Living With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome two therapists from the Houston OCD program to the show. Eeva, the Milieu Manager and Ivy, a behavior therapist talk about their work and the different types of therapy that their program offers. If anyone is considering treatment and wondering how to decide what level of care is best, this show will help you make those decisions either for yourself or for a loved one. The information that the ladies give on this show are very insightful and give you a sneak peak into therapy from the other side.

In this interview Julie and Andy welcome Jen to the show. Jen is married to Phil who is an OCD sufferer and shares what her husband’s struggles are as well as what it is like to be married to someone with OCD. In the second half of the show we flip the tables and Jen asks Andy questions about what his life as a co-sufferer is like. This is a unique and special episode and one that will leave you thankful for the so-sufferers in your life.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Traci and Anna back to the show for part 2 of their interview. Anna is a 15-year-old young lady with OCD and Traci is her mother. In this episode we cover such topics as self-mutilation, sexual intrusive thoughts, risk-taking, and much more. This mother and daughter story is one not to be missed, it is the story of a mother’s undying love and support for a daughter plagued by OCD.

In Part 1 of this episode Julie and Andy interview Traci and Anna, a mother and daughter. Anna is 15 and suffers from OCD. Traci is Anna’s mother, cheerleader, and the person who helps her daughter fight her debilitating disorder. As a teen, Anna has been through more than any girl should but is still standing strong and still fighting her OCD. This story will touch your heart and gives you a unique look inside the mind of a teen who struggles with OCD.

In this episode Julie and Andy interview Regan from the LifeWorks Group to the show. Regan is therapist (LPC-Intern) at LifeWorks in the Dallas Fort-Worth area where clients can find a unique and state of the art clinic to meet their whole body needs. Regan specializes in anxiety disorders and in particular, OCD. This episode highlights the newest and most innovative form of collective counseling and specially how this can be sued for OCD sufferers. www.wefixbrains.com

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Stuart to the show. Stuart is an OCD advocate, an author, a speaker, and the founder of The OCD Stories website. Stuart grew up with OCD and it was not until many years later that he actually knew what his struggle was called. Over the years Stuart has experienced many different types of OCD but he has always made sure to allow other people to learn from his experiences and is confident that his OCD has made him a better person. www.theocdstories.com www.stuartralph.com

In this episode Julie and Andy talk about Julie’s experience withdrawing off Klonopin. This has been one of the hardest things Julie has ever faced and she details the withdrawals in the hope that anyone listening can find hope and understanding if going through the same thing. This is also the 2015 OCD awareness week and everyone is encouraged to participate however possible and reduce the stigma around OCD.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome back Chelsea and Kim to the show. Chelsea is an 18 year old who has had OCD for most of her life and Kim is her Mom who has been her biggest cheerleader throughout it all. In this episode we talk about how Chelsea’s OCD jumps from one area to another and just when she thinks one thing is managed another pops up. Kim tells us the hardest part about being a mother of someone with OCD and the four discuss ways to end the stigma around this disorder and how best to care for those around us that we know are suffering. This is a great conclusion to a two part special episode.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome a mother and daughter to the show. Chelsea has struggled with OCD for most of her life and Kim, her Mother, has done everything in her power to get help for Chelsea so she can live as a well-adjusted young adult. This is a truly amazing episode, it is the story of a mother’s love through a daughter’s struggles and the tireless efforts of a co-sufferer on behalf of a and OCD sufferer. Chelsea has experienced all different types of OCD but eventually found light and hope at the end of the tunnel with a good therapist, good medication, and ERP.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Danielle to the show. Danielle has suffered with OCD for as long as she can remember although she was not diagnosed with the disorder until she was 20. She talks about her “worries” during her childhood and about her constantly seeking reassurance from her mother when neither of them knew what she was struggling with was OCD. Danielle went to college, found a good therapist after a couple of bad ones and started on CBT and ERP for her harming thoughts that emerged later in her life. There is life beyond OCD and this episode is a prime example of that.

