OCD Straight Talk

Chris talks with Dr. David Barlow, one of the world's foremost experts on the treatment of psychopathology, and leading experts in the area of disordered anxiety. Chris and Dr. Barlow discuss his Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders, along with both the overlap of the anxiety disorders and their effective treatments. The all-important emphasis on behavior-change ta...

Chris sits down with Dr. Jon Abramowitz, one of the world's foremost experts of the understanding and effective treatment of OCD. They discuss topics from cognitive therapy and exposure and response prevention, to the kind of learning that naturally occurs when individuals tolerate both uncertainty and anxiety, but without engaging compulsions.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might...

At the request of a listener, Chris revisits the mosquito analogy, and explains "the moral of the story." Punchline is: you can tolerate more discomfort (in the context of OCD, more anxiety) than you give yourself credit for. The emphasis in the mosquito bite analogy is get rid of the itch by whatever means necessary. But it is the scratching-behavior that keeps the itching going. The real questio...

Chris moves past the theoretical skills "out there," and discusses getting started with exposure therapy. The key phrase is, "start small." Grow in experience and confidence.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found OCDST helpful, please consider giving it a 5-star review, and supporting the podcast to help us produce more content.&n...

Chris sits down with Jason Adams to discuss the complexities of parenting young children while simultaneously dealing with OCD. Chris and Jason talk about finding resources and encountering treatment, and ultimately discuss Jason's new book, OC Dad: Leaning to be a Parent with a Mental Health Disorder .  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If yo...

Chris takes on the question of, Why does exposure therapy work for some people, but not for me? It's a common question; and, in many cases, the answer is actually pretty simple. Adequate exposure therapy includes prolonged and repetitive exposure to targeted, anxiety-produces objects and situations. And adequate exposure therapy means response prevention.  Feel free to reach out with any ques...

Chris discusses a study published in the early 1980s the results of which have gone on to confirm the most effective treatment available for OCD - Exposure with Response Prevention. Response prevention is the general topic of the podcast. But what is exposure therapy?  Thanks for checking out the podcast. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If y...

Chris responds to a listener's questions about whether he can confirm an OCD-diagnosis for a listener, commenting on presentation and history of symptoms. Further, he discusses the nature of compulsive patterns and good treatment for OCD.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have, chrisleins04@gmail.com Also, if you find OCD Straight Talk helpful, consider giving the podcast a...

Chris talks with Dr. Eric Storch, a leading OCD-treatment specialist, and one of the psychological scientists who developed the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the gold-standard tool for assessing OCD-symptoms. Chris and Dr. Storch discuss the concept of the "YBOCS Cheat Sheet," along with some of the processes that collectively form the Exposure and Response Prevention protocol. Th...

Chris responds to a question about the link that connects, not obsessions and compulsions, but compulsions and obsessions .  Consider rating OCD Straight Talk, and passing the podcast along to a friend.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris discusses the concepts of Trace Decay Theory (of psychology) and Entropy (of physics), explaining - without apology - the necessity of repeatedly explaining important strategies. He also describes the function of actually documenting identified compulsions, noting two groups in therapy. The question is, Which one fairs better? Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chris...

Thanks for the question - very good one. Chris responds to a listener and defines compulsions from a couple of vantage points.  Feel free to reach out with any question you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com.

Chris discusses CBT-theory, which is based on "the Cognitive Model," and raises the question of how we can methodologically weaken the strong and habitual connection between these triangulated, and interconnected pieces of our experience. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris responds to a listener's question - A follow up on our series on uncertainty. So, true or false? Or, is it a trick question? Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris discusses the prevailing treatments for PTSD, and the weird animus that tends to stand between them. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris breaks down the reality of uncertainty, and explains how we can either work with uncertainty, or against it.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might to chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris talks behind and beyond all the technical language and diagnostic criteria of OCD. The condition, whatever it is, centers on a life-dimension common to humanity. But some people just don't find this dimension very distressing - lucky them. Others, on the other hand, find it very distressing. But theirs liberty in realizing the reality that this dimension is unchangeable. It gives birth to th...

Chris responds to a listener and explains the importance of identifying compulsions, and distinguishing them from obsessions in existential OCD.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris discusses a concept that is practical to cracking the code of OCD. Many of us approach OCD with stereotypes and assumptions. Part of what that means is that we think of compulsions as limited to checking, or counting, or washing, or whatever. But through the course of hundreds of cases, it has become clear that .compulsions extent far beyond these few, stereotypical possibilities. Many compu...

Chris discusses several common mistakes individuals tend to make in relation to their OCD, often whether in therapy or not. This episode works to dissect the OCD and the treatment-process to show where individuals often get it wrong.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris revisits his conversation with Michael May, MA, LPCC, an ACT therapist and OCD treatment-specialist. He discusses the "I'm having the thought that..." strategy. Tried (by you, the consumer) and true strategies are invaluable when we're in the throws of anxiety.  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris discusses the Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) protocol with Michael May, MA, LPCC, an ACT trainer and clinical expert. They talk therapeutic "shop," and delve into treatment strategies that are common to ACT and Ex/RP; as well as, discuss some of the overarching concepts that are beautifully unique to the evidence-based protocol known around the world as, ACT. Feel free to reach ou...

Chris discusses two cases in which stopping rumination was an important part of the therapeutic process. Remember, if "nobody's home" to do the work of rumination, then that compulsive "work" doesn't get done. And that's a beautiful thing.  This episode includes adult, and some explicit material in the way of providing specific examples of technique-application. Feel free to reach out with an...

Chris discusses a complex set of dynamics in modern psychotherapy that serve to offer an explanation to an otherwise puzzling problem: Why do people suffering from clinically significant anxiety often not get better in psychotherapy?  Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Chrisleins04@gmail.com

Chris discusses trauma symptoms, and their corresponding treatments with a trauma expert, Dr. Joseph Birli. A wonderfully competent, and seasoned therapist, Dr. Birli brings many years of experience to our discussion about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.