Intrusive Thoughts Unmasked

Episode 15: What 'Real Recovery' Means to MeIn today's episode, we have 4 guests who live with OCD sharing what 'real recovery' means to them. What does real recovery even mean? The actuality of being in recovery with OCD can often be vastly different than what we imagine, and this can sometimes cause confusion, distress, and even grief. We sometimes look at OCD as a problem to be 'fixed', or something we can just find 'the key' to and it will all go away. And when we realize that OCD is part of how our brain operates, and we need to work within that reality and within ourselves to create a life with OCD, this may feel overwhelming. This is SO common! And this is why this episode is so important. You will hear four different accounts of recovery evolution, and what has helped each individual get where they are today. One of the things I love about this episode is how each person stresses the importance of individuality. How are you framing your recovery, and what do you need to work through to continue to push farther into it? These are individual questions and the answers can take us in so many incredible directions. Because recovery from OCD is about discovery - the discovery of who we are with OCD, and knowing that we are still worthy and deserving regardless.Recovery for OCD isn't about 'fixing' our brain, it's about adapting and finding out who we are with it. And I hope this episode inspires you to believe that about yourself!If you are in need of a community of people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mnIf this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you'd like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! https://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

Episode 14:Today we are talking with Natasha Daniels, therapist and advocate and educator for parents who have kids with OCD / anxiety. Natasha is a parent of kids living with disorders and she also lives with anxiety. Today we have a discussion that ranges from the emotional journey for the parents and obstacles they deal with, to attachment styles and how it can sometimes be difficult to understand each other's roles because often both the parents AND the child are suffering - and both silently because of shame and guilt. This is a very thoughtful and insightful conversation as always with Natasha! She is such a valuable resource for our community and is amazing at helping parents feel heard and seen in their struggle to try to do the best for their kids. To find out more about Natasha - find her on TikTok and Instagram at @childocdtherapist If you are in need of a community of people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mnIf this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you'd like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! https://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

Welcome to Episode 13!Today is a day of storytelling. I was on holiday last week in the Bahamas...a very sacred place of annual rest, relaxation, and ... um, yes - often painful realizations after time spent without distraction and intentional introspection. When I'm alone with my brain, very wild things happen apparently, and today I'm going to tell you a couple stories about what I've learned and how it's helped me in my healing and recovery journey, despite how painful and filled with grief it was and still sometimes is. This episode is a bit stream of consciousness, so I hope it resonates and makes sense (lol!). It felt good and cathartic to share with you some of these things that hit home for me when I least expected. And I think these things are important for us to share, so we know we aren't alone when putting the puzzle of...well ourselves...together. if you are in need of a community of people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mnIf this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you'd like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! https://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

`Today's episode is SO important and I applaud the guests for sharing their detailed experiences with the theme of Harm OCD. We hear about this subtype a lot, but are we really sharing the details of what it is like to experience it? It's shameful and scary to talk about! While we sometimes hide behind the label knowing it's a pretty big genre of people with OCD...how hard is it to open up about the actual thoughts, images, intrusions and feelings? VERY HARD. People may not understand, people may MIS-understand, disclosing makes us feel shame and guilt, and so many other reasons. I'm so grateful for the guests for talking about real world examples of living with this. I hope it makes you see that you aren't alone with this and you don't have to live in silence or alone. So many wonderful people have this, live with this, and are willing to share and support you!if you are in need of a community of people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn If this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you'd like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! https://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

Hello!Yep - if you listened today and thought, what in the world is this, you heard my original recording of the intro and outro instead of the episode including me having to look through all my phone stuff because I had low data storage. Instead of beating myself up, I'm turning it into a self-compassion exposure. I explain what happened when I found out and I'm also including the original audio so you can see just what a huge mishap it was haha Trigger warning if you don't like to hear cussing!Anyway, I hope you enjoy and remember that I am just a human that makes mistakes and this is a great opportunity to expose that and remember that life goes on. Thanks for being a continued listener, and I've also published the original episode so you can enjoy that!!

