OCD Insights

Episode 9 | OCD Insights™

At 14, a prescription changed who Ben Nelson was. He talks about trauma and OCD, relearning safety, and prayer that stopped being a compulsion.

For anyone whose OCD is tangled up with trauma, shame, or the fear of not being loved, and anyone curious about where prayer fits.

Work with Samantha | All Episodes

Content Note

This episode includes an open, educational discussion of medication misuse, addiction, childhood emotional trauma, and a brief mention of past suicidal thoughts. These topics are addressed with care, for the purpose of education, understanding, and hope. Listener discretion is advised.

About Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson is a member of the OCD community who shares his own recovery in posts and videos. He runs a landscaping business and an online peer support community for people with OCD.

His spiritual ideas are his own beliefs and the teachings of the mentors he credits.

Episode Description

Samantha Bray, LCSW, talks with Ben about the OCD that followed a prescription at 14, and what helped him feel safe again: calm people, time in nature, a breathing technique, and years of learning from mentors.

They also take up prayer, which Ben says was a compulsion at times and later became a source of connection.

Connect With Ben Nelson

Facebook: Ben Nelson on Facebook

Instagram: @benwithlove

YouTube: @benwithlove1

TikTok: @benwithlove1

Connect With OCD Insights™

Website: ocdinsights.com

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts

Spotify: Listen on Spotify

YouTube: @OCDInsights

Substack: OCD Insights on Substack

Instagram: @ocdinsights

Facebook: OCD Insights

LinkedIn: Samantha Bray, LCSW

You'll Discover

• Why Ben says relearning safety comes first, and what it looked like for him.

• Two kinds of prayer: when asking becomes a compulsion, and when it becomes connection.

Timestamps

00:00 Listen to Those Who Have What You Want

00:44 Shedding What Is Not You, and Relearning Safety

09:01 Prescribed at 14: Where Ben's Story Begins

13:29 The Prom Night Thought, and the Fear Underneath

17:46 Gary Vee, TikTok, and Finding Mentors

22:16 Dispenza, Bashar, and Following Your Highest Excitement

27:09 What Would I Have to Believe Is True?

31:30 Walks, Sunlight, and the Physiological Sigh

40:48 Starting Where You Are: From Facebook Posts to a Business

45:24 Manifestation, Fear as Feedback, and Vibration

52:23 Samskaras, Facing Thoughts, and Letting Them In

56:06 Prayer, and When It Becomes a Compulsion

01:05:10 Why Prayer Helps, and Feeling Connected

01:07:40 Your Past Does Not Define You, and Meeting Hurt With Compassion

01:13:31 Growing the Positive, and Mentors on Intuition

01:20:30 Ben's Live Q&A for the OCD Community, and a Possible Collab

Join the OCD Insights PATH™

If you would like help with your next step toward a life you love, even with OCD, email [email protected] with the word "PATH", or comment "PATH" on YouTube or Spotify.

I will reply personally, and you will join the priority interest list for the OCD Insights PATH, my new beta program.

Founding members receive early access and a founding rate.

If this episode helped, please follow OCD Insights and leave a review wherever you listen.

Share Your OCD Story

Apply to be a guest or send in a question:

www.ocdinsights.com/asksam

Voice memos can also be emailed to [email protected].

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

Music Credits

Music licensed through PremiumBeat.

"Bubble Shot" License Code: QTI4W2UFPIY8CCPI

"Trust Yourself" by Kevin Sherman www.kevinstunes.com

© OCD Insights™

For years Dr. Sunil Punjabi told himself his wife just liked a clean house. Then two ants on a Diwali morning showed him it was something much different: postpartum OCD.

For the partner standing next to OCD, tired and quietly resentful, and for the person with OCD who sees it happening.

Work with Samantha | All Episodes | Unshackle | His books

Episode 8 | OCD Insights

About Dr. Sunil Nandlal Punjabi

When his wife was diagnosed with postpartum OCD, Dr. Punjabi set out to understand it. Finding her the right treatment turned into years of study, then a second master's in clinical psychology, then leaving a twenty year media career. He also holds certificates in cognitive behavioural therapy and life coaching, and a business doctorate on high-functioning OCD in the workforce. Author of nine books, he runs Unshackle, his counselling practice in Mumbai.

Episode Description

Most OCD content speaks to the person with OCD. This one sits with the person beside them. Samantha Bray, LCSW and Dr. Punjabi talk about the years before a diagnosis, the treatment that failed, the four months they lived apart, his own depression, and the sentence a marital therapist said that changed everything.

What comes out of it is unusually practical: how to praise a ten minute handwash that became nine, and why the couples therapist you hire needs to understand OCD.

