FearCast Podcast

Today’s episode is all about SPACE Treatment! Natalia Aiza, LPC, joined me to talk about her expertise using SPACE, or Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, to help adolescents and parents better address anxiety and OCD. Natalia went through the treatment method, discusses how it differs from traditional Exposure and Response Prevention Treatment, addresses resistant children and te...

Today is so special, I thought I’d answer two listener questions! The first comes from a listener who is questing themselves as they notice they have the urge to Google someone they admire or look up to. Are they being wildly creepy, or is OCD accusing them of being a terrible person? Next comes an audio question from Cynthia who asks about how she can deal with her obsessions attacking her genuin...

Today’s audio question comes from Spiritual Overthinker who has won the lottery with a wonderful guy with whom she clicks with on a deep, spiritual level. But, as it happens sometimes, OCD suddenly is showing up and making her question the relationship, herself, and their future together! What is she to do? I offer her some suggestions, guidance, and encouragement to challenging her distorted thou...

Today’s audio question comes in from Doubting Debbie who asks a great question: is this thought she’s having legitimate and worth investigating, or is it just an obsession and nonsense manifestation of her OCD? While a great question, sometimes with ROCD, SO-OCD, or pretty much any obsession, there can be many things going on work acknowledging, challenging, and accepting. The post #198- Is This G...

Today’s question comes from Overthinker. She asks the question about how to beat her SO-OCD. She’s confident she’s narrowed down the core fear, she’s in therapy, she’s working on exposures and taking all the right steps, but she’s missing an important step that I try to highlight. This was a longer question, and unfortunately I didn’t realize there was a bunch of noise and background hiss in the r...

Today’s audio question comes from Frank. He wants to know whether Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy can be helpful to someone who is actually in denial of their sexuality. Frank identifies as a cis-gay male, but obsesses about whether or not he is actually trans. So, is Frank actually trans and in denial, or is he obsessing about being trans and is who and how he identifies? I do my b...

Today’s audio question comes from a listener who wants to know whether or not OCD can make them feel depressed, or if they just have depression, or if they have depression and OCD. Either way, Ab, the questioner, shares her deep struggle with feeling overwhelmed by a sense of depression alongside her other obsessions. This question gets a little personal for me, but I share some ideas on what she...

Today’s episode is a timely one. I had the privilege of speaking with Elena Fasan, LCSW, about anxiety in kids, teens, and adolescents as they return to school. This was a fun conversation that addresses concerns for kids and parents from elementary school to college and touches on subjects of college pressure, perfectionism, social anxiety, OCD, and shame. The post #194- Back To School Anxiety In...

Today’s question comes from Tom. He messaged me and asked these questions three. How can he deal with the guilt and shame of having his particular taboo obsession and testing it compulsively? Should he tell his girlfriend about them? And finally, what if his obsession is no obsession at all, but what he actually wants? I hear questions like this all the time, and I’m willing to bet there are peopl...

For today’s episode, I answer two listener questions. The first question is about whether people with Scrupulosity tend to exaggerate their reassurance questions. I answer broadly about reassurance tendencies and address how someone struggling with this type of compulsion can work to reduce it. Next, I answer a question from someone struggling with SO-OCD following a friend trying to convince her...

In today’s episode, I go over a question from James. He’s struggling with an obsession focused on items being contaminated simply by their association with another contaminated item and he wants to know what to do about it. I offer various examples of how to apply Exposure to it, Response Prevention, and using the Mastery Model to address the issue. Wet Paint obsession, and Tracking compulsions, o...

For today’s episode, I answer two questions from listeners. The first listener wants to know how they can best deal with the possibility of relapse when they are in a good spot in their recovery. Is there a way to keep it away, and what to do when their partner is often their trigger! The next listener is struggling with the isolation of their Real Event OCD and is too embarrassed to share it with...

Today’s episode is a continuation of the Faith and Doubt Series. I am joined by Claire Breedlove, LCSW, who specializes in treating Religious Scrupulosity and working with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Claire was kind enough to share her passion with the LDS community and how she works to help the LDS community living with Religious Scrupulosity overcome their fear and...

