GUILT, SHAME and being “SO OCD” with Shala Nicely I am honored to share with you a recent interview I did with OCD ROCKSTAR and dear friend, Shala Nicely. Shala is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Atlanta and treats OCD and OCD Spectrum Disorders using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I briefly outlined the conversation and left all the links discussed during the podcast. Enjoy! Shala recently wrote an awesome blog post article about a top women’s magazine that posted an article encouraging readers to “be a little OCD!” Shala declared enough was enough and got writing. Shala and her ROCKSTAR mom are doing so much to advocate for the OCD community. See the below link to check it out. http://www.shalanicely.com/misc/aha-moments-magazine-encouraging-us-little-ocd/ How do you respond when people say, “I am SO OCD?” Shala reports that she always aims to never shame anyone. For this reason, she talked about polite and non-shaming ways to educate others on what OCD and how painful and debilitating it can be. How does it feel when you hear someone say "I am so OCD"? “First, frustration”, but then desire to educate others about the severity of OCD and other mental health disorders. Are people with OCD, “SO OCD?” In today’s society, being “SO OCD” is generalized to describe someone who is meticulous and likes symmetry and neatness. This is not typical for someone with OCD. Someone who has severe OCD might be entirely ok with a dirty bedroom and not need symmetry or cleanliness at all.   It is important that we educate people about the specific sub-types of OCD so that people better understand the complexities and variety of OCD symptoms. Go to Iocdf.org for more information How can we manage the shame and guilt that comes with having OCD or another mental health disorder? Brene Brown has written some AWESOME literature and has done amazing research about shame and guilt. Because Shame and Guilt are so common amongst those with OCD, Anxiety, Eating Disorders and Body- Focused Repetitive Disorders, we both strongly encourage listeners to read any of her books. Kimberley also discussed Brene’s explanation of how to identify if you can trust someone. Check out the link below to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewngFnXcqao Shala’s FAVORITE mindfulness tool:

Dan Harris' 10% Happier book and App.

    https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Self-Help-Actually-Works/dp/0062265431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500508777&sr=8-1&keywords=10%25+happier   How to find out more about Shala Nicely Shalanicely.com Beyondthedoubt.com/keywords   You can also watch the unedited version of this podcast below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zPJTCORqg&t=8s