In this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Forrest is joined by Kimberley Quinlan to explore one of the most misunderstood anxiety disorders: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Drawing from her clinical and personal experience, Kimberley breaks down what OCD is, how it differs from general anxiety, and the ways it’s often mischaracterized. They discuss the core features of obsessions and compulsions, and how these can manifest across a wide range of themes, including harm, contamination, morality, and relationships. Kimberley explains how Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) works, what makes an exposure “good,” and how to build tolerance for distress rather than trying to eliminate it. They also touch on self-compassion, the role of medication, and the stigmas that can keep people from getting help.
About our Guest: Kimberley Quinlan is a licensed marriage and family therapist, author, host of the popular Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast, and the founder of CBTschool.com.
Key Topics
- 0:00: Introduction
- 1:19: Kimberley’s personal experience with OCD
- 3:36: What is OCD? Obsessions vs. compulsions
- 8:18: The relationship between trauma (PTSD) and OCD in Kimberley’s experience
- 11:12: ERP and approaches to treatment
- 17:14: Differences between clinical ERP and informal exposure practices
- 24:30: Imaginal exposures for fears that can’t be physically enacted
- 28:52: Resourcing for exposure
- 30:26: What if exposure goes poorly?
- 34:38: Role of self-compassion in OCD treatment
- 37:02: Considering medication: benefits, stigma, and SSRIs
- 42:52: Unhooking from intrusive thoughts: ACT, mindfulness, DBT
- 53:59: “How can I make this my bravest day?”
- 57:45: Recap
Support the Podcast: We’re now on Patreon! If you’d like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Forrest is now writing on Substack, check out his work there.