Episode 11: What Self-Compassion Means to MeThis is such an important topic for those of us that live with OCD and intrusions! Why? Because OCD makes us believe we don't deserve compassion - and why?! We didn't ask for this disorder, we didn't do anything to make this happen, and it's not our fault. But by default, so many of us fall into this belief that we don't deserve self-compassion for so many reasons. It's a constant struggle for many of us living with OCD whether it be because of the disorder itself, the content, themes, our belief that we are damaged goods, or emotions about what we endure now or have endured before with symptoms or compulsions. In todays episode, we have three lived experience speakers who share the details about the struggle and what they have done to learn and start practicing - and I mean PRACTICING because it's a PRACTICE!! - self-compassion. I believe in this episode you will find practical tools, reasons, and ideas on how to integrate this into your life because even if it doesn't come easy or natural...You DESERVE it! Community can be helpful on this path because as you'll hear often on this episode, we talk about what we'd say to others if they experience this...well, here's your chance! If you are in need of a community for people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn If this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you’d like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

I am excited to share this episode, it is a personal account of the different masks I have worn for decades trying to gain external validation. After my experience with OCD and my childhood experiences, I began looking to society and the world to build my worth - externally. This is impossible, but I did not know that. Not having the ability or skills to see any sort of worth in myself, I tried countless ways that the world, other people, and how I could impress everything and everyone as a means of finding internal worth. This is a bottomless cup that needs more and more but will never provide fulfillment, contentedness, or value. Today I talk about what that looked like for me, how our experience with OCD can encourage this, and what it took for me to finally see that - me - just myself - can actually be enough. I hope this episode helps you feel less alone if you are on the quest to feel whole, and wanting to experience the elusive feelings of self-love! It is attainable...but, it is a journey. Community was so helpful for me on this path, and if you are in need of a community fo people who can help you feel more accepted, less alone, and more connected to people who understand, please check out my online community for weekly support, monthly classes and events at https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mnIf this podcast inspires, supports, and gives you hope and you'd like to support us monthly or sponsor us, please visit our patreon page and become a member. Your contribution will help us continue the podcast and help us provide even more resources for our community! www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

Episode 9: What Mindfulness Means to MeI'm so excited to publish this episode, as I believe mindfulness with OCD is SO confusing and has so many different meanings. Mindfulness absolutely is a concept, but is it what we believe it to be because of what we hear, or what we misunderstand? The speakers in this episode are able to give their own definitions based on lived experience and share with us what that looks like for them. I hope so much that it translates to you and that you can pull from their experiences and examples of practicing mindfulness that will help you see that it's an incredible and helpful tool to include in your own journey toward recovery. If this podcast helps you or inspires you, please consider donating or sponsoring us monthly through our Patreon account at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmaskedCheck out the different levels of benefits you can receive by helping us keep these conversations going! If you are struggling with shame, or other emotions that come alongside OCD and are feeling isolated and need support, please come join my online community where you can get weekly sessions with certified peer support specialists and support groups, and monthly classes and events. Join us when you are needing a community of people who 'get it'!https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn

Episode 8We talk with therapist and advocate/educator Jonny Say of the Integrative Centre for OCD in London. Jonny is a regular contributor for 2026 and will engage in several discussions over the course of the year. Today, we discuss one of the many complex emotions we experience with OCD, particularly with sexual/violent/taboo intrusions - shame. This is an emotion that can take many forms at all stages of OCD, it can be an emotion that continues to pull us back into the entanglement, and it can also be a barrier to treatment. We discuss ways of disconnecting to the shame and Jonny has several helpful strategies that may help if you get stuck in the shame loop.Why is self-compassion so difficult to attain when living with OCD? We have a good chat about this, and also discuss ways to start practicing self-compassion, because as we discuss in the episode - it IS in fact, a practice we can do daily!Find out more about Jonny and hear more about his advocacy on his Youtube Channel at - Jonny Say Therapy.I hope you enjoy the episode!If this podcast helps you or inspires you, please consider donating or sponsoring us monthly through our Patreon account at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked Check out the different levels of benefits you can receive by helping us keep these conversations going! If you are struggling with shame, or other emotions that come alongside OCD and are feeling isolated and need support, please come join my online community where you can get weekly sessions with certified peer support specialists and support groups, and monthly classes and events. Join us when you are needing a community of people who 'get it'!https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn

