It’s Not What You Think – Details, episodes & analysis

Alison steps in for Angie today and joins Penny in welcoming back Dr Andrea Wallace to discuss EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). EMDR is an evidence-backed therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (for example side to side eye movements) alongside the recollection of memories to help the brain reprocess memories of events or feelings.

Penny and Alison discuss:

• How the body/mind is wired to heal itself
• What EMDR is and how it started
• How and why it can be useful to help treat people with OCD
• What EMDR sessions might look like
• How it’s been helpful for Penny
• How it can help people who might be resistant to trying ERP

Leading Australian TV producer, Chris Walker talks to Penny and Angie about the devastating intersection of OCD and childhood trauma.  When Chris was a young kid he witnessed a devastating event which left him and his family reeling. A few years later, Chris experienced OCD symptoms which started to take over his life. 

In this very raw and honest episode, Chris talks so generously about:

• The role religion and moral scrupulosity played in his OCD
• The exhaustion of dealing with OCD at school when it’s so often invisible/hidden
• The continuing misunderstanding around OCD and mental illness in general
• Getting treatment for PTSD and ocd and how ERP therapy helped his compulsions
• Seeing OCD symptoms in one of his children and his optimism for early intervention. 

• How acting became a safe haven from the exhaustion of OCD
• The trepidation of talking so openly about mental illness as someone with a public profile
• How cathartic it is to hear other people talk about their ocd experiences
• The co morbidity of OCD and ADHD
• Feeling like a fraud when the ocd flares up
• How privilege plays into recovery

We’re back for Season 2! In this return episode, Angie and Penny chat about :

• what they got up to over their holidays
• why OCD can get so much worse when the pressure is on to have a good time
• the complexities of ‘coming out’ with OCD. 
• Angie reveals how difficult it can be to talk about false memory OCD

Freedom From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Jonathan Grayson

In the season finale of Season 1, we're joined once again by clinical psychologist Andrea Wallace for a powerful discussion on the role of self-compassion in healing shame, especially for people living with OCD.

Andrea breaks down why shame and OCD so often go hand in hand, and how cultivating self-kindness can be a transformative part of the recovery process. We also explore:     •    Why shame frequently accompanies OCD     •    What to do when withholding joy becomes a compulsion     •    How to help children release shame     •    A simple, guided self-compassion exercise you can try at home      Whether you're living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about the link between self-compassion, shame, and mental health, this episode is for you.

Yes, we have the same psychologist, and to us, she is an OCD wizard. In this special two-part episode, Dr Andrea Wallace shares some of her wisdom around what it REALLY feels like to have OCD, busts some common OCD myths and talks a bit about her own imposter syndrome (apparently even the wizards gets it). 

This week Penny and Angie are joined by pediatrican Dr Annie Moulden and clinical psychologist Lauren Wetheimer. They dive into topics including who can diagnose a child with OCD and how this process unfolds, how and why parents play such a big and important role in OCD recovery, the advantages of early diagnosis and the role of medication. 

Finding a psychologist in Australia:

OCD Bounce Directory 

Seeing a provisional psychologist:

UTS

Bond university

Swinburne University 

Online therapy options:

OCD? Not Me!

Books about OCD in kids for adults:

Talking Back to OCD by John S. March 

Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli R. Lebowitz

Books about OCD for kids:

Nobody’s Perfect by Ellen Burns 

What to do when your brain gets stuck by Dawn Huebner

Hugh Van Cuylenburg has lived and loved someone with OCD for over 10 years. And that person happens to be co-host Penny Moodie. Penny and Angie talk to Hugh about why he thinks he’s still not great at always knowing what to do, why humour helps and why sometimes your instincts to help can fuel the OCD. They end the episode by offering their top tips on how to support someone you love who has this complex disorder.

Our top 6 tips:

1. Learn as much as you can about OCD

2. Practice patience

3. Try to foster a loving and non-judgemental environment

4. Expect relapses 

5. Try to see your loved one's psychologist together

6. Try to plan ahead and agree what you will do together when the OCD flares up

The Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam 

Othership app

Penny and Angie speak to Clinical Psychologist and Director of Melbourne Psychology and Counselling, Dr Claire Ahern about the often-bumpy road to getting an OCD diagnosis. They also pick Claire's brain about what to look for in a therapist, the question to ask someone who you suspect might have OCD and the differences between anxiety and OCD. 

OCD Bounce 

Mental Health Online

MindSpot

This Way Up 

OCD? Not Me!

Claire Ahern's Website: OCD Online