Today’s audio question comes from Worry Wart who asked about life after OCD begins and whether one can get back to the happy place they were in before OCD began. To answer this, I asked Lauren Rosen, MFT, to join me. Lauren offers insights into her experience as someone who knows what the questioner feels and has come to a wonderful place in her own journey. We talk about the highs and lows of tre...

Today’s audio question comes from Liam who notices that he becomes upset when it seems like people keep disagreeing with him, or making it seem like he’s not being heard. Others seem to discount or disagree with his opinions which triggers something in him. So, is this is OCD acting up again, or is it something else? Also, regardless of what it is, what can be done about it? The post #187- Microdi...

Today, Issy reached out with an audio question. She shared her story about diagnosis with OCD and her success with POCD, but wanted to know how to deal with issues related to SO-OCD. She has two main questions. The first is how to help her parents understand what ERP is and why she should do it (and why they should pay for it). The second is about groinal sensations and how to deal with them in th...

Today’s episode is a mash up of a few emailed questions. First, a listener notices their obsessions about their thoughts increases physical pain and they don’t know how to handle it. Next, a listener asks whether they should start therapy again with their various ups and downs of ROCD and SO-OCD. Finally, I answer a question (or, a couple of questions) from a listener who wants to know whether OCD...

For today’s audio question, I answer Hannah’s question about her Sensorimotor/ Hyperawarness obsession. She shares that she’s had a few other obsessions in this theme, but lately it’s turned into being stuck between doing something or not, and both being problem! The good old “lose-lose” from OCD, and she feels stuck. I discuss her question and give her some things to consider as she moves forward...

For today’s audio question, Chris Trondsen, MFT, was kind enough to join me to discuss Panicasaurus’s question. The question is very layered and has a lot of aspects to consider, but the main question is whether they are truly in doubt of their sexual orientation, or whether they are just struggling with their SO-OCD. Chris and I go through this question with a fine toothed comb to try to and answ...

Today’s audio question comes from Overthinking Queen who wants to know whether her obsessions are coming from some unresolved or unaddressed issues in her life. She also struggles with her fear that she might be slowly abandoning her faith due to thoughts about sex, relationships, and SO-OCD obsessions. She also shares some fears about starting therapy because a therapist may encourage her to purs...

For today’s episode, I answer a few emailed questions! I’m going over two listener questions. The first one from someone struggling with driving and feeling overwhelmed, self-critical, and fearful. I offer them some advice on how they can embrace the good with the bad, and discuss how compassion can boost her self confidence! With the second question, I discuss some ways the listener can deal with...

Return FearCast audio question submitter questions whether or not they are happy. Like, a lot. In their relationship, with their friends, with their hobbies. Even worse, they notice their rumination about their happiness and daydreaming pulls their attention away from reality. Oh, and maybe it’s not even OCD, wait, or is it… the rumination is ever present! The post #180- Constantly Checking Whethe...

Today’s audio question comes from a listener who’s trying to help her partner who seems to be struggling with some type of OCD. In the episode, we discuss the listener’s questions about Relationship Focused OCD (ROCD), False Memory OCD, and Pure-O. There’s a lot to the question and I do my best to offer some ideas on how the questioner can reach out, be supportive, and accept uncertainty of her ow...

Today’s episode features Dr. Ran Littman, PhD, who joins me to discuss everything there is to know about Relationship OCD (ROCD). Dr. Littman is a researcher, therapist, and writer who has a particular interest in helping people overcome the impact of ROCD on their life and pursue more effective and vibrant relationships. He offers great advice and guidance to those struggling with ROCD and he was...

Today is a continuation in the Faith and Doubt series where I highlight people working to help people overcome Religious Scrupulosity, the OCD subtype focusing on one’s religious life. I was joined by Mubeena Mira, LCSW, who shared her wisdom about Religious Scrupulosity within the Muslim community. This was a fantastic conversation. Mubeena was able to provide a clear roadmap for compassionate an...