Finding Community: Michael Schramm

Please help me welcome Michael Schramm, one of the nicest and most positive people I know! He is truly a day brightener, and I’m so happy to host him today and learn more about his experience with OCD. If you live in the Wichita, Kansas, area be sure to see him—and other amazing advocates and…

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Psychology Onions: Peter Scobas

I love to laugh, even about the hard stuff in life. And my guest today, Peter Scobas, loves to joke and make people laugh—even about the hard stuff in life! Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can wreak so much havoc, make us question who we are and where we’re going, but it can help if we’re able…

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Treating Scrupulosity and Other “Bad Thoughts”: Jed Siev

I met today’s guest, Jed Siev, PhD, several years ago at an OCD conference—I think Lee Baer introduced us, and as I mention later in the Q&A, I loved Dr. Baer! One of the reasons I loved him was that he was truly and deeply empathetic toward sufferers of “taboo obsessions” (i.e., me) and worked…

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Using Creativity to Treat OCD: Krista Reed

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel so dark. It can make a person feel lonely, afraid, isolated, ashamed, guilty, and just plain bad! Therapist Krista Reed breaks through some of that darkness with her vibrant and colorful personality as well as the refreshing perspective that therapy is still effective even when there’s an element of fun…

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New OCD Twin Cities President: William Schultz

Meet the new president of OCD Twin Cities! I’ve served in the role for the last nine years, and after a series of changes in my life it’s time for someone else to take over. That someone else is the very accomplished and well-suited local therapist William Schultz. Not only does William treat OCD with…

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Speaking Out to Destigmatize OCD: Shaun Flores

After Shaun Flores was diagnosed with OCD, he knew he had to share his story to help others—and he has not stopped since! He didn’t see other Black men speaking about their struggles with mental illness, but instead of giving in to stigma and the fear of being judged he has gone full steam ahead,…

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Facing What’s Hard About OCD: Jenna Overbaugh

Getting treatment—the right treatment—for OCD ranks really high (okay, let’s say it’s number one) on the list of how to take charge of the disorder and live your life according to your values. What’s helped me a lot, too, is simply knowing there are therapists who care about us and go above and beyond to…

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Thriving in Relationships When You Have OCD: Amy Mariaskin

Help me welcome the amazing Amy Mariaskin! When our beagles were both 15.5 years old we introduced them to each other on a Zoom call—they didn’t seem to know what was going on, but the point is that we tried to foster a connection, and that’s what Amy is all about. Whether she’s working with…

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The ocdopus: Elise Petronzio

We’ve all seen “cute” OCD jokes on things like T-shirts and mugs (and scented candles and hand sanitizers and soaps and…), and many of us with obsessive-compulsive disorder don’t think they’re funny. A lot of us think they’re actually harmful to people with OCD and get in the way of spreading awareness of what OCD…

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OCD After Trauma: Jillian Halket

Jillian Halket has overcome—and accomplished—a lot in her young life. At just 28 she’s worked through trauma, substance abuse, and undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and now her first book is out! In her memoir Blade in the Shadow, Jillian shares her experiences with harm OCD and how she tried to cope with it before finally…

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