This is part of the series of:A Day In The Life of...And today we are talking about what it's like to be hospitalized for OCD. This is an experience that is not uncommon but is hugely stigmatized. Hospitalization is a source of shame, stigma, and fear about how people will view us, what it means about us, and then the traumatization of what it is like to be in many of these centers/hospitals/institutions. Being hospitalized can be an enormous source of shame, not to mention that many practitioners have NO idea what OCD is or how it can manifest, so the combination of being in a space that is terrifying PLUS not understanding what you are going through can be absolutely traumatizing. Today, we are sharing our experiences of being hospitalized because of our experiences with OCD. Our hope is that if you have been hospitalized or if you are in the future, you know you aren't alone in this, that you can get through it, and that there are opportunities to find peace and joy, even in a place where that seems impossible!Hospitalization can serve a vital function, and that is if you are in a space with your mental health that you need intervention for safety and security, please understand that it is imperative for you to seek that support. Personally, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to stabilize in a secure environment, despite it's flaws, in order to gain some insight, understanding, and knowledge about what can help while my nervous system was stabilizing. I have always known that if I needed to be hospitalized again, I could do it and I'd be okay. So, this episode is meant to help you see that if you have been or even in the future if you are hospitalized, it is NOT the end of the world! You will survive it, you will and can find hope and motivation, and you do have hope. If you want to support or sponsor our podcast, please visit our patreon page athttps://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked.comIf you are looking for an online community who understands, gets what you are going through, and you can connect to to feel less alone, check out my OCD online community at http://the-ocd-support-community.mn.co

In this episode, we talk to Alie Garza. Alie lives with OCD and is an OCD Therapist and her story is filled with inspiration and resilience.Alie disclosed her intrusions to a trusted community, and unfortunately received a response many of us dread and fear. Rejection. Ostracization. Misunderstanding.This is something that so many of us fear and keep us silent and behind the mask! The reason I feel Alie's experience is SO important is because she is a testament to going through what we are terrified of, and surviving AND now being in a position of disclosing without shame, fear, or rejection. Alie embodies exactly what advocacy is...and also owning her authentic story to help support others in how to change how they approach these situations. We discuss her story, what we can do when we feel scared or threatened by sharing, and how to approach professionals who may misunderstand. This is an important episode and topic. It may feel scary to listen to because trust me...I KNOW this is something so many of us worry about. But, by NOT talking about it, we just perpetuate the fears that we have no agency, right, or opportunity to shed light, education, or boundaries around who we tell and why. I hope this episode helps support you if you are experiencing this or gives you some insight or tips if you are in this position. If you are in need of a community that can help support you where you are at in your OCD experience, check out my online community for support at https://the-ocd-support-community.mn.coIf this podcast supports or inspires you, please consider supporting us as a patreon or sponsor at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked

Why the mask made sense, and how I learned to live without itIn today's episode, Chrissie talks about the many scenarios we may not even realize we are wearing a mask, but yet we still feel the toll of it, whether that be with shame, feeling dismissed, or feeling unseen. This episode is about storytelling the different times in life where OCD wasn't necessarily the driver, but definitely was controlling the GPS of how I felt like I was showing up in life, and still needing to hide. Learning how to connect and live by our values outside of our experience with OCD can feel conflicting at times, especially when stigma, shame and fear are present. Chrissie talks today about when the particular values of authenticity began to rear it's head, but was silenced many times by the mask. What had to happen in her life for her to finally embrace it? Listen to this episode to find out!If you are moved, inspired, or feel connected to this podcast, please consider pledging monthly or sponsoring us at our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked . Your contribution will help us keep these stories and other areas of connection available to those who are feeling alone, isolated and wanting more opportunities to connect! Anything helps us, so please consider donating today!If you are looking for community connection with weekly support, monthly classes and events, and individuals who just get it - check out my online community at https://the-ocd-support-community.mn.co And remember, when you're here, you don't have to wear the mask! We want you to feel seen, understood, and accepted...just as you are. 

Acceptance can be both freeing and challenging, especially when living with OCD. There are many misconceptions around what it means, not only in our personal lives, but how it integrates into our lives on the recovery journey. Today on Intrusive Thoughts Unmasked, four guests explore what acceptance means to them and some key factors in how they have gotten where they are today in that relationship of accepting themselves and who they are with OCD.I hope this episode helps support you wherever you are in your life with OCD.Please consider supporting this podcast either with a monthly pledge or as a sponsor. We have different tiers of support on our Patreon page where you can contribute what fits your life. Check it out at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmaskedIf you are looking for support or connection with others who just get it, join my online community where we have individuals from all around the world in different stages of recovery! We have weekly support groups and one on one sessions with certified peer support specialists. We also have classes on OCD recovery and psychoeducation and monthly events with therapists and advocates. Our monthly subscription is $35 and you can join whenever you need the extra support!Https:the-ocd-support-community.mn.coI hope you enjoy the show - and remember that here, you can take the mask off and we want you to feel seen, understood, and accepted exactly as you are. 

