Chris discusses an attentional principle that is readily observable for most people. You can't both ruminate and engage the goings-on of the here-and-now at the same time. You're either doing one or the other, even if that means that you're quickly switching back and forth between the two. Chris builds on this concept and provides a practical strategy to harness the principle in order to make gains on rumination.

Chris discusses a personal journey with interpersonal boundaries, confrontation, and self-esteem. He chronicles a time he confronted a person in his life who historically treated him badly; and described how he felt about himself after having done that. He then ties this into OCD-treatment, and works to show the power of behavior-change, no matter the situation you're in.

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A listener responds to Pillar 3 with a question. Chris responds. There's ALWAYS risk; but there's only sometimes danger. Listen to find out more.

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Chris explains a logical dynamic that goes two ways: the more we have a felt need for certainty, the harder we pursue it. And we pursue it, of course, by doing compulsions. But the harder we pursue it, the more elusive it proves to be. And then, we're back to the beginning. We have a deep and urgent need for certainty. But that street travels two ways. This is where and how Pillars 3, 4, and 5 are connected. Check out this episode to learn more.

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Chris recaps Pillar 1 with a few subtype-examples, and moves to Pillar 2. This is the idea of "reps," or repetitions. Doing something over and over again increases both our competence in executing a task, and sharpens our understanding of it - big picture. The same is true of exposure therapy. Reps are the backbone of getting better.

Chris tackles the first of the Five Pillars, showing that generally OCDers generally don't make a lot of progress without structured, expert help.

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If you've found OCDST helpful, consider giving it a 5-star rating and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with you anxiety- or OCD-symptoms.

Chris launches a new series on the role of the patient or the listener in the process of getting better. He reviews a document, forged from clinical experience, and written for his patients that explains their specific responsibilities in the act of getting as much out of their therapeutic journey as possible.

Chris discusses a couple of cases that illustrate that idea that sometimes OCD and anxiety disorders flip the script on you, and completely change the behaviors that feed them. All of the sudden, the behaviors that previously were healthy are now compulsive; and the behaviors that were compulsive are now healthy.