Connect With Dr. Sunil Nandlal Punjabi

Website: https://www.unshackle.in/ Books: https://www.unshackle.in/books/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unshackle.in / https://www.facebook.com/snpunjabi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unshacklecounselling

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snpunjabi/

Connect With OCD Insights

Website: https://ocdinsights.com Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ocd-insights/id1883781150 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ko2vBVDHQpjZHbagLPuhw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights Substack: https://ocdinsights.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/

You'll Discover

- Why compassion for yourself comes first when you are the one standing next to OCD - Why ten minutes down to nine is a real win, and what happens when nobody notices - The accommodation arithmetic he uses to decide when meeting a compulsion is a net gain - A reassurance agreement that hands the choice back to the person with OCD

Timestamps

00:00 Two Ants On A Dining Table 02:20 From Media To OCD Counselling, And A Thesis On Perfectionism 06:32 How Postpartum OCD Began With The Ants 08:37 The Diwali Morning That Named It 10:29 Wrong Medications And The Search For Real Help 11:24 Four Months In Bangalore And The First Taste Of ERP 14:58 Resentment And Overwhelming Love At Once 19:51 Living Apart, Depression, And Nearly Divorcing 24:04 Treat Your Partner Like An Intelligent Child 29:46 Squeezing OCD Out: The Glass, The Pebble, The Wardrobe 31:50 The Accommodation Math And Reassurance Coupons 36:35 "You Were Being A Victim" 40:36 Why A Couples Therapist Needs To Understand OCD 46:24 The POCD Post That Made Him Write The Books 52:12 Ikigai: When Adversity Hands You Your Calling 57:26 Finding Help, And Caring For Yourself Too

If this episode helped, please follow OCD Insights and leave a review wherever you are listening. It is genuinely how this show reaches the next person who needs it.

Share Your OCD Story

You can apply to be a guest and share your OCD journey, or send in a question to be answered on the show. Both live at https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam (voice memos can also be emailed to [email protected]).

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

Music licensed through PremiumBeat. "Bubble Shot" Code: QTI4W2UFPIY8CCPI "Trust Yourself" by Kevin Sherman, www.kevinstunes.com

© OCD Insights™

Intrusive thoughts told Renee Zukin lies for decades before anyone named them OCD. She was diagnosed in her thirties, and built a life she loves anyway.

For anyone told to trust their gut when their gut is the loudest part of the alarm.

Every Day, I'm Brave: https://www.everydayimbrave.com | Work with Samantha: https://www.ocdinsights.com/workwithme | All Episodes: https://www.ocdinsights.com/podcast

Episode 7 | OCD Insights

About Renee Zukin

Renee Zukin is an author, educator, and coach with more than 20 years of experience in education, writing, and entrepreneurship combined. A passionate advocate for mental health and conscious living, she blends her training in psychology, energy work, and writing as tools for self-transformation and empowerment. Her self-help memoir detailing her experience with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Every Day, I'm Brave: Cultivating Resilience to Gain Freedom from Fear, was released August 8, 2025, by Wonderwell Press.

Episode Description Renee spent decades being told her fear was something else. Depression. Anxiety. Postpartum. It was not until the intrusive thoughts turned outward that anyone said OCD out loud.

Samantha Bray, LCSW and Renee talk about what a late diagnosis really changes, where the line sits between looking at evidence and bargaining with OCD, why your capacity for brave things is different on a Tuesday than a Monday, and how Renee got back on a plane after twenty years on the ground.

Connect With Renee Zukin Book: https://www.everydayimbrave.com Website: https://www.reneezukin.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneezukin/

Connect With OCD Insights Website: https://ocdinsights.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights Substack: https://ocdinsights.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/ Be a guest or ask a question: https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam

You'll Discover

- Why OCD is so often missed for years, and what finally makes it visible to other people - The difference between looking at evidence and bargaining with OCD - How to think about capacity, and how to drop the shame when today is harder than yesterday

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open: when your brain is telling you lies

0:43 Intro: Renee Zukin and Every Day, I'm Brave

2:44 Diagnosed in her thirties after years of missed signs

4:27 When the thoughts latched onto food

5:44 The misdiagnosis and the doctor who listened

8:46 Resistance, quitting therapy, and micro steps back in

12:46 "Trust your gut" when your gut is the alarm

16:58 Discernment versus bargaining with OCD

21:30 Capacity: why some days are braver than others

26:16 The stories doubt tells

29:27 The toolbox: breath, music, and bare feet in the grass

36:04 The benefits outweigh the risks: getting back on a plane

44:23 Her mother's question that changed everything

51:16 Isolation, shame, and asking for help

57:32 Not healed, still practicing

01:01:36 Outro

If any part of today landed for you, leave me the word PATH. Comment it on YouTube, reply with it on Substack or Spotify, or email it to [email protected]. I will write back myself. Tell me a little about what is going on in your world, whatever you are comfortable sharing, and we will look at what might actually help.

