The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova

Why do standard starting doses hit people with OCD and anxiety so hard?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Dr. Weston Fisher, an OCD and anxiety psychiatrist who co-directed the UCSF Anxiety and OCD Clinic before launching the Anxiety Relief Clinic, a telehealth practice focused on medication management for OCD and anxiety. He's also the founder of Conicia, a self-guided OCD program. Together, they talk about what often goes wrong with OCD medication, and what a specialist does differently.   This conversation dives into: • Why so many psychiatrists haven't had specific training in OCD • Why people with OCD are often overdosed in the beginning and underdosed later on • Why psychotherapy is typically first line for OCD, and when medication can help • Why people with OCD and anxiety feel side effects so strongly • The "secret sauce": starting really, really low, sometimes with a liquid version, a few drops at a time • Why starting medication is a decision to date it, not marry it • Who medication might not be a fit for • How the mind can both enhance side effects and create them • The pattern that tells OCD apart from anxiety, including reassurance seeking with a chatbot • Why Dr. Fisher built Conicia, how it handles privacy, and how it brings ERP, inference-based CBT, ACT and medication information together with your therapist   If you've been curious about medication for OCD, or afraid of the side effects, this episode will help you know what to ask your prescriber.   As Dr. Fisher puts it, you're not signing a contract here.   📲 About Dr. Weston Fisher (guest): • Psychiatrist; co-directed the UCSF Anxiety and OCD Clinic (2014–2022) • Founder, Anxiety Relief Clinic (California & New York): https://anxietyreliefclinic.com • Founder, Conicia, a self-guided OCD program: https://conicia.com/program?src=pod-ocdwhisperer • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theocddoc/   ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – Who Is Dr. Weston Fisher? [00:27] – Why a Meds-Only Practice for OCD and Anxiety? [01:56] – What Myths Do People Believe About OCD Medication? [02:23] – Is Therapy or Medication First for OCD? [02:58] – Why Do Standard Starting Doses Backfire With OCD? [03:37] – Why Start OCD Medication Really, Really Low? [04:09] – Is OCD Medication a Lifetime Commitment? [04:43] – Who Might Medication Not Be a Fit For? [06:03] – Can Your Mind Create Medication Side Effects? [06:42] – How Can You Tell OCD From Anxiety? [08:14] – Why Did Dr. Fisher Build Conicia? [09:44] – Is an OCD App Private and HIPAA Compliant? [10:39] – How Do ERP, I-CBT and ACT Fit Together? [11:52] – Where to Find Dr. Fisher   ✅ Resources & Links 🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Weekly Newsletter → https://subscribepage.io/korresults 🧥 The "you are more than your thoughts" hoodie → https://ocd-whisperer-shop.fourthwall.com 📖 OCD CBT Journal → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTTWJDKB 🌐 Website → https://www.korresults.com/   📲 Stay Connected Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults Website: https://www.korresults.com/ Website podcast: www.theocdwhisperer.com   📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]   ✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.   ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy or medical advice. Please talk with your own prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medication.   🔑 SEO Keywords OCD medication, starting OCD medication, SSRI for OCD, OCD medication side effects, low dose SSRI OCD, OCD psychiatrist, Weston Fisher OCD, Conicia, OCD app, OCD vs anxiety, covert OCD, reassurance seeking, ChatGPT reassurance OCD, ERP therapy, inference-based CBT, I-CBT, ACT for OCD, OCD treatment, OCD recovery, OCD Whisperer   © OCD Whisperer

Why does looking for the best option leave you more stuck than when you started?   In this solo episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova, LMFT, an OCD and anxiety specialist, breaks down what people are calling optimization OCD: when a choice can't be just good enough, it has to be the best. If you're overthinking every decision, rechecking choices you've already made, or stuck in decision paralysis, this episode explains why the checking keeps going and what to practice instead.   This episode dives into: • Why optimization OCD isn't an official diagnosis, and where the term came from (OCD therapist Shala Nicely) • Why it's usually not fear of a mistake, but "What if there's a better option I haven't found yet?" • What it can look like: a trip, a $20 purchase, your breakfast, your routine, your whole Saturday • Compulsions that look reasonable: researching, comparing, ranking, spreadsheets, and asking for reassurance • How to tell the difference between being thorough and being stuck • Why checking makes you less sure, not more (the 2003 virtual gas stove study) • Why the list of things you need to be sure about gets longer, not shorter • What research on "maximizers" says about regret, happiness, and OCD tendencies • Why the best choice usually can't be known ahead of time, and why relief never lasts • 3 things to practice: notice the "one more," choose good enough on purpose, and let it stay decided • What progress looks like, and when to reach out to a clinician trained in OCD and ERP   Whether you're struggling with perfectionism, overthinking, reassurance seeking, or decision paralysis, this episode offers a practical way to make a choice and let it be good enough.   Good enough isn't giving up on your life. A lot of the time, it's how you get it back.   🔎 Find an OCD specialist (IOCDF Resource Directory): https://iocdf.org/find-help/ 🎧 Listen next: Episode 202, "Why OCD Makes You Think Your Thoughts Mean Something" → https://ocdwhisperer.podbean.com/e/202-why-ocd-makes-you-think-your-thoughts-mean-something/ 💬 Tell me in the comments: what do you get stuck optimizing?   ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – Why Can't You Stop Looking for a Better Option? [01:11] – What Is Optimization OCD? [01:56] – Is It Fear of a Mistake, or Fear of Missing the Best? [02:12] – What Can Optimization OCD Look Like? [02:58] – What Do Optimization OCD Compulsions Look Like? [03:36] – Are You Being Thorough or Stuck? [04:23] – Why Does Checking Make You Less Sure? [05:36] – What Does Research Say About Maximizers? [06:16] – Why Can't You Know the Best Choice Ahead of Time? [06:56] – Step 1: How Do You Notice the "One More"? [07:18] – Step 2: How Do You Choose Good Enough on Purpose? [07:54] – Step 3: How Do You Let a Decision Stay Decided? [08:32] – What Does Progress Look Like? [08:52] – When Should You Get Help From an OCD Specialist?   ✅ Resources & Links 🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Weekly Newsletter → https://subscribepage.io/korresults 🧥 The "you are more than your thoughts" hoodie → https://ocd-whisperer-shop.fourthwall.com 📖 OCD CBT Journal → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTTWJDKB 🌐 Website → https://www.korresults.com/   📲 Stay Connected Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults Website: https://www.korresults.com/ Website podcast: www.theocdwhisperer.com   📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]   ✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.   ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.   🔑 SEO Keywords optimization OCD, overthinking decisions, how to stop overthinking, decision paralysis, analysis paralysis, perfectionism OCD, OCD checking, checking compulsions, reassurance seeking, maximizer vs satisficer, fear of making the wrong decision, good enough, ERP therapy, OCD treatment, OCD recovery, Shala Nicely, OCD Whisperer   © OCD Whisperer

Why does trying harder to stop an intrusive thought only make it louder?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Dr. Reid Wilson, director of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center in Chapel Hill, NC, and author of the new book Quiet Your OCD Brain. Together, they explore why fighting intrusive thoughts keeps OCD going, and why recovery is about working smarter, not harder.   This conversation dives into: • How Dr. Wilson started treating anxiety and OCD • Why you can know a thought is irrational and still not be able to stop thinking about it • Why OCD works from the “top down” and doesn’t care which topic it picks • The question to ask when a thought grabs you: “Do I want this, or am I being told to do this?” • Why awareness alone isn’t enough, and what your counter-move should be • What to do when relationship, harm, or morality fears feel real and personal • What to do in the moment when you’re replaying a conversation in your head • What it means to treat a worry “as nothing,” even when it doesn’t feel like nothing • Why your amygdala won’t simply believe “it’s nothing,” and why repetition matters • How postponing your worry for a few hours turns into practice, and sometimes into forgetting about it • How metacognitive therapy, ERP, and CBT differ, and why Dr. Wilson says all therapy is exposure   Whether you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, rumination, relationship OCD, harm OCD, or scrupulosity, this episode offers a practical way to stop fighting the content of your thoughts and start changing how you respond. You don’t have to work harder at it. You just have to work a little smarter.   📲 About Dr. Reid Wilson (guest): • Author, Quiet Your OCD Brain: A Game-Changing Metacognitive Workbook to Defeat Obsessions & Compulsions • Webpage: https://anxieties.com/ • Facebook: www.facebook.com/anxietiesdotcom • Instagram: www.instagram.com/rreidwilson/ • YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCy8zkj7l_XADYW3pKumSuvA • Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648486800   ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – Why Can't You Stop Your Intrusive Thoughts? [00:40] – How Did Dr. Reid Wilson Start Treating Anxiety and OCD? [05:04] – Why Does Fighting Intrusive Thoughts Make OCD Worse? [06:12] – Why Doesn't OCD Care What Topic It Picks? [08:11] – Do I Want This, or Am I Being Told to Do This? [10:32] – Why Isn't Awareness Enough to Break the OCD Cycle? [11:10] – What Is Your Counter-Move When OCD Shows Up? [12:51] – What If Your Intrusive Thoughts Feel Real and Personal? [15:31] – How Do You Stop Replaying a Conversation in Your Head? [16:49] – Why Treat the Worry as Nothing? [20:36] – Why Does OCD Recovery Take So Much Repetition? [22:43] – How Does Postponing Your Worry Help With OCD? [24:52] – Metacognitive Therapy vs. ERP vs. CBT: What's the Difference? [29:16] – Where to Find Dr. Wilson and His New OCD Workbook   ✅ Resources & Links 🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Weekly Newsletter → https://subscribepage.io/korresults 🧥 The "you are more than your thoughts" hoodie → https://ocd-whisperer-shop.fourthwall.com 📖 OCD CBT Journal → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTTWJDKB 🌐 Website → https://www.korresults.com/   📲 Stay Connected Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults Website: https://www.korresults.com/ Website podcast: www.theocdwhisperer.com   📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]   ✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.   ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.   🔑 SEO Keywords intrusive thoughts, how to stop intrusive thoughts, why can't I stop intrusive thoughts, intrusive thoughts OCD, stop fighting intrusive thoughts, metacognitive therapy for OCD, Reid Wilson OCD, Quiet Your OCD Brain, ERP therapy, OCD treatment, OCD recovery, OCD rumination, replaying conversations OCD, relationship OCD, harm OCD, scrupulosity OCD, OCD Whisperer   © OCD Whisperer

Why do you know it's just a thought, but still feel the need to check what it means?   In this episode, Kristina explores: • Why OCD can make an intrusive thought feel urgent, real, and impossible to ignore • How repeatedly checking your thoughts, feelings, and memories can become a mental compulsion • Why you might feel better after checking, only to find yourself questioning everything again • How OCD turns an ordinary doubt into something you feel you must resolve before moving on • Why rereading messages, reviewing conversations, and checking your reactions can keep the OCD cycle going • How sexual intrusive thoughts can lead to mentally testing your feelings and reactions • Why trying to prove what a thought means can keep you trapped in a cycle of doubt • How to recognize mental compulsions that may be happening without you even realizing it • What response prevention looks like in everyday situations, including leaving a message alone while uncertainty remains • Why having a thought is different from actively analyzing and investigating it • How repeatedly searching online, replaying information, or asking AI for reassurance can become part of the OCD cycle • How to return to everyday activities without first needing to feel completely certain or make an intrusive thought disappear • Why progress can mean spending less time checking, even when uncomfortable thoughts are still present   If OCD keeps convincing you that you need to check one more time, replay a memory, test your feelings, or find the perfect explanation before you can move on, this episode can help you recognize the pattern and understand how to start responding differently. You don't have to make a thought disappear before you return to your life.   ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – Why Does an OCD Thought Feel So Real? [02:57] – How to Respond When You Doubt Something You Said or Did [03:32] – Sexual Intrusive Thoughts: Why You Keep Checking Your Reactions [04:53] – Three Steps to Practice OCD Response Prevention [06:02] – How to Let an Intrusive Thought Be There Without Engaging With It [06:47] – Why You Don't Have to Make a Thought Disappear [07:45] – When Searching Online or Asking AI Becomes Reassurance Seeking [08:44] – How to Recognize Progress in OCD Recovery [09:35] – When to Seek Professional Help for OCD Checking   ✅ Resources & Links 🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Weekly Newsletter → https://subscribepage.io/korresults 🧥 The "you are more than your thoughts" hoodie → https://ocd-whisperer-shop.fourthwall.com 📖 OCD CBT Journal → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTTWJDKB 🌐 Website → https://www.korresults.com/   📲 Stay Connected Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults Website: https://www.korresults.com/ Website podcast: www.theocdwhisperer.com   📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]   ✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.   ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.   🔑 SEO Keywords OCD, intrusive thoughts OCD, OCD intrusive thoughts, OCD checking, OCD mental compulsions, OCD rumination, OCD reassurance seeking, response prevention, ERP therapy, exposure and response prevention, how to stop OCD checking, sexual intrusive thoughts OCD, sexual obsessions OCD, checking feelings OCD, mental rituals OCD, OCD thought loops, OCD overthinking, how to stop analyzing thoughts, intrusive thoughts feel real, OCD anxiety, uncertainty OCD, OCD treatment, OCD recovery, OCD self doubt, compulsive checking, reassurance seeking OCD, how to manage intrusive thoughts, OCD specialist, OCD Whisperer   © OCD Whisperer

What if the thing you think is helping your OCD is actually making it stronger?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Connor Stout, who was diagnosed with OCD at age 10 and now uses his lived experience to help others navigate OCD and mental health challenges.   In this episode, Connor opens up about: • Why asking for help felt like a sign of weakness • How stigma around men and vulnerability affected his willingness to speak up • Why he sometimes believed talking about his OCD thoughts could make them come true • What it was like carrying OCD and difficult emotions silently for months • How staying silent actually made his OCD and depressive feelings stronger • How his OCD changed from visible compulsions into mental compulsions and rumination • Why rumination can feel like you're genuinely solving a problem • How rumination can provide short-term relief while making OCD stronger in the long run • Why it's sometimes difficult to tell “Is this OCD or is this me?” • How learning to identify and label rumination helped Connor recognize the OCD cycle • Why falling back into rumination doesn't mean you've lost your recovery progress • How knowledge and awareness helped him recognize his mental compulsions   Whether you're struggling with OCD, intrusive thoughts, rumination, anxiety, or asking for help, Connor's story is a reminder that you don't have to figure everything out alone. Sometimes the first step isn't solving the thought. It's recognizing what your brain is doing... and letting someone else into the conversation.   📲 About Connor Stout (guest): • Mental Health Advocate • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillgood_wellness/   ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – Connor’s OCD Story: Why Asking for Help Was So Difficult [03:15] – Why Did He Think Talking About OCD Could Make His Thoughts Come True? [04:47] – How Social Expectations Around Men Can Make It Hard to Ask for Help [06:15] – What Is the Cost of Staying Silent About OCD? [08:27] – What Does Rumination Actually Feel Like? [10:37] – Why Does Rumination Feel Like Problem-Solving? [12:10] – Why Does Rumination Give Short-Term Relief but Make OCD Worse? [13:41] – How Can You Start Stepping Away From OCD Rumination? [15:29] – What Would Connor Tell His Younger Self About OCD? [17:13] – What Should Men Hear If They’re Struggling but Afraid to Ask for Help? [18:17] – Why Opening Up Can Help You Realize You’re Not Alone [19:32] – Why You Should Check In on the People You Love [21:02] – Where to Find Connor and Learn More About His OCD Journey   ✅ Resources & Links 🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Weekly Newsletter → https://subscribepage.io/korresults 🧥 The "you are more than your thoughts" hoodie → https://ocd-whisperer-shop.fourthwall.com 📖 OCD CBT Journal → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTTWJDKB 🌐 Website → https://www.korresults.com/   📲 Stay Connected Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults Website: https://www.korresults.com/ Website podcast: www.theocdwhisperer.com   📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]   ✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.   ⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.   🔑 SEO Keywords OCD rumination, OCD rumination explained, rumination OCD, mental compulsions OCD, OCD intrusive thoughts, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, OCD anxiety, OCD compulsions, hidden OCD compulsions, mental compulsions, how to stop rumination, OCD overthinking, obsessive thoughts, OCD thought loops, OCD treatment, ERP therapy, exposure response prevention, asking for help OCD, OCD support, living with OCD, men and mental health, men asking for help, OCD stigma, OCD awareness, anxiety and OCD, OCD mental health, OCD recovery journey, OCD Whisperer   © OCD Whisperer