When OCD Meets ADHD: Adapting Therapy, ACT, and ERP with Joshua Munn

This week Jess is joined by Joshua Munn, a therapist specialising in OCD and ADHD, for a conversation that's long overdue on this podcast. They get into how to tell OCD and ADHD apart (spoiler: it's not always straightforward), why adapting ERP for ADHD brains actually makes therapy better for everyone, and how ACT and compassion-focused approaches fit into the picture. Expect honest chat about rejection sensitivity, executive functioning, hyperfixation shame, and why the goal was never a neurotypical brain anyway.Podcast by: Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapistandJessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapistEdited by Christian NicksonSpecial guest Joshua Munn, OCD and ADHD specialist therapist Website: www.therapywithjosh.co.uk Social media: @therapywith_josh on Instagram and @therapywithjosh on TiktokTime stamps:00:00 What to expect this episode 01:44 Introduction to Josh02:50 Why Josh started working with OCD and ADHD03:40 How to differentiate OCD and ADHD05:50 Not aiming for a neurotypical brain06:20 Rejection sensitivity and OCD09:00 Imposter syndrome in ADHD and OCD10:30 What executive functioning difficulties people may notice12:40 ADHD adaptions for OCD therapy 17:00 What ACT therapy is and how it works with OCD and ADHD22:00 Neurodivergence and parenting 25:33 Making ERP more ADHD friendly 27:30 Visualising characters for OCD29:20 OCD leading to low mood in ADHD31:00 ADHD and boredom34:33 Neurodivergence and OCD Venn diagrams36:56 Attention training and music 39:10 Hyperfixations and shame39:35 Healthy guilt vs OCD guilt42:52 Josh's favourite tips for OCD and ADHD45:20 Session adaptions for people with ADHD48:00 Being mindful of how much OCD content you consume 50:36 Considerations for medication 53:49 Question from the listeners 56:22 Exposure Lab58:00 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.