Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can affect every aspect of your life. Podcasts are a great way to hear from others about their OCD story and how they deal with it. From looking for practical advice from a licensed practitioner or wanting to hear from others, here are several OCD podcasts for you to listen to.
1. The OCD Stories
This top-rated podcast got its start after host Stuart Ralph realized that those with OCD often don’t get the treatment, resources, or information they need. “On average it takes people 17 years to get treatment for OCD after the first experience of symptoms. In the meantime symptoms often get worse, and the person’s quality of life suffers. All while being in the dark about what is going on. This is made worse by society having an inaccurate view of what OCD actually is,” Ralph writes.
Each episode offers export advice, accurate information, and stories from others with OCD.
2. The Invisible Wheelchair Podcast
“I wish they could see my invisible wheelchair, maybe then they would understand what I am going through and stop giving me trouble.”
That’s how one teen client described her OCD experience to Donald Grothoff, a family OCD coach. The experience inspired him to start his podcast to help others with OCD share their experiences, as well as offer advice and coping skills.
3. Sooo OCD Podcast
Wendy Nunnery shares her personal journey with OCD while interviewing experts, counselors, and sharing others’ OCD stories. Nunnery hopes her podcast helps others with OCD not just survive, but thrive.
4. The FearCast
From the fear keeping you from finding help or the fear that your symptoms will negatively affect your life, fear of our mental health issues can keep us from moving past them.
Kevin Foss, MFT, wants to alleviate some of those fears with his question-and-answer podcast format. Who knows; you may find someone has already asked the question you’ve been avoiding when it comes to your OCD.
5. AT Parenting Survival Podcast
Parenting doesn’t come with a manual. It certainly doesn’t come with one for raising anxious children or children with OCD. Natasha Daniels is a child therapist with three anxious children of her own.
She put together the AT Parenting community to help parents with the skills they need to provide compassionate, understanding care to their children. Episode topics range from helping children develop self-compassion to setting up stress-free routines during the summer.
6. Your Anxiety Toolkit
Technically, Kimberley Quinlan’s mental health podcast is about dealing with anxiety and finding the coping skills you need to work through it. That said, you may find her advice, tips, and expert interviews helpful with all kinds of mental health concerns, from depression, anxiety, and of course, OCD.
7. Take Your Shoes Off
Comedian Rick Glassman suffered from intense OCD as a child, and his podcast is a response to his need for order in a world where everyone keeps their shoes on, so to speak. This podcast invites listeners to relax, put their feet up and listen to others’ stories, even when it’s uncomfortable, like when actor Joel McHale spills milk on Glassman’s rug.
This tongue-in-cheek, celebrity-studded podcast isn’t from a psychiatrist or life coach, but sometimes a good laugh with others who understand is exactly what our mental health needs.
8. Mentally Yours
Ellen Scott and Yvette Caster, who both deal with their own mental illnesses including bipolar, depression, and OCD, chat with folks from across the scale, from shop workers to celebrities, about their mental health.
Both are familiar with how isolating mental health can be, so they created their podcast to give those struggling a place to share their story.
9. Being Well
Dr. Rick Hansen’s export advice podcast is on all aspects of mental health and wellbeing, from OCD to depression and more. Mental health is never an isolated incident, so diving into Dr. Hansen’s podcast can be good for those looking to improve all aspects of their mental health as well as their OCD. Learn inner strengths, overcome challenges, and cultivate your well-being with this podcast.
10. The OCD Whisperer
Kristina Orlova is a trained, licensed therapist who deals with OCD herself. “My mission is to help my fellow OCD global community get access to the very specialized training. No matter where you are in the world, no matter how remote, I am here for you!”
Her podcast offers easy tidbits of advice designed to help you best find what works for you when managing your OCD.
11. OCD Recovery
Ali Greymond’s daily OCD podcast offers tips, tricks, and coping skills to help you live your best life with OCD. Listeners are generally impressed with her advice.
“She has a very engaging way of speaking that makes you want to join her in her effort to put scary thoughts in their place. It’s almost like she is a non-judgmental parenting coach for people who’ve gotten into a bad habit of letting their toddler have too much control,” one listener said.
12. Purely OCD
Purely OCD is a podcast by Lauren McMeikan Rosen, LMFT, and Kelley Franke, LMFT. Both are OCD specialists who also live with the disorder. Sharing and reflecting on their different perspectives, Rosen and Franke use the podcast to create a unique space for discussion. They lean into humor and heart throughout conversations about recovery and treatment, and encourage live participation via their Instagram.
13. The Lovely Becoming
The Lovely Becoming with Mimi Cole covers a wide variety of topics that will resonate for people with OCD. Cole interviews guests – including therapists, activists, and storytellers – about a broad range of mental health themes, including relationship OCD, religious trauma, eating disorders, and therapy. Self-compassion is at the core of every discussion, inviting both the interview guests and listeners to go deep, ask questions, and always come home to themselves. Listen to The Lovely Becoming if you want to engage in OCD education and awareness, ultimately learning how to be at home in your own body and mind.
14. The Anxious Truth
Host of The Anxious Truth, Drew Linsalata, says he has dealt with agoraphobia, panic disorders, and OCD. While he is not a therapist himself, he is an expert on his own experiences, as well as an author and advocate for mental health care. In other words, he knows his stuff and always backs up his information with science-backed research. Occasionally, Linsalata brings on an expert for an interview, but primarily, he spends each episode speaking from his heart about the highs and lows of a variety of anxiety-related conditions.
15. Free Me From OCD
Coach and physician Dr. Vicki Rackner created Free Me From OCD to lend support to families who have a teenage or college-aged kid learning to deal with the impacts of OCD. Rackner knows that OCD can sometimes feel like a separate entity that is calling the shots. Fortunately, with knowledge and experience, parents and caregivers can become champions for young people with OCD. This podcast is for those with OCD and their loved ones, helping everyone stay connected and move through the hard work of managing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
16. OCD Straight Talk
OCD Straight Talk helps break down how OCD can impact a person’s life, including their health, well-being, and self-esteem. Through its catalog of episodes, Straight Talk explores how OCD and other anxiety disorders are triggered and treated, what they are vs. what they are not, common myths about obsessions and compulsions, and so much more.
17. The OCD Chronicles
The goal of The OCD Chronicles is to educate and support, but also to entertain. Created by journalist James McMahon, the podcast delves into many personal stories about the disorder, including insight from McMahon himself. Overall, the tone of this podcast is hopeful, but it does not shy away from the damage and debilitation this disorder can cause. Join McMahon on a journey toward recovery, acceptance, and peace – something that seems to have eluded him throughout his life.
When to See a Therapist for OCD
If you’re feeling like your OCD is negatively impacting your life, friendships, or work, it may be time to see a therapist. They can help you manage your symptoms and cultivate the skills you need to get through life with OCD. Find a therapist in your area today.
