But For Real Episode 17: Why OCD Is NOT Just Being “So Organized” 🙅

Podcast
Written By Colleen Werner

Despite misinformed pop culture statements, OCD isn’t a punchline—it’s a chronic brain loop that can be incredibly challenging for individuals to receive the care they need.

In this episode, Val and Em get into the ins-and-outs of OCD, including suggestions for folks who are struggling with it, as well as folks who have a friend or loved one who is struggling.

And, as always, we get into plenty of other fun stuff including TV recs and some hopeful headlines – like a rancher’s dog rescuing an infant 🥹

This episode covers:

Tea & Crumpets

Valerie (once again) is re-obsessed with The Last Of Us. She has yet to dive into season 2, but her dad was recently in town, which led to a binge watch of season 1 since he hadn’t seen it!

Emerson’s current obsession is also a TV show – Good American Family! It’s a Hulu drama series, retelling the Natalia Grace story, and for any other true-crime lovers, it’s a must watch.

Step Into My Office

In this episode, a listener wrote in about wondering if she’s just struggling with over-thinking or if it could be OCD.

Em and Val share that whether it’s generalized anxiety or OCD, you deserve support – and reaching out to an OCD specialized therapist would be a smart step. If you’re in the Nashville-area, our go-to recommendation for folks seeking specialized OCD support is Nashville OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center. Another resource for finding OCD support is IOCDF.

The DSM: Why OCD Is NOT Just Being “So Organized”

For starters – OCD is the acronym for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. According to IOCDF, “OCD is a serious and often debilitating mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.”

Val starts the segment by differentiating obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted, often disturbing thoughts or fears, whereas compulsions are the actions (mental or physical) people engage in to try to reduce the distress those thoughts cause. Then, Emerson gets into some examples of common OCD themes, including harm, relationship, and moral scrupulosity –– and those are just a few!

In the rest of the segment, they explore why OCD gets misunderstood, why “just stop thinking about it” doesn’t work, how to live with OCD instead of against it, and words of advice for people who have a loved one with OCD.

You’ll have to listen to the full episode to hear more, but all in all, OCD isn’t a punchline—it’s a chronic brain loop that can be incredibly challenging for individuals to receive the care they need. Having OCD is not a death sentence, you are worthy of care, compassion and tools to help you feel more aligned with your values and the life you want to lead!

Now That’s What I Call…OKAAAAY

Emerson’s pick for the week was "twilight zone" by Ariana Grande. Ari is the QUEEN of a breakup song/in her healing era – and this song gives true main character energy.

Val’s pick for the week was "Leave" by Glen Hansard, Live at Stubb's BBQ. The track comes from the the self-titled first collaboration album between Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. The tracks were also on the soundtrack of Once, an iconic indie musical film from 2007 chronicling a dramatized version of the musical collaboration between Glen & Marketa.

Fire Dumpster Phoenix

Emerson’s hopeful find for the week was a story from Good News Network where over 300 people in Michigan showing up to Michelle Tuplin’s Serendipity Books to help her move her entire inventory 350 feet away in her new space. Over 9,000 books were passed along a human chain and the task was completed in just 2 hours! Community members described the experience as pleasant and enjoyed talking to one another as the time passed 🥹

Val’s heartwarming find for this episode was a story from The Guardian about a rancher’s dog leading a two-year-old Arizona child to safety. After the child disappeared from his home, a large scale search operation started, and Buford, a five-year-old Great Pyrenees-Anatolian mix, was eventually the one who found him 🫶

If you want to learn more about any (or all) of these topics, click the podcast player at the top of this post or the YouTube video down below to listen to the full episode and dive in with us.

Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:

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DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.

Colleen Werner
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