In this special episode LWOCD recorded live at the 22nd Annual OCD Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Julie and Andy talked about the background of the show, how it came to be and talked about Julie’s OCD. They then interviewed Dr. Shana Doronn, therapist and OCD expert, and Dr. Jeff Szymanski, Executive Director of the International OCD Foundation, clinical psychologist and OCD expert. After the interviews members of the audience were given a chance to reflect on their conference experience and ask questions. This was such a special episode for LWOCD and Julie and Andy were honored to be part of the Conference.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Kristin back to the show for her second interview. It has been a year since we first interviewed her and so much has changed for the better in life since then. Kristin has been in therapy and doing ERP for a year and has started on meds as well which have given her the leg up she needs to get through her OCD. Listeners will notice a tremendous difference between the old Kristin and the new Kristen, and we are so proud for her progress and her determined fight against OCD to make her life better.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Rebecca to the show all the way from South Africa. Rebecca remembers having OCD for most of her life and her contamination issues center around bodily fluids and excretions. Julie and Rebecca share a lot of laughs in this episodes as they discover that they have several similar obsessions and compulsions which only adds to the fact that no matter where you are or who you are, OCD affects all of us in same way and that simple fact is enough to give hope and faith that we can all have a better future.

In this double length episode Julie and Andy welcome Lindsay to the show. Lindsay has suffered with OCD since she was a child and yet never had a name for her anxiety until she was well into adulthood. Lindsay’s father also suffered from OCD but the two were never able to share about their disorder until very late in her father’s life. This is not only Lindsay’s story but also the story of her Dad, her Mom, and her grandparents. OCD is not just a disorder that affects one person but one that affects all those around us that we are closest too. This story will touch your heart and is for all the people out there that have lost their battle with OCD.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Janet Singer to the show. Janet does not have OCD herself but her son Dan does. She is an author, a blogger and a contributor to many mental health sites. In this show she shares the story of her son’s OCD, treatment, and recovery. Dan is now a well-adjusted 25 year old pursuing his dreams and none of that would have happened without the unconditional love and support of his parents. This story is not to be missed!

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Tom Corboy to the show. Tom is the Executive Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles and employees therapists at three locations in California, specifically dedicated to treating people with OCD. The Center has individual treatment options, group therapist options, in-patient, out patient, Skype, and even online therapy, having helped about 1500 or more people with OCD to date. In this interview Tom tells us his history on how he came to establish the center, what kind of treatment they focus on, and how successful those treatments are. He is also the author of a couple of workbooks as well as a book on OCD spectrum disorders. Don’t miss the wealth of knowledge that Tom disseminates to us during this episode, it’s a great one!

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Lindsey Muller to the show. Lindsey works in private practice with Sarosh Motivala who was previously interviewed on the show. She specializes in the treatment of body focused repetitive behaviors such as skin picking and trichotillomania. She is also the author of the published book, Life is Trichy, which talks about her personal struggles with the disorder, her overcoming of it, and her professional experience treating it. Lindsey is one of the foremost treaters of these disorders and her interview is not to be missed.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome Mitzi VanCleve as their guest. Mitzi is the author of the book called “Strivings within-The OCD Christian: Overcoming Doubt in the Storm of Anxiety” and links her being a Christian directly with her relationship and overcoming of OCD. For years Mtizi straggled with OCD and panic disorder without knowing what was wrong with her but once she did discover it she made every effort to gain knowledge, find help, and help others around her. Mitzi’s story is one you don’t want to miss.

In this episode Julie and Andy interview guest Katy who has suffered with OCD and anxiety most of her life. Katy’s OCD has run the gamut of obsessions and compulsions and she also suffers with ADD, Dermotillomania, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Despite all these obstacles Katy has found help, been supported by friends and family, and has learned that no matter what you go through there is always hope if you simply reach out. Katy says it best when she says that even though she suffers from OCD and even though it shapes her life, it doesn’t define it.

In this episode Julie and Andy welcome their friend Cindy to the show. Cindy has suffered with Trichotillomania for over 25 years. She is very honest and open about her disorder and how she is still in the midst of her disorder and not on the recovery side at this time. Her story is one of struggle, pain, frustration and of hope. Although Cindy’s Trich is worse than it has ever been she still has a glimmer of hope that things will get better and that she will overcome her disorder. For everyone struggling this is the episode for you, our episodes are not always about being recovered and healed, sometimes they are about sharing with each other in the midst of our hurt, and that’s what Cindy’s story is.