Share Your OCD Story You can apply to be a guest and share your OCD journey, or send in a question to be answered on the show, written or as a short voice memo. Both live at https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam (voice memos can also go to [email protected]).

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

Music licensed through PremiumBeat. "Bubble Shot" Code: QTI4W2UFPIY8CCPI "Trust Yourself" by Kevin Sherman, www.kevinstunes.com

© OCD Insights™

Treatment Resistant OCD: 3 courses of therapy, 9 medications, and still needing help. Carl stopped waiting for the system and built his own.

Samantha Bray, LCSW sits down with Carl, an OCD advocate from a small village in the UK, to walk through the eight pillar system he built for himself.

The OCD Practice: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOCDPractice

Work with Samantha: https://www.ocdinsights.com/workwithme | All Episodes: https://www.ocdinsights.com/podcast

Episode 6 | OCD Insights

Content Note: this episode includes an open, educational discussion of contamination OCD, intrusive thoughts about accidentally harming others including one's own children, psychiatric medication, and alcohol use as a way of coping.

About Carl

Carl is an OCD advocate based in the UK and the creator of the YouTube channel The OCD Practice. He has lived with severe, treatment resistant OCD for years, was not diagnosed until his thirties, and has completed three rounds of group CBT with ERP and tried nine medications across six classes.

Episode Description

Rather than sit on another waitlist, Carl built something. He calls it the Ultimate 8: eight pillars with one job, to support his OCD recovery and overall wellness when there is virtually no clinical support available. Pillar one is ERP, which he calls both the most important and the hardest part. The other seven exist to take the edge off it and augment the ERP.

The Ultimate 8 is a protocol Carl designed for himself while stuck between treatment courses. ERP, ACT values work, and mindfulness are the evidence based cornerstones. The lifestyle pillars are scaffolding that make the hard part more bearable and more effective for him.

Connect With Carl

YouTube, The OCD Practice: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOCDPractice

Connect With OCD Insights

Website: https://ocdinsights.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights Substack: https://ocdinsights.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/

You'll Discover

- Why OCD comes in waves, and a therapist's ocean analogy for the days you feel back at square one - What group ERP is genuinely like, including the social push that helps people go further - Carl's ERP Triple Threat: exercise, then the exposure, then a genuinely enjoyable reward - How ACT values work turns recovery from shrinking symptoms into building a life - What good partner support looks like: humor, listening, and a firm no to reassurance

Timestamps

00:00 Intro 1:47 The childhood rituals nobody named 7:30 Two hours in the snow, and the day he was diagnosed 9:44 Medication, and the first round of CBT with ERP 11:41 Inside group ERP 15:05 The 2024 wave, and the whirlpool at the edge of the drain 19:30 Paddling or up to your neck, and the question of cure 27:47 Nine medications across six classes 29:56 Detached mindfulness, and the telephone you let ring 34:48 How the Ultimate 8 came together 42:35 What OCD took: cooking, lightning rods, and the fear of blame 50:41 Cold exposure as physical ERP 1:03:30 ACT values, and building a life so full OCD gets pressed to the edges 1:14:31 The OCD Practice, and how Carl's wife supports him

If this one lands with you, follow OCD Insights wherever you listen and leave a short review. It is how other people who feel like they have run out of options find their way here.

Music licensed through PremiumBeat. "Bubble Shot" Code: QTI4W2UFPIY8CCPI

Share Your OCD Story

There are two ways to take part in OCD Insights. You can apply to be a guest and share your OCD journey, the messy, real, human parts of it, because your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Or you can send in a question to be answered on the show, either written or recorded as a short voice memo. Apply to be a guest or submit your question at ocdinsights.com/asksam (voice memos can also be emailed to [email protected]).

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

© OCD Insights™

Is this HOCD, or is this denial? In this first Q&A episode, Samantha Bray, LCSW answers a real listener's question about the groinal response and HOCD (sexual orientation OCD): what it means when compulsive "testing" produces the exact arousal response he feared, and why that response says nothing about who he is.

With his permission, Samantha breaks the question down piece by piece: the biology of arousal, why "testing" behaviors are compulsions disguised as exposures, and why this theme, sometimes called an HOCD or denial spiral, so often surfaces during major life transitions.

