The Faulty Fire Alarm: OCD and ERP with Dr. Alice Rizzi

In this episode of Clinically Awkward, I sit down with Dr. Alice Rizzi, a New York licensed psychologist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders, to blow up everything you think you know about obsessive compulsive disorder and actually replace it with something useful. We get into the OCD cycle, intrusive thoughts, mental compulsions, and the presentations nobody wants to talk about: pure O, harm OCD, health OCD, and the relationship and sexuality spirals that have people texting their friends for reassurance at 2am. We cover the difference between OCD and OCPD, why your brain's smoke alarm is broken, and why the compulsions you've been using to feel better are actually making it worse. We also get into exposure and response prevention, why ERP is the gold standard for OCD treatment, what it actually looks like in practice, why traditional CBT can accidentally keep people with OCD stuck, and how to find an OCD therapist who genuinely knows what they're doing versus someone who listed OCD among their 57 other specialties on Psychology Today. Dr. Rizzi's therapy practice is based in New York and Florida. Find her at dralicerizzi.com. For entrepreneurs and women in business, find her mindfulness and values work at togethermindful.com. If you're an adult looking for therapy in New York, find me at alyssazimmerman.com.