FearCast Podcast

Today’s question comes from Overthinker. She asks the question about how to beat her SO-OCD. She’s confident she’s narrowed down the core fear, she’s in therapy, she’s working on exposures and taking all the right steps, but she’s missing an important step that I try to highlight. This was a longer question, and unfortunately I didn’t realize there was a bunch of noise and background hiss in the recording, but hopefully you find it helpful and spot some ways Overthinker could do to help her in her progress too!

The post #197-Trying To Beat SO-OCD, Despite All These Compulsions! appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s audio question comes from Frank. He wants to know whether Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy can be helpful to someone who is actually in denial of their sexuality. Frank identifies as a cis-gay male, but obsesses about whether or not he is actually trans. So, is Frank actually trans and in denial, or is he obsessing about being trans and is who and how he identifies? I do my best to respectfully and delicately offer my thoughts.

The post #196- Can ERP Be Helpful To Someone Who Is In Denial? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s audio question comes from a listener who wants to know whether or not OCD can make them feel depressed, or if they just have depression, or if they have depression and OCD. Either way, Ab, the questioner, shares her deep struggle with feeling overwhelmed by a sense of depression alongside her other obsessions. This question gets a little personal for me, but I share some ideas on what she can do in the face of her experience, how to maintain a grounded perspective through depressive slumps, and how to thrive despite her struggle.

The post #195- Depression, Or OCD Making Feel Depressed, Or Both? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s episode is a timely one. I had the privilege of speaking with Elena Fasan, LCSW, about anxiety in kids, teens, and adolescents as they return to school. This was a fun conversation that addresses concerns for kids and parents from elementary school to college and touches on subjects of college pressure, perfectionism, social anxiety, OCD, and shame.

The post #194- Back To School Anxiety In Kids, Teens, And Adolescents With Elena Fasan, LCSW appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s question comes from Tom. He messaged me and asked these questions three. How can he deal with the guilt and shame of having his particular taboo obsession and testing it compulsively? Should he tell his girlfriend about them? And finally, what if his obsession is no obsession at all, but what he actually wants? I hear questions like this all the time, and I’m willing to bet there are people out there who are struggling with similar questions and obsessions.

The post #193- Guilt And Shame, Groinal Sensations, And Confessing It All? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

For today’s episode, I answer two listener questions. The first question is about whether people with Scrupulosity tend to exaggerate their reassurance questions. I answer broadly about reassurance tendencies and address how someone struggling with this type of compulsion can work to reduce it. Next, I answer a question from someone struggling with SO-OCD following a friend trying to convince her that she’s actually a lesbian.

The post #192- Quirks Of Reassurance, and Friend Convincing Her She’s Gay appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

In today’s episode, I go over a question from James. He’s struggling with an obsession focused on items being contaminated simply by their association with another contaminated item and he wants to know what to do about it. I offer various examples of how to apply Exposure to it, Response Prevention, and using the Mastery Model to address the issue. Wet Paint obsession, and Tracking compulsions, occur in more than contamination subtypes, so this one reaches across the OCD world.

The post #191- Wet Paint Contamination Obsession From Years Ago appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

For today’s episode, I answer two questions from listeners. The first listener wants to know how they can best deal with the possibility of relapse when they are in a good spot in their recovery. Is there a way to keep it away, and what to do when their partner is often their trigger! The next listener is struggling with the isolation of their Real Event OCD and is too embarrassed to share it with a friend or a therapist. Will the therapist report them if it’s that bad?

The post #190- What If Things Get Bad After They’ve Been Good, And Too Embarrassed to address RE-OCD appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s episode is a continuation of the Faith and Doubt Series. I am joined by Claire Breedlove, LCSW, who specializes in treating Religious Scrupulosity and working with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Claire was kind enough to share her passion with the LDS community and how she works to help the LDS community living with Religious Scrupulosity overcome their fear and find greater connection with their faith.

The post #189- Faith And Doubt: Scrupulosity Within The LDS Church With Claire Breedlove, LCSW appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Today’s audio question comes from Worry Wart who asked about life after OCD begins and whether one can get back to the happy place they were in before OCD began. To answer this, I asked Lauren Rosen, MFT, to join me. Lauren offers insights into her experience as someone who knows what the questioner feels and has come to a wonderful place in her own journey. We talk about the highs and lows of treatment, what helped along the way, and what life is like after all the hard work.

The post #188- Living A Full Life After OCD With Lauren Rosen, MFT appeared first on FearCast Podcast.