In episode 3, we introduce a regular contributor, and one who is very well known throughout the world in the OCD community, Dr. Steven Phillipson. Steve is the founder of The Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in New York City, New York. He is the author of many articles bringing awareness to individuals living with intrusions with mental rituals which describes the community name that he coined 'Pure O /Pure OCD'. In this episode, we have no agenda - which is just like our normal conversations! And the discussion took us in the directions of a few misunderstandings about OCD and OCD treatment, the role of distress tolerance, how emotions play a role in our OCD experience, and of course the controversy around the term Pure O. Steve was my therapist 28 years ago when I had struggled with debilitating OCD for over 12 years. I found his website on AOL dialup! I emailed him and we began sessions doing Exposure Response Prevention therapy over the phone within a week of making contact. I will forever be grateful for his understanding, compassion, and guidance in my journey toward symptom recovery. I knew immediately Steve really cares about his patients and his desire to do what he can to help them find relief from the crippling symptoms of OCD. I reconnected with Steve many years ago, inviting him to speak at one of my nonprofit - OCD Gamechangers - events in Denver, Colorado. It was full circle for me to stand on the stage and present with this incredible therapist who has helped me shape the life I have now. I am honored to have him as a regular contributor on this podcast through 2026. I hope you enjoy the discussion we have. If you are interested in contacting Steve and his center, please visit www.ocdonline.com or reach out to him at [email protected] (literally the same email he had in 1998 haha!)If this podcast speaks to you, helps you feel less alone, and helps you to finally take off that mask you have to wear to hide OCD from the world, please consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast through our Patreon account! Find out more about what you can receive as a supporter and how you will help ensure we continue producing these incredible episodes at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked.com If you are in need of a supportive community that provides connection and assurance you are not alone in your journey, please check out my online community of international members! We have weekly support groups, weekly peer support by certified peer support specialists, and events and educational and recovery classes monthly. Get your monthly subscription today at https://the-ocd-support-community.mn.co

Living with taboo intrusions brings added layers of shame, guilt, and self-loathing - and living with POCD - intrusions about pedophilia with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - is a theme that can be tormenting and isolating. This theme keeps people silent. It keeps people frozen in fear of the 'what if people knew I had these intrusions?' So, they stay silent. They stay alone in these thoughts, images, and sensations out of fear of being misunderstood, arrested, ostracized, or found to be a monster. In this episode, three individuals share their stories of 'A Day in the Life of POCD' in hopes you will learn more about what it is like to live in the brain of someone with POCD, and also that if you are experiencing these intrusions, you are not alone and it is OKAY to reach out for help and support. For more information on POCD - please refer to my videos on Youtube at Chrissie Hodges or any one of these websites: www.ocdonline.com, www.nocd.com, www.ocdbaltimore.com, www.ocdla.com, www.madeofmillions.comThis is not an uncommon theme, but can be greatly stigmatized and misunderstood. Please reach out for help and support if you are living with POCD or any taboo themes because you deserve to be understood, and accepted despite what your brain is telling you!If you are looking for community, connection, and a place where others just get it. Join my online community for weekly support through groups and one-on-one peer support, monthly events and classes. https://the-ocd-support-community.mn.co*Important Disclosure:This podcast is for psycho-educational purposes only and it’s not intended to replace the guidance of a qualified professional. 

"Hiding the Truth I Couldn't Allow the World to See"In the debut episode of Intrusive Thoughts Unmasked, host and creator Chrissie Hodges shares two pivotal chapters of her life, the times when the mask she wore felt like the only way to survive. Believing she had to hide her true self to be accepted, Chrissie built personas that promised safety but delivered isolation.Through raw storytelling and honest reflection, Chrissie explores how those masks shaped her identity, how they eventually cracked, and how stepping into her authentic self led to connection, community, and a sense of belonging she never thought possible.This episode invites listeners to consider the masks they wear and what becomes possible when we finally take them off.Visit our website to learn more about Intrusive Thoughts Unmasked at:www.intrusivethoughtsunmasked.comAnd support, pledge, or sponsor our podcast at our Patreon account athttps://www.patreon.com/c/intrusivethoughtsunmasked