The OCD & Anxiety Podcast | Robert James Coaching

OCD Meets Buddhism: A Radical Change in Perspective

957 views · 1d ago · 12:37

Guest: OCD Meets Buddhism

What if one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming OCD and anxiety is the way we respond to our own thoughts and feelings? Over the years, Buddhist philosophy has had a profound influence on how I understand OCD and anxiety, both through my own personal experience and in my work as an OCD and anxiety coach.

Topics: How Buddhism changed my understanding of OCD and anxiety · The Two Arrows: Why resisting anxiety creates more suffering · Attachment: The OCD trap of needing certainty and control · Non-Self: Intrusive thoughts, identity and learning to let go

Why You Can't Stop Thinking About OCD (And How to Break Free)

2.3K views · 1w ago · 10:29

Why do some intrusive thoughts disappear almost immediately, while others leave us trapped in hours of overthinking, rumination and anxiety? If you struggle with OCD, you may feel as though you have to analyse every intrusive thought, work out what it means and find certainty before you can move on. But what if that constant search for answers is actually keeping you stuck?

Topics: Why the same intrusive thought affects people differently · How perception shapes our experience of OCD · My personal experience of OCD and seeking certainty · How rumination reinforces the OCD cycle · William James and the power of attention · The broken pixel analogy: Seeing the bigger picture

What to Do When OCD Makes You Feel Powerless

1.9K views · 1w ago · 18:40

Does OCD make you feel powerless, as though anxiety and intrusive thoughts are deciding how you live? In this episode, we explore that loss of confidence and how you can begin rebuilding a sense of choice. I discuss how past experiences can shape the way we see ourselves, why comparing our suffering with other people’s can leave us feeling misunderstood, and the importance of understanding our own struggles with greater compassion.

How Fear Shapes Who You Think You Are | Dr Todd Burstain

1.7K views · 1w ago · 40:11

Guest: Dr Todd Burstain

What if fear has shaped the person you believe yourself to be? In this episode of The OCD & Anxiety Podcast, I’m joined by physician, researcher and author Dr Todd Burstain to explore how fear influences our thoughts, behaviours and sense of identity—and how we can begin to respond differently.

Topics: Meet Dr Todd Burstain · Fear Itself: the idea behind the book · How fear becomes a repeating cycle · Recognising and naming fear’s voice · How fear shapes the stories we tell ourselves · Understanding fear as a protective response

OCD: Why Your Mind Won’t Leave You Alone

1.6K views · 2w ago · 14:06

Why won’t OCD leave your mind alone—even after all the checking, analysing and reassurance? Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death offers a fascinating perspective on OCD, anxiety and our need to feel safe and in control. In this episode, I explore three connections between Becker’s ideas and the experience of living with OCD: our struggle with uncertainty, our search for meaning, and the protective habits that can gradually shape our lives.

Topics: OCD, anxiety and The Denial of Death · Becker’s ideas about mortality and fear · Social anxiety and the fear of rejection · Compulsions and the false sense of control · Hero systems: our need for meaning · Perfectionism and relationship OCD

How to Measure Progress in OCD Recovery

1.3K views · 2w ago · 7:36

How do you know if you’re making progress in OCD recovery when intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or compulsions still show up? In this video, I explore how to measure progress without turning every difficult moment into evidence that you’re failing. Drawing on my own experience and coaching work, I discuss the importance of recognising how you respond to discomfort, reconnect with what matters, and keep participating in life.

Topics: How do you know if you’re getting better from OCD? · Why symptoms alone don’t tell the whole story · Measuring progress through how you live · Refocusing without pushing anxiety away · Starting small: a few wins and a 1% change · Letting go of the perfect recovery standard

The Belief That Kept Me Stuck in OCD

2.5K views · 3w ago · 11:20

For years, I believed OCD meant something inside me was broken — and that I would never feel like myself again. That belief left me feeling hopeless and made it harder to take the steps that could help. In this video, I share how I began to move away from that story, why learning about neuroplasticity gave me hope, and how I changed my relationship with my inner critic.

Topics: The belief that I was broken · How neuroplasticity gave me hope · Taking action before you feel ready · Understanding the compulsive cycle · How my relationship with OCD changed · How the inner critic keeps the story going

I’m Getting Married—But What About My Relationship OCD?

1.7K views · 3w ago · 20:34

Next month I’m getting married to Carla. As someone who has struggled with relationship OCD (ROCD), that means more to me than I once thought possible. In this personal episode, I share how relationship anxiety, overthinking and constantly checking my feelings affected my past relationships—and what has helped me move towards marriage without needing complete certainty.

Topics: I’m getting married—with relationship OCD · How ROCD affected my past relationships · Moving towards marriage without complete certainty · The urgency to figure everything out · Postponing decisions and stepping out of the loop · Checking feelings, attraction and imperfections

OCD Recovery: How to Stop Answering Every “What If?” | Jenna Overbaugh

2.4K views · 1mo ago · 43:20

Guests: Jenna Overbaugh, OCD Recovery

OCD recovery doesn’t mean finding the answer to every “what if?” In this episode, I’m joined by OCD and anxiety specialist Jenna Overbaugh, LPC, to explore intrusive thoughts, rumination, mental compulsions, and how to stop getting pulled into OCD’s demand for certainty.

Topics: Welcoming Jenna: her background in OCD · How postpartum OCD changed Jenna’s perspective · Emotional reasoning and the search for certainty · Rumination versus real problem-solving · Building belief in your ability to handle hard things · Make your world bigger

Is the Story You Tell Yourself About OCD Keeping You Stuck?

1.9K views · 1mo ago · 22:06

Is the story you tell yourself about OCD keeping you stuck? In this episode, we explore OCD and anxiety, narrative identity, and how small changes in your responses can help you discover more of what you’re capable of. An OCD diagnosis can bring understanding, relief and connection. But what happens when “I have OCD” becomes “I can’t cope” or “This will always hold me back”?

Topics: Is your OCD story keeping you stuck? · Why an OCD diagnosis can bring relief · When the label becomes a limiting story · Jerome Bruner, Dan McAdams and narrative identity · How avoidance reinforces a belief · Including your strengths in the story

This Hidden Rule Could Be Keeping You Stuck in OCD

2.3K views · 1mo ago · 6:12

What if the rule keeping you stuck in OCD is: “I can move on, but only once it feels right”? That feeling can come in lots of different disguises. Feeling certain you haven’t upset someone. Feeling sure about your relationship. Feeling satisfied that you’ve properly worked out an intrusive thought. Sometimes it even becomes needing to feel that you’re doing acceptance or recovery correctly.

Topics: The rule that could be keeping you stuck · The different disguises of “just right” · Checking how you feel · Why relief doesn’t always last · When recovery has to feel perfect · Moving on while you still feel unsettled

OCD: When Your Imagination Turns Against You

2.9K views · 1mo ago · 13:13

Why do OCD thoughts feel so real, even when the situation you're imagining isn't happening? In this episode, I explore OCD, anxiety, intrusive thoughts and rumination through my own experience of getting caught in “what if?” scenarios.

Topics: Why imagined fears can feel so real · Imagine That by Cassandra Vieten · Imagination styles: observers and deep divers · My experience of relationship doubts and checking · Spontaneous versus purposeful imagination · Research on mental imagery and emotion