Hillary McBride once said “We heal when we can be with what we feel.” We often avoid tough feelings because that seems like the easiest path to take. What we don’t realize is that when we avoid it, we miss out on the sweet stuff, too. Doing the hard work and facing/ feeling things head on allows us to fully be… with loved ones… with our thoughts… and with all the things that matter most.

In this episode, Katie and Cali discuss what letting anxiety win can do to negatively impact our personal lives. They share personal experiences and examples of times when they could have let anxiety win but chose to step forward towards their values instead. They emphasize the importance of not letting anxiety dictate life decisions and the power of facing fears. The conversation highlights the journey of recovery and the possibility of living a fulfilling life despite anxiety. They encourage listeners to take one step at a time and embrace uncertainty.

If we let it, anxiety will attack our character making it challenging to trust ourselves or see ourselves for who we are. In this episode, Katie and Cali discuss the importance of moving away from certainty in order to obtain freedom and clarity. The more we try to convince ourselves that we are not our OCD or "I am a good person", the more we feel like we aren't. The freedom comes from choosing to move forward anyways without the certainty. We get clarity by taking the risk to live our lives instead of fulfilling the desires of anxiety.

This week the girls give a recap on their girls weekend in Atlanta. They talk about traveling with OCD and anxieties, learning to go with the flow and trying to remember that things don’t have to always be perfect. They also discuss the ins and outs of dealing with scrupulosity and reassurance seeking.

*Emetophobia Warning Episode*

On this week’s episode of Obsessions and Confessions Cali and Katie discuss navigating the unexpected turns life can take with OCD.

They discuss getting sick on a cruise ship, finding skeletons in San Antonio, becoming an international fugitive and Wilson disappearing never to be seen again.

Anxiety disorders can come in an array of different shapes and sizes. OCD, specifically, leads to unwanted thoughts and compulsions performed in an attempt to relieve anxiety from distress caused by the thought. People without OCD often describe it incorrectly - labeling it as someone with type A personality. In reality, it is a chronic and debilitating disorder when left untreated. Education of the different OCD subtypes helps prevent stigma and raise awareness. In this episode, Katie and Cali debunk stigma and talk about the taboo subtypes of OCD such as harm OCD and sexual intrusive thoughts. Even if you are familiar with these subtypes, we can guarantee you will learn a thing or two from this episode you didn’t already know. So tune in!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=prN6_Lt1VZg&pp=ygUTTWFyayBmcmVlbWFuIGJhbmFuYQ%3D%3D

On this episode Katie and Cali discuss the value running plays in both of their lives, both figuratively and physically. They discuss what “Running Towards Your Values” looks like and how even though they can still get tripped up by their own anxious thoughts, they make the conscious choice to keep “running” forward. Whether you are a runner, a hobby jogger, or hate exercise, these takeaways are applicable to anyone that has tried to avoid feeling anxious. So don’t miss it! 

Welcome to Obsessions and Confessions!

Welcome to Obsessions and Confessions! In this episode Katie and Cali discuss the origins of wanting to create a podcast, and share their stories from when they were younger living with OCD to getting answers and being diagnosed with OCD. It ends with some great back and forth questions to get to know some of the dreams, pet peeves and other fun facts about them. Thank you for being here for the beginning of this exciting first chapter, where they unveil the struggles that can become strengths with evidence based treatment, community, and lots of laughs!