Ask Sam/Apply to be a guest | Work with Samantha | All episodes

Episode 5 | Q&A | OCD Insights

Content Note: This episode includes an open, educational discussion of sexual arousal, masturbation, and intrusive thoughts about sexual orientation as they relate to HOCD (sexual orientation OCD). These topics are addressed with care, for education, understanding, and hope. Listener discretion is advised.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to HOCD and the Client's Question 02:26 Understanding Arousal and HOCD 06:16 The Role of Developmental Stages in HOCD 11:52 Navigating OCD Thoughts and Compulsions 17:35 Desensitization and Misconceptions About Exposure 23:12 Effective Exposure Techniques and Mindset Shifts 26:24 Conclusion and Encouragement for Listeners

Connect With OCD Insights

Website: ocdinsights.com

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts

Spotify: Listen on Spotify

YouTube: @OCDInsights

Substack: ocdinsights.substack.com

Instagram: @ocdinsights

Facebook: OCD Insights on Facebook

LinkedIn: Samantha Bray, LCSW

Work with Samantha: ocdinsights.com/workwithme

Share Your OCD Story

There are two ways to take part in OCD Insights. You can apply to be a guest and share your OCD journey, the messy, real, human parts of it, because your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Or you can send in a question to be answered on the show, either written or recorded as a short voice memo. Apply to be a guest or submit your question at ocdinsights.com/asksam (questions can also be recorded as a voice memo and emailed to ‪[email protected] or called into 650-265-1193).

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

© OCD Insights™

Faith Without Fear: Navigating Scrupulosity with Jaimie Eckert Episode 4 | OCD Insights

Content Note & Disclaimer

This episode includes an open, educational discussion of intrusive thoughts that are blasphemous and sexual in nature as they relate to religious OCD (scrupulosity). These topics are addressed with care, for the purpose of education, understanding, and hope. Listener discretion is advised.

What if the very faith you love could also be the thing OCD is using against you, and what if healing did not require you to choose between your beliefs and your recovery?

In this deeply moving episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray, LCSW sits down with scrupulosity coach Jaimie Eckert to explore one of the most misunderstood and underserved presentations of OCD: religious scrupulosity.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered whether a tormenting thought is coming from their own heart, or from their OCD. When the intrusive thought arrives as an accusation or a taboo image, it can feel like proof of who you really are. If that question has ever kept you up at night, this conversation was made for you.

About Jaimie Eckert

Jaimie Eckert is a scrupulosity coach specializing in Religious OCD and the founder of Scrupulosity.com, a global resource for Christians navigating the intersection of faith and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She holds three theology degrees, including a doctorate in missiology (the study of Christian missions), and brings over a decade of ministry experience to her work. Most importantly, Jaimie has walked this road herself: diagnosed with religious OCD during a mental health crisis while serving as a missionary overseas, she understands from the inside what it means to wonder if your intrusive thoughts mean something about your soul. Her approach is Bible-based spiritual coaching that works alongside clinical OCD treatment.

Episode Description

Scrupulosity, also called Religious OCD, is one of the most painful and least understood subtypes of OCD. It hijacks your relationship with God, turning prayer, scripture, confession, and worship into a minefield of compulsions and doubt. And yet, for many people of faith, the idea of seeking therapy can feel like a betrayal of trust in God, and the idea of exposure therapy can feel like being asked to sin.

In this episode, Samantha and Jaimie trace the journey from unconscious incompetence ("I do not have OCD, OCD is for people who wash their hands") to the breakthrough epiphany of "This is not MY belief, this is OCD." Along the way they unpack scrupulosity's most common symptom clusters: blasphemous intrusive thoughts, moralistic obsessions, confession compulsions, evangelism compulsions, thought-action fusion, and "God distortions," those twisted mental images of a demanding, conditional God that secretly fuel the OCD cycle.

Jaimie shares her own three-part framework for recovery: remove what is hurting you, acclimate to what is hurting you, and ignore what is hurting you until it passes. A surprisingly simple roadmap that honors both psychological evidence and faith. She also addresses the very real harm caused by religiously insensitive ERP, the danger of spiritual bypassing, and why some Christians would rather stay miserable with OCD than do therapy that feels like sin.

This is a conversation full of grace, courage, and hard-won insight for those in the grip of religious OCD, for their loved ones, for Christians in leadership roles, and for any clinician seeking to serve this population with wisdom and sensitivity.

In This Episode, You'll Discover

• What scrupulosity really is, and why it is described as a mental health disorder that hijacks your relationship with God

• The four stages of OCD awareness (from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence) and why the breakthrough moment can feel like a miracle

• How "God distortions," skewed mental images of a demanding, conditional God, secretly feed the OCD cycle

• Why intrusive thoughts about God, Jesus, or sacred figures do not say anything about who you really are or what you truly believe

• Jaimie's three-part recovery framework and how each maps to a different clinical or spiritual tool

• How ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) can be done in a way that is both effective and respectful of your faith values, and what harmful ERP looks like

• The difference between a thought passing through your mind and a thought that is truly "you," and why thought-action fusion in a religious context is especially cruel

• How OCD repurposes scripture (like 2 Corinthians 10 on "taking thoughts captive") to justify ritualizing, and what those passages actually mean in context

• Why courage, not perfection, is the single biggest predictor of recovery from religious OCD

• Words of hope for those who have walked away from faith because of scrupulosity

Questions We Explore

• What is scrupulosity, and how is it different from genuine religious conviction or spiritual sensitivity?

