FearCast Podcast

In light of Mother’s Day, I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Jon Abramowitz and chat about Post Partum and Parinatal OCD, usually abbreviated as PPOCD. Dr. Abramowitz and I discussed the nuts and bolts of PPOCD, how it fits within the general OCD cycle, the impact it has on both new mothers and fathers, and what treatment looks like. As usual, we get distracted by other topics of OCD and Dr. Abra...

For today’s episode, I answer a question from C. She wants to know what she can do about her dissociation and memory loss when she becomes triggered and/ or overwhelmed with anxiety. What’s worse, she feels this way when she tries to do ERP and wonders whether or not the dissociation will make her efforts toward exposure fruitless. I offer her some ideas on how she can work with her dissociation....

Jenn wrote to me asking about how she can deal with the feelings of shame and embarrassment after her family has heard the details, and been the recipients of, her compulsive confession, reassurance seeking, and other compulsive behavior. She’s struggling with the shame that happens after years of compulsive vulnerability and wants to know how to put her relationship back together after they’ve se...

Kallie sent me a question that I’m sure every single person who has listened to this podcast has asked– “Why does OCD feel so real?!” She also asks why her specific subtype keeps showing up despite other subtypes coming and going, so there’s a little something for everyone. This is a tricky question to answer, but I discuss some of the tricks OCD plays on the brain, and how the brain is uniquely s...

Today’s episode includes two questions and two answers, both having to do with memories. For the first question, the listener wants to know what can be done about false memories. So, we have to discuss False Memory OCD and Real Event OCD! The next question is from a listener who struggles with the fear of forgetting what just happened. Their obsession branches out to a lot, and also finds some of...

Max emailed me and asked a question that has never been asked on the FearCast before. He shares that he struggles with Intrusive Musical Imagery, or intrusive mental snippets of songs, and he wants to know how to deal with them. This is a great question that, even Max acknowledges, does not have a lot of information out there. But, I did some research to find some good and helpful information that...

Today’s question comes from Rick and Emilie. Rick struggles with feeling terrible over the fact that he even has POCD related thoughts and worries they reflect something terrible about himself. Furthermore, he feels worse now that he doesn’t feel as bad as he did before! What could that mean?! Emilie is similarly struggling with guilt, but the kind rooted in Real Event OCD and False Memory OCD. Di...

Today’s main question comes from a listener who seems to be stuck in a memory from two life events and she cant seem to get herself out of, away from, or past them. She’s tried ERP, but nothing seems to work. But, what if ERP in this instance wasn’t the solution? A OCD Therapist not immediately suggesting ERP?! Outrageous! And yet, what if ERP wasn’t the fix, but instead living and learning would...

Today’s question is a fun one (for me). PotatoChipFiend emailed me asking me how they should deal with recurring thoughts about their childhood crushes and whether or not it is a form of POCD? In this episode I offer some guidance for exposures, ways to rethink the meaning of the story for him, how he can separate the fear into different parts that may be easier to accept, and ways he can apply CB...

For this week’s question, Sisi emailed me asking about the best exposures for Sensorimotor OCD. So, while of course I offer some suggestions and ideas, I also use this as an opportunity to discuss Attention Training as a way to help build your skill to allowing distraction while intentionally, and non-compulsively, directing your attention. Trigger warning, I read some poetry in the episode. Consi...

Maya messaged me recently with a question about her Real Event OCD. She decided to finally say “no” to a confession compulsion as part of her Real-Event cycle, but this has re-triggered the OCD theme! What should she do? Sometimes we are stuck in situations where there is no perfect outcome, so we have to do our best, make a choice, move forward, and suffer consequences if and when they come. But,...

Today I’m releasing an episode early in honor of Valentines Day! This question comes from Teddy who is in an open relationship and has a fear that he will be replaced by someone else. While it may not be the expected podcast content for Valentines day, there is actually a lot of overlap from Teddy’s question to others struggling with ROCD and other relationship anxieties. References in the show: h...

Mubeena Mirza, LCSW, joined me today to talk about Religious Scrupulosity within the Muslim community in anticipation of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month-long religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world, and for anyone who struggles with Religious Scrupulosity knows that major holidays can invite new obsessions, intensifying current obsessions, and a struggle to keep compulsions at bay. Mu...

