Chris discusses the OCD and anxiety disorders hack: that thoughts and feelings following the leadership of behavioral patterns. There are a few pitfalls to keep in mind... Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving us a 5-star rating and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with your anxiety-related symptoms ..read more

Chris discusses some personal experiences that led to the launching of OCDST in March of 2020. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving us a 5-star rating and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with your anxiety- or OCD-symptoms ..read more

Chris recaps several concepts that raise the question: How do you tell the difference between OCD and objective danger? While a number of answers could be presented to the question, Chris offers two. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to Chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving us a 5-star rating and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with your anxiety- or OCD-symptoms ..read more

Chris discusses several ideas and studies, and works through conversations he typically has with patients at various points of the clinical process. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found OCD Straight Talk helpful, consider giving it a 5-star rating and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with you anxiety-symptoms ..read more

Chris responds to a listener's question regarding how obsessions or intrusive thoughts might be experienced differently across the OCD-population. He lists kinds and categories of intrusive thoughts and provides several cases examples from his own experience. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving it a 5-star rating/review and subscribing to OCD Straight Talk for more structured help with your anxiety- or OCD-symptoms ..read more

Chris discusses the difference between the style and persona of a good OCD-therapist and the supportive way of a truly helpful family member. It's about balancing two opposing ideas. But many family members fall too far to one side or the other. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've OCD Straight Talk helpful, consider giving us a 5-star rating/review, and subscribing to the podcast for more structured help with you anxiety or OCD-symptoms ..read more

Chris presents the idea that there's always some evidence, some reason to perceive intrusive thoughts as reality. This coupled with the reasonable possibility of feared outcomes heightens anxiety for OCDers. Evidence makes the thoughts feel real ... even if the evidence can point to several conclusions. So the question isn't, Can I dismantle or disprove the evidence; it's, Can I tolerate the uncertainty. It's, Can I act as if my intrusive thoughts aren't happening? Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found OCD Straight Talk helpful, con ..read more

Chris presents a conversation he often has with patients at the beginning of treatment. Expectations are powerful things, including if they're unrealistic. So having healthy and reasonable expectations is important, especially when it what we should expect to get out of therapy. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving it a 5-star rating and subscribing to OCD Straight Talk for more structured help with you anxiety, or OCD-symptoms ..read more

Chris presents a definition for OCD that extends outside of the diagnostic criteria. "Why?," you might wonder. The answer is because the diagnostic criteria is so inclusive that it doesn't actually exclude very much at all. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have to chrisleins04@gmail.com. If you've found the podcast helpful, consider giving OCD Straight Talk a 5-star rating and subscribing for more structured help with your anxiety- or OCD symptoms ..read more

Chris discusses a personal journey with interpersonal boundaries, confrontation, and self-esteem. He chronicles a time he confronted a person in his life who historically treated him badly; and described how he felt about himself after having done that. He then ties this into OCD-treatment, and works to show the power of behavior-change, no matter the situation you're in ..read more