• What are blasphemous intrusive thoughts, and why do they tend to target the things a person holds most sacred?

• How does thought-action fusion work in a religious context, and what does the Bible actually say about it?

• What makes ERP harmful for people of faith, and what does respectful, values-aligned exposure treatment look like?

• How do "God distortions" form, and how can you gently begin to separate your true image of God from the one OCD has constructed?

• Is scrupulosity spiritual warfare, and when does that framing help or hurt recovery?

• What happens when someone turns away from their faith entirely because of scrupulosity, and is there a way back?

• What role do faith leaders play in supporting someone with religious OCD, and what do they need to understand first?

• What is the most important thing someone in the grip of religious OCD needs to hear right now?

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: Samantha welcomes Jaimie Eckert

00:26 Jaimie's background: three theology degrees and a path she never planned

01:17 A mental health breakdown overseas and the first diagnosis of religious OCD

03:36 How Jaimie discovered it was OCD: the CBT that made things worse

05:31 The relief and disorientation of finally having a name for it

06:34 The four stages of OCD awareness: unconscious incompetence through mastery

07:21 The biggest challenge in scrupulosity coaching: reaching that first breakthrough

09:06 Defining scrupulosity in plain language: "OCD hijacking my relationship with God"

10:04 Scrupulosity beyond Christianity: moral OCD, non-religious sufferers, and the atheist from the Czech Republic

11:28 Blasphemous intrusive thoughts across religious traditions: what they are and why they happen

17:09 Is religious OCD spiritual warfare? A nuanced, theologically grounded answer

18:31 The deliverance retreat that made everything worse, and what happened after

20:49 Blasphemous thoughts explained: images, words, emotions, and perceived urges

24:00 Why intrusive "urges" in religious OCD are not impulses: the perceived urge distinction

27:26 Thought-action fusion in a religious context: what Jesus actually said in the Sermon on the Mount

30:17 The high-achieving banker who could not turn on the TV: a case study in scrupulosity

33:30 Can non-Christians benefit from Bible-based scrupulosity coaching?

36:12 "Taking thoughts captive": 2 Corinthians 10 reexamined through an OCD lens

42:05 Philippians 4:8 as goal vs. process: I am a work in progress, and that is okay

44:19 Where therapy modalities and ancient scripture meet: ACT, values, and bearing fruit

47:06 Using any tool, including recovery tools, compulsively, and how to stay gentle

49:20 God distortions: how a skewed image of God feeds the OCD cycle

49:49 "I have created God in the image of my mother": a powerful case study

54:25 ERP and religious OCD: the good, the harmful, and what consent looks like in treatment

59:00 Real examples of religiously insensitive exposures, and what appropriate ones look like

1:05:18 Jaimie's three-part framework: remove, acclimate, ignore

1:09:42 Love or fear: the two operating systems and how OCD exploits the fear of being unloved

1:12:32 The fear at the core of religious OCD: eternal separation from God's love

1:13:03 Jaimie's group coaching program: 100+ topics, twice weekly, online community

1:20:22 Words for anyone in the grip of scrupulosity right now: there is hope

1:22:46 Courage as the number one predictor of OCD recovery

1:23:53 What to say to someone who has walked away from faith because of scrupulosity

1:26:31 How to connect with Jaimie and access her coaching, masterclass, and community

1:28:18 Jaimie's YouTube channel and final reflections

Scripture References

The following passages were discussed in the episode, included here for listeners who want to revisit the context.

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: "Taking every thought captive," reexamined through an OCD lens

• Philippians 4:8: meditating on what is true, noble, just, and lovely (goal vs. process)

• Romans 12:1-2: renewing the mind, the ongoing, imperfect process of transformation

• Hosea 14:4: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely," hope for those who have walked away

• 2 Timothy 1:7: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind

• Philippians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it," you are a work in progress

• Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount): on lust and intentionality, reframed against thought-action fusion

• Genesis 2:7: a holistic view of the person, formed of dust and given the breath of life

Therapeutic Techniques Discussed

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): the gold-standard OCD treatment, discussed in depth, including how religiously sensitive, consensual exposures help and how insensitive ones can drive shame and dropout.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): orienting toward your values and taking valued action alongside anxiety, rather than waiting for the fear to disappear.

• Cognitive defusion and thought-action fusion: separating a passing thought from intention and identity, using the ego-syntonic vs ego-dystonic distinction and the "bumper sticker" test.

• Response prevention and reassurance reduction: recognizing reassurance-seeking as parasitic and resisting the compulsive loop it feeds.

