Molly Lambert on pOCD, Shame, and Finding Acceptance: The OCD Theme No One Talks About

Description:⚠️ Content warning: this episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation and themes that some listeners might find distressing. pOCD — pedophilia-themed OCD — is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised subtypes out there, and Molly Lambert has lived it. In this episode, Molly shares what her intrusive thoughts actually looked and felt like: from existential anxiety to fears about being a paedophile, magical thinking, emotional checking, and the spiral that nearly broke her. She talks honestly about suicidal ideation, how TikTok helped her find her way, what it took to finally share her thoughts with others — and what acceptance can actually look like on the other side.Laura, Jess and Molly also dig into how common pOCD really is, why it tends to hit the people it does, how therapy helped, and why Molly now advocates publicly for OCD awareness (including how she handles the inevitable backlash). Plus: postpartum mums and pOCD, the role of drinking and distraction, and Molly gets involved in the Brain Spam feature 🧠 Podcast by Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapistandJessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapistFeaturing Molly Lambert, OCD and mental illness advocateEdited by Christian NicksonTimestamps:01:00 Hellos01:30 Introducing Molly Lambert02:57 What were Molly's thoughts like? From existential anxiety to paedophile fears05:20 Magical thinking and checking emotions09:20 When the pOCD started to spiral14:40 How common is pOCD and why does it happen?16:45 Thinking about suicide17:30 What helped Molly realise it was OCD?19:30 How drinking and distractions fit in20:50 How TikTok helped23:45 Other themes sneaking in25:30 Starting to share the thoughts with others28:30 Sharing with family30:10 Advice for sharing — and Molly's experience of others' reactions31:20 Therapy for Molly's OCD35:47 Pursuing an OCD diagnosis41:15 What acceptance can look like45:00 Laura's OCD Doris46:00 OCD help needs to be personalised47:15 Molly's advocacy work for OCD53:12 How Molly deals with negative feedback online58:00 Postpartum mums and pOCD1:04:50 How do Molly's friends and family help?1:07:00 Where to find information and support1:12:12 What did 15-year-old Molly need to hear?1:14:33 Brain Spam1:18:50 Wins of the Week1:20:00 Avoidance in pOCD1:20:25 Exposure Lab1:22:30 GoodbyesGet in Touch:Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:Email us at [email protected] us on Instagram and TikTok: @justcheckingpodFor our individual OCD Instagram and Tiktok pages: @jess_helps_your_ocd and @ocdtherapylauraPlease check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing Content Warnings:We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to. Disclaimer This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.