The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova

10. If You Love Someone With OCD

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
 
Today I cover 3 things you DO NOT want to do If You Love Someone With OCD.  
Do not try to think your way out of OCD!  Using logic and rationale will only perpetuate the compulsive analysis cycle!  
Instead remind the person it is OCD flaring up and what OCD is.
Do not provide incessant reassurance!  This will give momentary relief only to reinforce the OCD cycle and more questions will come up, even anger and a more desperate attempt to have certainty that everything will be OK.  
Instead lovingly and with warmth set limits of how much reassurance you will provide (we all do need reassurance sometimes).
Do not accommodate OCD!  This will feed the cycle and make it last longer!
Instead create a step by step plan to reduce accommodations.
_____
 
@ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going.  
*Episodes come out out bi-weekly.

9. Q&A Session

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
 
Today I am answering some questions that got direct messaged to me on my Instagram account @ocdwhisperer.
Unintentional thought suppression question and how to have acceptance.
Comparing your OCD to Instagram posts to validate or invalidate your own experience question.
Can someone with OCD find a friend or a partner who also has OCD and can there be positive benefits?
Checking feelings for proof if the obsession is true or not or checking if feeling something and that leads to actually feeling something.
_____
 
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going in the meantime.
*Episodes come out out bi-weekly.

8. Mindset

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we are talking about Mindset work.
What are you paying attention to?  Consciously direct your attention!
What meaning you assign to your anxiety experience does influence how you feel about it.  (Is anxiety a threat?  Did you assign meaning to it that you cannot handle it?)
What you choose to do in response to your anxiety will either feed it or break it.  
Compulsively neutralizing it strengthens it.
Maybe OCD is an opportunity for growth?
Everyday is an opportunity to practice.
_____
 
IG @ocdwhisperer  
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going in the meantime.  
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

7. Compulsions Anyone?

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we are talking about Compulsions!
Themes of different compulsive behaviors:
Avoidance
Compulsive crying (other OCD influenced emotions)
Self reassurance (sneaking them in sometimes)
Decontamination
Checking
Magical compulsions
Perfectionistic compulsions
Counting
Tracing
Touching/ tapping
Mental compulsions (there is an episode just on this)
Protective compulsions
Body focused
Self-mutilating (cutting, burning)
Hair pulling/ skin picking (this may or may not be due to OCD, it may be due to trichotillomania mean hair pulling or excoriation-means skin picking)
_____
 
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
 
____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going.  
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

6. Motivation

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we are talking about Motivation: it is an on-going dynamic process.
Take away strategies are:
Break your ERP exercises or any goals down into small steps that you can do right NOW.  Focus on the present- what can you do NOW to start?
Set limits with distractions- say no to them.
Watch for your rationalizations of all the "should's" and not doing anything and then your inner critic coming out to judge yourself and feel bad like guilt, shame, embarrassment.  This cycle feeds onto itself. Catch it and tell yourself maybe I should have done x,y,z- but right NOW I will do x and focus on the here and now and start.
Reflect on even small accomplishments because then you focus on your success and that will feed your confidence and you may feel motivated to do the next ERP exercise and build on it and take action. 
_____
 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going.  
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

5. Compulsive Rumination

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we are covering compulsive rumination: what it is, why people rationalize why it is important to keep ruminating, and simple strategies to try today.
Strategies discussed are:
Catch yourself in the act!  Increase your awareness of how much of this behavior you engage in.
Set firm boundaries with no ifs buts or anything else!  Example: I will parking lot thinking about this for 24 hrs.
Talk back using strategies that foster non-engagement with the content.  For example: I have thought about x for so long and have not gotten any more clear on anything.  This mental processing is not yielding results and I will no longer do this especially when I am anxious and feel a sense of urgency or need.
_____
 
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going.  
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

4. OCD Subtypes Continued (Part 2)

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we will touch on the second part of OCD Subtypes.  These two episodes, episode 3 and 4 are to give you an idea of the different ways OCD can present itself.
Subtypes discussed are:
Sexual Obsessions OCD
Relationship OCD
Superstitious / Magical OCD
Aggressive Obsessions OCD
Emotional Contamination OCD
Perinatal/ Postpartum OCD
Rumination OCD
Hyperawareness  & Sensorimotor OCD
Real life event(s) OCD 
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going. 
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

3. OCD Subtypes Part 1

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we will discuss the first half of various OCD Subtypes.
Subtypes discussed are:
Symmetry/Perfectionism OCD
Contamination OCD
Fear doing something wrong OCD
Harm OCD                                          
Hypochondria/ health OCD
Pure “O” OCD 
Scrupulosity OCD-morality, being good or evil 
Just Right OCD 
Need to know/ remember OCD 
Pedophilia OCD      
_____
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
 
See you in the next episode!
 
Keep going. 
*Due to the amount of information, there is a bonus episode out next week.
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

2. Art of ERP

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
Today we will discuss the art of Exposure & Response Prevention as the first line treatment for OCD.
Principles discussed are:
Variability
Defuse and create a little space between you and OCD
Opposite Action
Be here NOW
Tripple A: acknowledge, agree, and accept
_____
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
 
_____
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
See you in the next episode!
Keep going.  
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly.

1. What is OCD?

Learn all things OCD with the OCD Whisperer Podcast.
 
Today we will discuss what OCD actually is-a doubting disease.
 
A great resource is also the International OCD Foundation www.iocdf.org 
_____
OCD Journal and Planner: CBT based tracker
IG @ocdwhisperer
Resources for OCD 
______
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes.  Though I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California, this does not replace therapy. 
 
See you in the next episode!
_ _ _
Keep going.  Keep growing.  Keep glowing.
*Episodes will be coming out bi-weekly on Mondays.