Kelley Franke, MFT, joined me today to answer a listener question about parenting with OCD. Lots has been written about how to parent a kid with OCD, but how do you parent with OCD yourself? Today’s question comes from Kelly (a different one, I swear). She shares how she always wanted a second child, but the stress of her first, along with the nag of OCD, is making her second guess her interest in...

MJ asks a great question, that I think a lot of people have too. She’s gone through treatment, which was pretty successful, but why is her brain still giving her these unwanted intrusive thoughts that sometimes catch her up into a swirl of anxiety again?! What gives? I offer MJ some ideas on why this is happening, and why she is still having these thoughts. Lastly, I offer a few ideas on what may...

Adam messaged me recently with an audio question. He noticed that he recently has been obsessed with the smell of someone else. Memories of the smell when he inhales. Thoughts about the smell wherever he goes. He’s had Sensorimotor obsessions in the past, but what about this? This one isn’t about him, so how should he treat it differently? For more on Sensorimotor OCD and Hyperawareness OCD, check...

The FearCast is back in 2025! For today’s question, I answered Beth’s question about a mistake she made at the beginning of a fantastic relationship that has now turned into Real Event OCD and Moral Scrupulosity. She’s ruminating about all her past mistakes and beating herself up. What’s worse, she can’t apologize, or feels she can’t, because that may start a never-ending cycle of confession and a...

Today I’m excited to share a conversation I had with Dr. Jonathan Abramowitz about his upcoming book Living Well With OCD . During our conversation, I was able to ask him about the inspiration for the book, who would benefit from reading the book, and how people living with OCD all along the recovery scale can find something useful in it. Along the way, we got to speaking about therapeutic approac...

Gabriela messaged me and wanted to know how other people seemingly know, “deep down,” that their obsessions aren’t true. Have you ever heard that phrase? It seems like Gabriela has too and is struggling to find this hidden knowledge (or reassurance) that the SO-OCD and ROCD she’s struggling with aren’t true. To answer this, I have to address what it means to know something “deep down,” what I thin...

For today’s podcast, we are ALL lucky to have Natalia Aiza, LPC, on to continue our conversation about using SPACE treatment with the High Dependent Adult Children, otherwise known as the “failure to launch” population. This was a wonderful, eye opening conversation about how to help those individuals who are struggling to gain independence, set their own course, and take the leap into a brave new...

Today’s episode is a two-fer, but to answer one I need to answer the other. The first is from a listener who wonders why he assumes his thoughts are true about him, no matter what they are. I offer some insight into this process, and offer him guidance on how to turn this bug into a feature in his battle against them. The second comes from a listener who’s struggling mightily with a memory from hi...

Today’s episode comes from a listener who struggles with fainting at the sight of blood. To answer this, I discuss Vasovagal Syncope, a physiological event in which people sometimes faint in response to high emotion and feeling startled, including fainting at the sight of blood. I give a brief overview of what this is, how it works, and more importantly how the listener (or you) can prevent it. I...

Today’s episode comes from Victor who’s having a tough time dealing with obsessions focused on whether or not he has Schizophrenia. Unfortunately, sometimes simply reading something, seeing a video on something, or just hearing an idea related to something can be enough for OCD to suggest, “Maybe that’s you. Now, maybe you should go to unreasonable lengths to ensure you don’t that have.” Victor wa...

Today’s audio questioner wants to know why the anxiety they experience from regular life and every-day triggers is worse than the anxiety they get when doing Exposures. They struggle to make their exposures as triggering as their regular anxiety, but can’t! But is that even necessary? The post #203- Why Is Real Life Anxiety Tougher Than My ERP Anxiety? appeared first on FearCast Podcast .

To learn more about Harm OCD, check out this article from The California OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center Today’s audio question comes from Aaron who asked about a situation he has not heard much about, so he’s looking for some guidance. He’s noticing he has some Relationship OCD (no big deal, right), but he also notices a flair up of Harm related obsessive thoughts alongside and as a result of th...