August 2023

CBT therapy for OCD: Techniques, Examples, and Effectiveness

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) describes a group of science-backed methodologies proven to treat a multitude of mental health conditions.

ERP (exposure and response prevention) is a type of CBT that is considered the gold standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

There are many different therapies available and it can overwhelm sufferers when trying to figure out which would be most helpful in their recovery.

It is important to understand that certain therapies work better for certain disorders.

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351 Stopping Compulsions using Attention Control (with Max Maisel)

Stopping Compulsions using Attention Control (with Max Maisel) | Ep. 351


If you are interested in stopping compulsions using attention control, this is the episode for you.  I am really excited for this episode. This was a deep dive into really how to fine-tune your mindfulness practice for anxiety and OCD. Today we have the amazing Max Maisel, who is an OCD and anxiety specialist here in California. He came on to talk about these really nuanced differences of mindfulness, where we might go wrong with mindfulness, how we can get a deeper understanding of mindfulness, and this idea of attentional control. The real thing that I took away from this is how beneficial it can be at reducing mental compulsions, putting our attention on the things that we value, putting our attention on what we want to put attention on, not in a compulsive way at all. In fact, we addressed that throughout the episode, and it’s just so, so good. I’m so grateful to you, Max, for coming on, and I just know you guys are going to love this episode.

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Does CBD Help With OCD Intrusive Thoughts?

Understandably, many OCD sufferers who are plagued with relentless intrusive thoughts day in and day out look for any possible treatment that may help alleviate symptoms.

Recently, those with OCD have turned their attention toward ‘alternative treatments’ such as CBD (Cannabidiol).

In the last few years, CBD has gained global praise from users for its ability to help with anxiety and stress relief. 

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Ep 350 14 Things You Should Say to a Loved One with Anxiety

14 Things You Should Say to a Loved One with Anxiety | Ep. 350


Welcome back, everybody. This is a last-minute episode. I usually am really on schedule with my plan for the podcast and what I want to do, but I have recently got back from vacation and I have been summoned to jury duty.  For my own self-care, the idea of going to this master plan that I created for all of the other episodes that I do a lot of planning and a lot of prep and really think it through today, I was like, “I deeply need this episode to land on my own heart.” This is as much for me as it is for you, and it is a community effort, which also was very helpful for me. 

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What happens if OCD is left untreated? (A guide to getting unstuck!)

The simple answer to what happens when OCD is left untreated is that OCD symptoms often get worse.

Often when people experience the onset of OCD it interferes with a small area of their life, but when left untreated, OCD tends to spread across other areas of life. Taking away time from their hobbies, family, friends, and pleasurable moments.

Leaving OCD untreated can cause devastation and tremendous pain in one’s life with obsessions and compulsions stealing every moment of our attention and limiting our experiences.

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349 When Anxiety Causes Depression (and vice versa)

When Anxiety Causes Depression (and Vice Versa) | Ep. 349


Today, we’re talking about when anxiety causes depression and vice versa. This is a topic that I get asked about all the time. It can be really confusing and a lot of time, it’s one of those things that we talk about in terms of like, is it the chicken or the egg? I want to get to the bottom of that today. 

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ERP Therapy for Intrusive Thoughts: Gold Standard Treatment

Intrusive thoughts that are unwanted, disturbing, frightful, and overbearing. They are persistent, involuntary and conjure painful feelings of anxiety and uncertainty.

People with intrusive thoughts can feel as though they are ‘going crazy’ and many live with the heavy weight of shame and guilt because of them.

Intrusive thoughts, however, are not solely experienced by those with OCD.

They are far more common than you think and often flow in and out of our minds within moments. Every human could experience a disturbing thought about jumping in front of a bus, dropping their newborn baby, or punching a friend in the face without thinking too much about it.

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38 Hyper Responsibility When you feel responsible for everyone and everything

Hyper-responsibility OCD | Ep. 348


Welcome back, everybody. It is so good to have you here talking about hyper-responsibility & hyperresponsibility OCD. A lot of you may not even know what that means and maybe have never heard it, or maybe you’ve heard the term but aren’t quite sure what it entails. And some of you are very well acquainted with the term hyper-responsibility. I thought, given that it’s a theme that’s laced through so many anxiety disorders through depression that we should address it. I think that’s a really great starting point.

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