Connect With Jaimie Eckert

Website: scrupulosity.com

YouTube: @jaimieeckert

Facebook: Jaimie Eckert on Facebook

Group coaching, masterclass, and peer forum: scrupulosity.com

Connect With OCD Insights

Website: ocdinsights.com

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcasts

Spotify: Listen on Spotify

YouTube: @OCDInsights

Substack: ocdinsights.substack.com

Instagram: @ocdinsights

Facebook: OCD Insights on Facebook

LinkedIn: Samantha Bray, LCSW

Work with Samantha: ocdinsights.com/workwithme

Share Your OCD Story

There are two ways to take part in OCD Insights. You can apply to be a guest and share your OCD journey, the messy, real, human parts of it, because your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Or you can send in a question to be answered on the show, either written or recorded as a short voice memo. Apply to be a guest or submit your question at ocdinsights.com/asksam (voice memos can also be emailed to [email protected]).

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

© OCD Insights™

Episode 3 | Solo Episode | OCD Insights Podcast

What if the fear in your body isn't proof of danger, but a misfiring alarm system?

In this solo episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray, LCSW breaks down one of the most overlooked tools in OCD recovery: your felt sense. Your felt sense is the ongoing stream of physical sensations in your body: tight shoulders, a racing heart, that knot in your stomach, a wave of dread. For those navigating OCD, this internal system can become hypersensitive and miscalibrated, sending urgent danger signals when no real threat exists.

Samantha explains how OCD hijacks the body's natural fight-or-flight response, why the intensity of a sensation does not equal the reality of a threat, and how learning to observe your felt sense with curiosity, rather than reacting to it, is one of the most powerful steps in breaking the OCD cycle.

This episode closes with a 13-minute guided meditation to help you practice tuning into your body with awareness and compassion.

In this episode, you'll discover:

→ What "felt sense" actually means and why it matters for OCD recovery

→ How your body processes a threat before your rational brain even catches up

→ Why the intensity of anxiety is not proof that danger is real

→ How to tell if a sensation is related to your OCD theme and what to do when it is

→ The difference between content-based reassurance and meta-cognitive awareness

→ Why resisting sensations actually strengthens the OCD cycle

→ How to practice sitting with discomfort without acting on it

Questions we explore:

• Why does OCD make the fear feel so real in your body?

• What is the felt sense and how is it different from just "being anxious"?

• How do you know if what you're feeling is a real alarm or a false one?

• What does it mean to "treat it like OCD" when your body is screaming danger?

• How can you stop compulsions when the sensations feel unbearable?

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction -- the conversation happening in your body right now

(01:41) What is felt sense? Defining the concept

(05:30) The pilot and dashboard analogy, reading your internal instruments

(10:00) How the brain processes triggers: two paths, two speeds

(14:00) Real alarm vs. false alarm: the car dashboard analogy

(20:00) Mirror neurons and co-regulation, whose emotions are you feeling?

(29:00) The intensity of the felt sense does not equal the reality of the threat

(31:00) What to say to yourself in overwhelming moments

(34:05) Guided Meditation: Arriving in the Moment (13 min)

Therapeutic Techniques Discussed:

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Experiencing anxiety and bodily sensations without engaging in overt or covert compulsions

• Meta-Cognitive Awareness: Stepping back to observe your thinking rather than engaging with OCD content directly

• Mindfulness of Physical Sensations: Observing bodily sensations with curiosity and without trying to eliminate them

• Response Prevention: Reducing checking, reassurance seeking (from loved ones, Google, or AI), mental reviewing, and avoidance

• Nervous System Regulation: Using breath awareness to stay grounded during activation

OCD Insights Resources:

• Free Guide: Is Your OCD Therapist Actually Qualified? -- https://ocdinsights.com/ocd-therapist-free-guide

• OCD Insights Path Priority Interest List -- https://ocdinsights.com/ocd-insights-waitlist

• Blog: Your Therapist Said They Treat OCD. But Do They Really? -- https://ocdinsights.com/blog/is-your-ocd-therapist-qualified

Share Your OCD Story Samantha is looking for guests willing to share their OCD journey. The messy, real, human parts of it. Your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Apply to be a guest at: https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam

CONNECT WITH OCD INSIGHTS:

Website: https://ocdinsights.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

Substack: https://ocdinsights.substack.com

Episode Overview

What if the most counterintuitive habit in the world, deliberately thinking about your own death five times a day, could actually make you calmer, more present, and happier? That's not a thought experiment. It's a centuries-old folk saying from the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, and it's the heartbeat behind the WeCroak app.

