What the Research Actually Says: OCD Science from the Orchard Conference

What does the latest OCD research actually tell us, and what does it mean for the people living with it and treating it? This week Jess and Laura dig into the key findings from the recent Orchard OCD International Conference, translating the science into something genuinely useful.They cover a lot of ground: the economic cost of OCD, which brain areas are involved and what that means for treatment, early signs in children, the genetics of OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and what mental health medications are actually targeting (and what questions you should be asking). Plus: mouse models, psychedelic research, PANDAS, secondary OCD, and what healthy lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, and exercise actually do for OCD symptoms.Jess also shares her pet peeves from the research (you'll want to hear those), and they round things off with listener questions, Weekly Wins, and an Exposure Lab challenge.Podcast by:Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapistandJessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapistEdited by Christian NicksonTime stamps:00:00 Overview of the episode01:00 Introduction and hellos 02:30 Brain Spam05:30 Superstitions and OCD08:10 Disclaimer 08:30 OCD's cost on the economy09:20 Brain areas involved in OCD10:57 Early detection, OCD signs in children15:42 Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours: skin picking and hair pulling 19:57 How much OCD runs in families21:30 What are mental health medications targeting and what types should we ask about?25:33 Mouse research and implications29:30 Psychedelic research and an OCD holiday33:20 Onset ages of OCD and OCD genes32:20 Secondary OCD and PANDAS38:40 Healthy living and OCD; sleep, diet and exercise 39:45 How therapy can use this information48:20 Sleep disorders in OCD49:11 Neuroplasticity to help OCD51:00 Jess' pet peeves from the research53:00 Question from the listeners53:48 Weekly Wins54:42 Exposure Lab55:33 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 pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocdPlease 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.