Drinking Tea with Monsters: OCD, Mental Health, Pop Culture & Ghost Stories

What happens when ambition, OCD, perfectionism, and the desperate need to be seen all collide?

In the first official DTWM OCD Book Club episode, Leela and Pri read Famesick by Lena Dunham and find it's far more than a celebrity memoir. It's a deep, uncomfortable look at what happens when OCD-adjacent thinking meets the machinery of fame: perfectionism, intrusive thoughts, the need for approval, the compulsive storytelling, and the complicated relationship between vulnerability and visibility.

This conversation goes beyond Lena Dunham and into something more personal: the lengths we go to for approval, what we tell ourselves to stay in control, and the ways creativity and anxiety become completely entangled.

Pour a cup of tea. This one goes somewhere real. ☕

Read...

Famesick by Lena Dunham

Watch...

Tiny Furniture (HBO)

Girls (HBO)

Too Much (Netflix)

OCD

IOCDF

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Traveling with OCD. When OCD doesn't win!

OCD and travel are not natural companions. But this week, Leela shares a surprisingly positive experience navigating a trip with OCD, where the uncertainty didn't spiral for once. What shifted? What helped? An honest, hopeful update from the middle of the journey.

Plus: a proper catch-up. Big Mistakes on Netflix is genuinely great, Dan Levy remains a gift, and Leela and Pri go through their current reading lists, from Ant and Dec's autobiography to Anna Kendrick's Scrappy Little Nobody to Lena Dunham's Famesick.

And to close: the eerie history of Summerwind Mansion, a place where reality reportedly felt just slightly, persistently off. A few ghosts that refuse to stay quiet.

Pour yourself a cup and settle in. ☕

I'm Obsessed...

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Mr. Blobby (Our nightmares)

Autobiographies

Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story by Ant and Dec

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

Famesick by Lena Dunham

OCD

IOCDF

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some OCD thoughts evolve so slowly you don't realise what you're dealing with. Here's how to spot them.

Not every OCD symptom arrives loudly. Some of the most disorienting signs are the ones that feel like ordinary overthinking, the repeating thought, the indecision, the "just right" feeling you can't shake. This week, Leela and Pri explore the subtle, often-missed signs of OCD and how to tell them apart from regular anxiety.

Plus: snake yoga is apparently a real wellness trend, and Leela and Pri investigate whether it's relaxing or deeply counterproductive. There are also detours into Neighbours, Home and Away, The OC, and somehow the Jungle Book. It makes sense when you listen.

And to close: a ghost in a library with unexpectedly specific, and excellent, book recommendations.

I'm Obsessed...

Neighbors 

Home and Away

The OC

The Jungle Book

Book List

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

OCD

IOCDF

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OCD dread and psychological horror have more in common than you'd think. Let's get into it.

Inspired by a point Elena Fasan made in her interview, Leela and Pri unpack the unsettling overlap between OCD dread and psychological horror: The Haunting of Hill House, Insidious, the creeping wrongness that both produce. What is OCD dread, exactly? How does it show up in real life versus on screen? And why does horror resonate so deeply with anxious people?

Plus: the TV comeback season is real. Steve Carell in Rooster, Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback, Dan Levy in Big Mistakes, the watchlist is officially full. Leela and Pri also cover Deli Boys, Shrinking, the Scrubs reboot, and more.

And to close: the haunting true love story of Pedro I of Portugal and Inês de Castro: A tragic historical romance that refused to end even after death.

TV Show Watchlist

Rooster (HBO)

The Comeback (HBO)

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Scrubs Reboot (Hulu)

Scrubs (Hulu)

The Americans (Disney+ / Hulu)

The Koreans (Coming in 2026/2027)

Squid Games (Netflix)

Insidious (HBO)

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Ghosts (CBS)

OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your child might have OCD. Here's what to look for, where to start, and the questions that matter most.

In part two with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective, we get into the practical reality of parenting a child with OCD. What are the signs parents should know? How do you start the process of getting help without making things worse? And critically: what questions should you ask a therapist before you trust them with your child? A genuinely useful episode for anyone navigating parenting a child with OCD.

Recommendations

Books

• The Happiness Trap (2nd Edition) by Russ Harris

Podcasts

• The OCD stories
• Fearcast podcast
• Purely OCD
• AT Parenting Survival School

OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She grew up in the world of ballet. She worked in Hollywood. She met Tom Cruise, Oprah, and Duran Duran. She also has OCD.

In part one of our interview with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, and founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles, Elena shares her remarkable personal journey. From the performing arts world to the high-pressure stages of ballet and Hollywood, she opens up about navigating it all while living with OCD, depression, and skin picking. Expect surprising celebrity stories and honest mental health conversation in equal measure.

Tangents

Sexy Beast (Available to rent on Youtube, Amazon Prime, AppleTV)

The Beast in Me (Netflix)

OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OCPD: the Amy Poehler of disorders. It's not like the others. Let's break it down.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is frequently confused with OCD but they're fundamentally different conditions. This week, Leela and Pri break down what OCPD actually is, how it shows up, why it's misunderstood, and how to tell it apart from OCD.

Plus: in honour of Friday the 13th, a dive into the eerie lore behind one of history's unluckiest days. And a fashion deep dive: the iconic comeback story of Gucci, from George Costanza's looks to Miranda Priestly's choices to the full reincarnation of a fashion house. (No, it's not The Devil Wears Prada 2. Though that's coming too.)

And to close: the story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, believed to be the only ghost in history to have helped solve her own murder in court.

If you love true crime, paranormal mysteries, psychology, and a touch of dark humour, this episode is for you. ☕

I'm, like, totally obsessed with...fashion

Max Alexander

The Devil Wears Prada 2

And That's Why We Drink (Episode 271 on Barbro Karlén)

OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

DTWM

Zona Heaster Shue

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation. For people with OCD and anxiety, that conversation matters.

The gut-brain axis is one of the most fascinating frontiers in mental health and it has real, practical implications for managing OCD and anxiety. This week, Leela and Pri dive into the science of how your digestive system influences mood, serotonin levels, and anxiety, and what you can actually do about it through food and nutrition.

Plus: Pri is back from her break, and Leela is fully obsessed with Jonathan Groff: Broadway legend, Bollywood crossover star, Hamilton, Frozen, A Nice Indian Boy. They cover it all.

And to close: a trip to the shadows of Mortemer Abbey in France to uncover the eerie legend of the ghosts within: white ladies, werewolves, and monks. Oh my.

Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us for a conversation that moves from Broadway to biology to the paranormal. ☕

I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🎭 Jonathan Groff in:

• Frozen (Watch it on Disney+)
• Hamilton (Watch it on Disney+)
• Hamilton (on Broadway)
• Just in Time (on Broadway)
• As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company)
• A Nice Indian Boy (on Hulu)

OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Can Diet Affect Your OCD Symptoms? (NOCD)

Diet and Nutrition Tips for Anxiety and OCD (OCD and Anxiety Centers)

Supplements that work for us (NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. Please consult your doctor before taking any new supplements.)

• Calm Magnesium
• Myo Inositol

DTWM

👻 Mortemer Abbey

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is actually happening in an OCD brain? The neuroscience is fascinating and kind of reassuring.

This week, we welcome back April Grant, Resident Counselor at Authentic Connections Counseling and Founder of True North Therapy, specializing in ADHD and OCD. Together, they dive into the neuroscience of OCD: how the neurodivergent brain is wired differently, why it loops, and the genuinely hopeful question: can we retrain it to work with us rather than against us? Real lived experience, explained through real science.

Plus: the AI conversation nobody can stop having. Revolutionary tool? Ethical dilemma? Something more autonomous than we're ready for? Leela and April unpack it.

And to close: Leela and April share two genuine, personal paranormal encounters, one in Virginia, one in Michigan, that they still cannot explain.

Brains. Bots. Ghosts. Let's sip. ☕️

I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🤖 the dystopian AI future

OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

April Grant

Authentic Connections Counseling LLC

True North Therapy PLLC

DTWM

👻 Our true life encounters.

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hypervigilance: when your nervous system can't stop scanning for threats that aren't there. Sound familiar?

This week, Leela and Pri deep dive into hypervigilance. What it is, why the OCD and anxious brain defaults to it, and how the "monkey mind" keeps punching the panic button even when nothing is actually on fire. Strategies to help your nervous system stand down.

Plus: they go Back to the Future to ask: if you could rewrite the timeline, would you stop the rise of AI? A whole new conspiracy theory is developed live on air.

Also: the world's current obsession with Punch the Monkey, explored.

And to close: the ghostly romance behind the Taj Mahal: the tragic love story of Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and the haunting legend surrounding one of the world's most iconic monuments.

Because sometimes the real monsters are the ones we build and the ones we carry inside. ☕

Our Current Watchlist

📺 Back to the Future II (Available to buy or rent)

📺 Shrinking (Apple TV)

I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🐵 Punch the monkey

OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

DTWM

Taj Mahal, India

Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: [email protected]

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today

Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.