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Hansa Bergwall, co-creator of WeCroak and a leadership and executive coach, to explore how an ancient practice of mortality awareness maps beautifully onto the way we treat OCD. They talk about exposure therapy, the psychology of reassurance-seeking, the power of the "right angle moment," and why Stoic philosophers had therapists beat by about two thousand years. Whether you live with OCD, support someone who does, or simply want to live more intentionally, this conversation is for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why Bhutan's ancient practice of contemplating death five times a day is backed by modern psychology

• How mortality awareness functions like exposure and response prevention (ERP) for death-themed OCD

• What "reassurance-seeking" really means and why the internet makes it so much worse

• The "right angle moment": a powerful mindfulness concept that creates space for intentional choice

• How WeCroak was intentionally designed without casino-style addictive features

• The connection between acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Stoicism, and mortality meditation

• Practical, low-barrier entry points for meditation, especially for skeptical, high-achieving clients

• The history of Memento Mori: from ancient Rome to Renaissance art to your phone

• Why Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond, and living deliberately still matter today

About Hansa Bergwall

Hansa Bergwall is the co-creator of WeCroak, a mindfulness app built on the Bhutanese folk saying that contemplating one's mortality five times a day leads to greater happiness. Inspired by his own grief, his study of Buddhist philosophy, and Western Stoic traditions, Hansa built WeCroak as a simple, intentionally designed tool with no infinite scroll, no rabbit holes, just five random daily reminders and a quote about impermanence. He is also a leadership coach working with executives and entrepreneurs through his practice at TidePathCoach.com, and writes about death salience and everyday life at his Substack, Ask Death.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 Introduction & the counterintuitive idea at the heart of this episode

01:29 Welcome to OCD Insights, how Samantha discovered WeCroak

03:14 The origins of WeCroak: grief, Buddhist death meditation, and the Bhutanese folk saying

05:45 Designing against casino tech, why WeCroak is built on "right angles"

08:28 Exposure and response prevention (ERP) and how WeCroak fits in

13:22 Reassurance-seeking, internet rabbit holes, and the compulsion cycle

19:35 What reassurance really means in OCD

23:27 Personal stories of grief and the turning points that led each guest here

27:40 The Stoic "view from above" , zooming out from the obsessive loop

30:09 ACT, ERP, and mindfulness: how they all meet in mortality awareness

32:17 Right angle moments: noticing + choosing is the whole of meditation

34:48 Breath isn't the only anchor , entry points for skeptical meditators

36:43 Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau, and living deliberately

49:02 Hansa's grandfather: sobriety, presence, and a life-changing deathbed moment

57:11 Uncertainty is the core of OCD and death is the one certainty we try to avoid

58:05 Memento Mori: the history from ancient Rome through the Renaissance

01:01:10 The WeCroak photo feature and other practical mortality tools

01:03:46 Research on death contemplation and the search for happy thoughts

01:06:38 The math of a meaningful life, = more of what matters

01:10:15 Using WeCroak as an OCD tool: download links and how to get started

01:13:44 A note for those who feel anxious about trying this practice

01:15:40 Closing reflections and a beautiful quote by Renee Nicole Good

Resources Mentioned

WeCroak App (iOS & Android) — the app at the center of this conversation:

Download WeCroak

Henry David Thoreau, Walden — the book on deliberate, intentional living discussed in this episode.

Music in this episode by Kevin Sherman:

Kevin Sherman Music

Connect with Hansa Bergwall

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansa-bergwall-2a053314

Coaching Website: https://www.tidepathcoach.com/

Substack (Ask Death): https://askdeath.substack.com/

Download WeCroak: https://www.wecroak.com

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wecroak/id1436133118

Connect with OCD Insights

Substack: https://substack.com/@ocdinsights

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw

Website: https://ocdinsights.com

Share Your OCD Story

Samantha is looking for guests willing to share their OCD journey. The messy, real, human parts of it. Your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Apply to be a guest at:

https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam

What if courage doesn't feel like bravery but like fear and trust at the same time?

In this powerful inaugural episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray sits down with Rexx- meditation instructor, and creator of The Unstuck Journal to explore what it really takes to build a meaningful life alongside anxiety and OCD.

Rexx shares her journey from believing she had schizophrenia after experiencing her first intrusive thought, to years of misdiagnosis, to finally finding relief through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This conversation goes beyond symptom management. It's about taking imperfect action, living by your values, and refusing to wait for anxiety to disappear before fully living.

From solo travel abroad to building a business alongside OCD, Rexx embodies value-based courage. If you've ever felt stuck waiting for your anxiety to go away before living your life, this episode will remind you that you don't have to wait.

Highlights:

• The difference between OCD and general anxiety

• What intrusive thoughts actually feel like

• Why courage often feels like fear in the moment

• How anxiety makes your world small and values make it bigger

• The difference between journaling as growth vs. journaling as compulsion

• Why manifestation culture can unintentionally worsen OCD

• The shift from eliminating anxiety to living alongside it

• How baby steps build confidence over time

Questions Explored:

• How do you know if what you're experiencing is OCD versus general anxiety?

• What does an intrusive thought actually feel like?

• Why is misdiagnosis so common with OCD?

