigating the Chaos of Intrusive Thoughts I have been managing my OCD very well for the past few years without the assistance of medications and now without monthly therapy sessions. But that doesn’t mean things are perfect around here. This week I talk about some of the recent obsessions I have been having and how I’ve dealt with them, also how I could have handled things diffe...

Mid-Week Motivation - Erma Bombeck I hope you enjoy these quotes by Erma Bombeck and that they help you with your mental health and life struggles. Erma Bombeck was a beloved American humorist and writer known for her witty and relatable take on the everyday experiences of suburban life, particularly from the perspective of a housewife. Born in 1927, she started her career as a newspaper columnist...

How to Deal: Managing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as a Young Adult Today, I’m speaking with a young woman named Kaur. Her family is from India and she is in her 20’s. She has an amazing story to tell. Struggling with depression, OCD and a diagnosed of Borderline Personality Disorder, she is taking control of her future by switching to a new treatment center. I was very impressed with this young...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION - OUR PLACE IN THIS WORLD I hope you enjoy this week’s mid-week motivation. We can begin and continue our healing process by recognizing our special place in this world and what we have to offer. I know it’s hard. When you are depressed or anxious, it’s hard to think about something positive about urselves, but we are in control of our own healing. I have no doubt that you can...

I QUIT OCD THERAPY! I’ve been in therapy for over 40 years of my life! What led me to quit now? Will I ever go back? I by no means am suggesting that YOU quit therapy! I just wanted to let you know some of my thoughts about what led up to this decision. Are you considering ending your therapy sessions? Let me know. You can contact me at any of my social media links below.   My blog and current soc...

Mid-Week Motivation - Lessons from Yoda, Jedi Master Are you a Star Wars fan like I am? If so, May the Force Be With You! If not, you may have been missing out on some important life lessons. In this week's mid-week motivation, I discuss some of the lessons taught by the Jedi Master himself, Yoda. I will mention some of his quotes in the Star Wars movies, and give my opinion on how we can appl...

NATUROPATHY AND MENTAL HEALTH WITH JANAYA KARLOCI I am so excited to have Janaya Karloci back on the podcast! Janaya, a naturopath living in Australia was gracious enough to return for a second conversation with me. In this episode, she briefly summarizes her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and then we jump right in to her new adventure as a naturopath, who is helping others learn what she has lear...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION - A LESSON FROM MY DRIVER'S ED INSTRUCTOR Each Thursday morning I present you with a song, quote,poem or passage to bring some positivity to your week. This week I reflect on a lesson I learned from my high school driver’s education instructor. “Always drive at a speed that is safe for conditions.” I have remembered this lesson for over 45 years and I have applied it to oth...

MY OCD DISAPPEARED DURING A NATURAL DISASTER! This week I talk about the derecho (straight line wind storm) that hit my neighborhood in Houston and my experience during a tornado on that same night. Surprisingly, my OCD seemed to totally disappear for almost a week, following the storm. My blog and current social media links are listed below: Facebook Group Page -  https://www.facebook.com/groups/...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION - 20 SECONDS OF COURAGE Each Thursday morning I present you with a song, quote, poem or passage to bring some positivity to your week. This week I will talk about a lesson from the movie "We Bought a Zoo" and how I have applied this lesson in my personal life. I hope this lesson helps you when you are anxious and/or afraid to do or say something you are not comfortabl...

Diagnosed with OCD After a Turbulent Childhood Today I had the great pleasure of speaking with David Albert Cole. 54 years old and living in Canada, David has a fascinating story to tell.  Conceived through violence, adopted by an alcoholic mother and many health issues, caused much anxiety in his life. He was diagnosed in 1999 during a medical crisis. My blog and current social media links are li...

MATTHEW CYPCAR SHARES HIS OCD STORY TO HELP OTHERS TRANSCRIPT LINK: Around and Around - The OCD Circle: SEASON 1: EPISODE 38 MY CONVERSATION WITH MATTHEW CYPCAR - TRANSCRIPT Welcome to the Around and Around the OCD Circle Podcast. In today’s episode, I speak with Matthew Cypcar, who was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at the age of 15. Matt says that it all started with perfectionism...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION FROM THE DAILY STOIC. IT TAKES COURAGE TO MAKE CHANGES. Each Thursday morning I present you with a song, quote, poem or passage to bring some positivity to your week. Today I will be reading a passage from “The Daily Stoic”, written by Ryan Holiday. I heard about this book from my guest, Jaimi McPeek, in the episodes where we talked about self-love. There is one passage a day t...

SHINE A LIGHT ON HYGIENE: EXPLORING THE LINKS BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND PERSONAL HABITS TRANSCRIPT LINK: Around and Around - The OCD Circle: TRANSCRIPT: SEASON 1: EPISODE 37 EPISODE HOW DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IMPACTS DAILY HYGIENE HABITS Depression and anxiety can significantly impact daily hygiene habits. Here's how: Decreased Motivation Fatigue Negative Thought Patterns Avoidance Behaviors D...

MID-WEEK MOTIVATION: WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A LOVELY DAY? Good morning, everyone! Welcome back to the Around and Around the OCD Circle podcast. My name is Elizabeth and I’m glad you have joined me for my very first mid-week motivation episode. I will try to upload a motivational quote, song or thought every Thursday morning to hopefully make the rest of your week brighter, or at least a little more...

SIMON RINNE'S STORY: FROM OCD PATIENT TO MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKER - PART TWO Today’s episode is the conclusion of my conversation with Simon Rinne. Simon has lived with mental illness for over 30 years. Simon started Mindful Men in 2021 to share his story and help normalize discussions about mental health. In today’s conversation, Simon talks about self-care,  his sobriety and...

SIMON RINNE'S STORY: FROM OCD PATIENT TO MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKER - PART ONE Today’s episode is part one of my conversation with Simon Rinne. Simon has lived with mental illness for over 30 years. Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Burnout are all challenges he’s been working through over the years. Simon started Mindful Men in 2021 to share his story...

MY PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH OCD: I WAS OBSESSED WITH A COLLEAGUE In this episode I deconstruct my most significant OCD spell. During this time, I was given a name for my disorder - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. After almost 15 years of reaching out to countless professionals, I finally knew what was causing my obsessions and compulsions and that there was help available. My blog and current social...

OVERCOMING, GRATITUDE, CREATIVITY AND GROWTH. MY CONVERSTAION WITH JAIMI McPEEK – PART THREE Welcome back everyone to Around and Around the OCD Circle podcast. I want to remind you that this podcast now has a Facebook page, where we can discuss OCD with others who live with this disorder daily. The link is below in the show notes, along with my other social media links. Today’s show is the conclus...