FearCast Podcast

On this episode I answer a listener’s multifaceted question about OCD, Panic Disorder, and the fear of going insane. The listener expresses concern that they were misdiagnosed with Panic Disorder when they should have been diagnosed with OCD, and whether their anxiety is so overwhelming that they will lose touch with reality and be unable to deal with their obsessions. I talk discuss some issues involved in the diagnoses process between them, and some other aspects of the obsessions to consider. Most importantly, I discuss some treatment elements they may encounter in treatment, such as Cognitive Restructuring and various exposure ideas. The post Panic Disorder or OCD, or Will I Eventually Just Go Insane? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

On today’s episode, I answer two listener questions. The first is from someone experiencing panic-like symptoms with the awareness of seeing the sky as a “dome” that makes her feel claustrophobic. She refers to an episode of Phobia Phriday on Casadastraphobia, which is linked below. The second question is about someone who experiences hyperawareness, which bothers her, but it is about sensations that she likes and loves. Phobia Phriday- Casadastraphobia The post Fear of Seeing a Dome In The Sky and Cozy-Comfy Hyperawareness appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Harm OCD is an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder subtype focused on violent or harming themes. This is a common obsession for people suffering with OCD and can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety for those experiencing the thoughts and compulsions. On this episode, I discuss what Harm OCD is, why it is part of OCD, common obsessions, compulsions, and triggers, and most importantly how you can work with it. In addition to the information about this subtype, I created two exposure examples that you can use to help craft your own exposures or to use with your therapist. The first is a guided imagery meditation (57:17) that moves you through visualizing a scene with increasing intensity and closeness, and the other is a self-harm obsession script example (1:09:30) focusing on the fear of harming oneself. Both of these examples are general and can be crafted to suite your specific needs. If you have questions about Harm OCD or harm related obsessions for the podcast, feel free to send them here, or email me the audio at questions@fearcastpodcast.com. For more about Harm OCD, please see my article here: Harm OCD The post Harm OCD appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Originally published on December 24, 2021, however it did not post correctly. Here it is now. To close out 2021, I’m answering two quick questions from listeners. The first question is about whether someone can have more than one obsession. Spoiler, yes you can. The next question is about whether someone can orgasm during ERP, and if you do what does that mean and what do we do about it. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions this year and who are considering sending in questions in 2022. Thank you for including me in your recovery and thank you for letting me have a voice in your fight against that anxious voice. Keep pushing and punching anxiety in its stupid face! The post Can I have more than one obsession, and what if I orgasm during ERP? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

For today’s lovely yuletide episode, I was joined by Mitzi VanCleve to talk about how to manage anxiety, obsessions, and stress associated with Christmas for those suffering with Religious Scrupulosity. Mitzi has a wealth of hard-earned wisdom to offer people and it was a pleasure to finally have her on. To no surprise, this episode is very Christian-centric, however I am planning on addressing other faiths’ religious holidays through the lens of Religious Scrup on future episodes. If you have suggestions for topics or guests, please feel free to reach out. For more from Mitzi VanCleve, check out her book at Amazon, or read her blog at The OCD Christian. The post Christmas and Religious Scrupulosity with Mitzi VanCleve appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

Thanks for joining me for another episode! Today’s episode is an listener audio question about how to deal with OCD attacking the ERP process. In it, I discuss where to find good resources for treatment when in-person or even online therapy can’t be accessed, and how to face “Obsessing about obsessing.” Additionally, I answer a quick question about what to say when people on social media (or in real life) say things like “I’m sooo OCD.” I offer a few ideas, but I want to know what YOU, the listener, would say to someone in this situation. If I get enough of them, I’ll post them all to another future episode! The post Obsessing about obsessing, and dealing with “I’m sooo OCD” appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

For today’s episode, I was joined by Nathan Peterson (27:32), Kelley Franke, and Lauren Rosen (39:35) to talk about trigger warnings. We have all heard about them, we have also all heard them, but are they helpful, should we expect them, and how do you handle getting triggered unexpectedly? I answer a few of these questions then my wonderful guests join me to give their takes on trigger warnings. I had a great time speaking with these wonderful and wise people, and hopefully you will too. Kelley Franke: Instagram- @ObsessiveCompulsiveTreatment Lauren Rosen: Instagram- @TheObsessiveMind Nathan Peterson: Instagram- @OCDandAnxietyOnline Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ClvnrcrC-3wr27fz_HlIQ The post Trigger Warnings with Nathan Peterson, Kelley Franke, and Lauren Rosen appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

For this week’s episode, I was joined by Erin Ramachandran of Mental Health Strong to answer a listener’s question about how to best manage their anxiety as they are on the cusp of getting married. They feel guilty that their OCD, specifically Scrupulosity, is impacting their relationship, and they are looking for ideas on how to start their marriage out strong despite the presence of OCD. Thank you all for your patience on this episode. I was dealing with some family matters this past week, so I did not record. I’ll be back again next week with another episode! The post Marriage, Intimacy, and Scrupulosity feature Erin Ramachandran appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

On this episode, I answer two questions that center around HOCD (Sexual Orientation OCD, i.e. SO-OCD), but ask different questions within these two themes. The first question (6:40) is about a woman suffering with ROCD about her boyfriend, but the ROCD is then compounded by obsessions about her sexuality and compulsions of avoidance and mental checking. The second question (23:27) is about a young man’s doubt about his own sexuality and his obsession’s insistence that several awkward and odd situations are all the evidence he needs. Thank you all for joining me again for the FearCast. I’m experimenting with putting out more episodes but with fewer questions, so thank you all for your patience with this slight change in the show’s format. The post HOCD caused by my ROCD? And HOCD caused by my lack of relationship experience? appeared first on FearCast Podcast.

On this episode, I am joined by Kelley Franke, MFT, and Lauren Rosen, MFT, for a presentation we gave at the 2021 IOCDF conference. They were so kind to join me to discuss what you can do if and when your genuine interests, hobbies, or life responsibilities get hijacked by an obsession. This was a really fun talk and I always enjoy presenting with Lauren and Kelley; two of the smartest and funnest therapists out there. If you would like the handouts or slides of the presentation, please feel free to message me and I’ll send them to you. Special thank you to Dr Jeff Szymanski, PhD, of the IOCDF for granting permission to republish this presentation. The post “What To Do When Obsessions Overlap With Genuine Interests”- IOCDF presentation with Kelley Franke, MFT, and Lauren Rosen, MFT appeared first on FearCast Podcast.