• How can you tell if journaling is helping or becoming a compulsion?

• What's the difference between taking action to eliminate anxiety vs. taking action despite anxiety?

• Can manifestation and positive thinking practices be harmful for people with OCD?

• How do you shift from "I'll live once anxiety is gone" to "I'll live alongside anxiety"?

Therapeutic Techniques Discussed:

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – Moving toward fear while resisting compulsions

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Living a meaningful life alongside anxiety

• Mindfulness Practices – Observing thoughts without judgment rather than trying to control them.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Unstuck Journal 05:05 The Journey of Creating the Journal 08:06 Understanding OCD and Its Impact 10:58 Overcoming Anxiety and Embracing Life 13:53 The Role of Values in Managing OCD 16:56 Prompts and Tools for Self-Discovery 19:39 The Challenge of Vulnerability in Sharing 22:47 Future Aspirations and Continuous Growth 30:41 Living Alongside Anxiety 31:47 Journaling vs. Mindfulness 33:42 The Purpose of Journaling 35:31 Building a Bigger Life 37:36 Courage and Trust in Facing Anxiety 42:43 Defining Courage 46:31 The Impact of Thoughts on Reality 59:55 Understanding Intrusive Thoughts and OCD Awareness 01:01:50 Meditation and Mindfulness in Managing OCD 01:04:17 Value-Based Actions vs. Control 01:07:17 The Role of Journaling in Managing Anxiety 01:09:45 Exposure Therapy and Value-Driven Goals 01:12:14 Community Support and Resources for OCD 01:14:26 Advanced Mindfulness Techniques 01:17:08 Defining Values and Their Importance 01:21:38 Creating a Day of Purpose 01:24:03 Final Thoughts and Resources 01:26:18 Navigating Anxiety and Courage 01:27:42 Living by Your Values

CONNECT WITH OCD INSIGHTS:

📧 Newsletter: https://www.ocdinsights.com/newsletter 🌐 Website: https://ocdinsights.com📸 Instagram: @ocdinsights 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/ 💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

Get The Unstuck Journal:

https://www.theunstuckjournal.com

MUSIC CREDIT:

Music by Kevin Sherman at www.Kevinstunes.com

Welcome to OCD Insights.

In this introductory episode, Samantha Bray, LCSW, shares the heart behind the podcast and the professional journey that led her to specialize in OCD treatment for over a decade.

After years of seeing high-functioning, capable individuals struggle with misdiagnosis and incomplete treatment, Samantha recognized something important: evidence-based therapies like ERP, I-CBT, and ACT are powerful, but lasting change requires more than a single tool. It requires education, compassion, mindfulness, holistic care, and alignment with personal values.

In this episode, Samantha explains why OCD is often misunderstood, why some treatments fall short, and why having multiple research-backed options matters. She introduces the expanded vision for OCD Insights—a space where science, lived experience, and whole-person healing come together to help people build meaningful lives alongside OCD.

Highlights:

• Why OCD is frequently misdiagnosed or incompletely treated

• The limits of a one-size-fits-all ERP approach

• Evidence-based alternatives and complementary treatments

• The role of mindfulness in effective OCD treatment

• Why high-functioning adults often need deeper understanding, not more effort

• The importance of holistic foundations: sleep, nutrition, stress, connection, and purpose

• Living alongside OCD instead of fighting it constantly

• What listeners can expect from future episodes

Questions Explored:

• Why does OCD often go unrecognized in therapy?

• Why doesn't ERP work for everyone at every stage?

• What other evidence-based treatment options exist for OCD?

• How can therapists unintentionally reinforce the OCD cycle?

• Why is understanding the "why" behind OCD so important for high-achieving adults?

• What does a holistic approach to OCD recovery actually look like?

• How can mindfulness be used effectively without becoming a compulsion?

Therapeutic Techniques Discussed:

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – The gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Identifying and restructuring cognitive patterns

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Building a meaningful life alongside anxiety

• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) – Strengthening awareness and present-moment skills

• Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) – Changing your relationship to thoughts rather than their content

• Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) – Addressing faulty reasoning that fuels obsessional doubt

Important Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute therapy, diagnosis, or medical treatment. If you are in crisis, please call 988 (U.S.) or seek emergency services in your area.

Connect with OCD Insights:

📧 Newsletter: https://www.ocdinsights.com/newsletter 🌐 Website: https://ocdinsights.com📸 Instagram: @ocdinsights 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/ 💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

Do you have an inspirational story about overcoming challenges with OCD?

Please share it! Your experiences serve as powerful seeds of hope for others who are just beginning their journey in managing OCD AND for folks needing some extra motivation to keep going.

Your story could instill hope in someone who needs it — or your question might be exactly what another listener has been wondering but never knew how to ask.

For more information on submitting a question, story, or request to be our guest go to https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam.