Guest Interview

19 April 2019

Chris Trondsen Talks Rebuilding Life After OCD

Do you ever wonder what life will look like after OCD Treatment?  If so, this is the podcast episode for you!

We are talking all about the common emotions involved with the recovery process from mental illnesses such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Anxiety, and depression in today’s episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast. Many of you have asked for more episodes about the emotional side of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s), as well as what life is like after mental illness.   

In today’s episode, we talk with Christopher Tronsden on Rebuilding Life After OCD. In this episode, Chris Tronsden talks about his childhood of “confusion” about his symptoms and thoughts and how he was claimed to be a “difficult child.”    Chris Tronsden also talks about how he moved towards isolation after being wrongly diagnosed with other mental illnesses, and resultantly survived a suicide attempt.   Chris shares the emotions he experienced after this suicide attempt and how it led him to finding the correct treatment for OCD (Exposure and Response Prevention) and moving towards Rebuilding life after OCD Treatment. 

What I loved the most about Chris’ story is how beautifully he explains and articulates the process of building up the courage to perform Exposure and Response Prevention and then having to manage the painful experience of anger and loss after his OCD treatment. Chris Trondsen explains how he had to have some difficult conversations with loved ones and himself before he could turn his battle into something that was meaningful.  

Chris ends the podcast episode with a beautiful message of hope for those who are at all stages of treatment and recovery.  His message really does give hope to those who are embarking on the process of rebuilding life after OCD Treatment. 

Thank you, Christopher Trondsen, for a beautiful interview.  

For more information on Chris, visit:

IOCDF SoCal: https://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/christrondsen?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christrondsen/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisTrondsen

Email: christrondsen@gatewayocd.com

12 April 2019

Dr. Jed Siev Talks Religious (scrupulosity) and Moral Obsessions

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast. Today, I am so thrilled to talk with you about Religious and Moral Obsessions.  In this episode, I was honored to talk with Dr. Jed Siev.  Dr. Jed Siev is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Swarthmore College and is skilled in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), specifically Religious and Moral Obsessions.  Religious and Moral Obsessions are very common among OCD sufferers and I am so thrilled to share with you.

I was able to take some questions from followers on Instagram (@kimberleyquinlan) for this episode and Jed Siev did such a great job of bringing compassion, skill, and research into the conversation.  

Here are some of the questions we addressed in the interview:  

What is scrupulosity? 

What are the common obsessions and compulsions for Religious (scrupulosity) and Moral Obsessions? 

How does Scrupulosity differ from Moral Obsessions? 

What does treatment for Religious (scrupulosity) and Moral Obsessions consist of? 

Does treatment for Religious and Moral Obsessions differ for different common religions? 

The below questions from listeners are addressed:

Is it helpful to involve a member of clergy when treating religious OCD?

Is it common to question whether you are a good person or just do a good thing to prove you are a good person? 

How do you practice acceptance of thoughts and obsessions even if it feels so against your morals? 

When you struggle with religious (scrupulosity) and Moral Obsessions, how do you teach your younger child to pray? 

Why is there such a strong feeling of guilt attached to Religious (scrupulosity) and Moral Obsessions? 

How do you address the fear of doing things that are disloyal?

What to do if you keep judging your actions? 

What to do if you keep putting shame on yourself? 

Thank you for everyone who submitted these questions.  I am sure you will find this episode very, very helpful, as I learned so much from Jed Seiv.  

For more information on Dr. Siev, visit:

https://www.jedsiev.com/

https://www.swarthmore.edu/psychology/faculty-staff

EXCITING NEWS…OCDeconstruct is THIS WEEKEND!! OCDeconstruct is a free online conference designed to give those with OCD, and their loved ones, the information needed to understand key concepts related to the disorder so they can get a productive start on treatment. During the conference, six therapists will present on topics including intrusive thoughts, ERP, family dynamics, medicine and more. OCDeconstruct happens on Saturday, April 13 and will run about 4 hours.  

28 December 2018

“You WILL get through this!” Interview with Fashion Blogger and OCD Advocate Jemma MrDak

Hello there CBT School Community! 

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast.  Today, we are so excited to share with you Jemma Mrdak.  Jemma is a well-known Australian Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger and an avid Mental Health advocate.  I first heard about Jemma on social media after she bravely came out and talked about her experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) on the Today show.  As soon as I saw her interview, I knew she would be such an inspiration to you all.  

In this episode, Jemma talks about her struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), specifically checking and tapping compulsions.  Jemma talks about being so overwhelmed with anxiety that she was unable to get to school on time and fell behind in her studies. Jemma also talks about her success with seeking treatment from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT) and how she used her tools to help her get her life back from OCD.  Jemma also shared her love for nature and exercise and how that helped her get in touch with the practice of Mindfulness.  If you are feeling hopeless about your future and questioning if you are able to get better at managing your anxiety and OCD, this episode is for you.  Jemma is so great at sharing what was easy, what was really hard and what roadblocks she came across in her treatment journey.  She is truly an inspiration and will give you some amazing words of wisdom to help with on your journey to mental wellness. 

For more info on Jemma, visit the below:

Website: astylishmoment.com

IG: @astylishmoment

Before we go, GET EXCITED!  ERP School is almost here again.  ERP School will be re-released in late January.   Click HERE to be the first one alerted by signing up to be on the waitlist.