On episode 42, I sit down with my dear friend, Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW—a therapist, advocate, & survivor whose life reads like an impossible novel: childhood autoimmune disease, undiagnosed OCD & ADHD, a high-control evangelical cult, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, near-death medical crises, & eventually, a 38/40 Y-BOCS spiral that forced her into residential ERP. That would be more than enough for most lifetimes—yet in 2022, she suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm that turned her worst health-OCD fears into terrifying reality. In this raw, unfiltered, & morbidly hilarious conversation, Alie tells the truth about what it's like to live inside a brain that won’t stop screaming—& how she finally found peace, purpose, & power on the other side.

Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW, is a specialist in the treatment of OCD & anxiety-related disorders based in Denver, Colorado. She holds an MSW, has worked across all levels of care—IOP, PHP, residential, & inpatient, & is deeply committed to neurodivergent-affirming care, particularly for individuals with ADHD & Autism. Alie also specializes in supporting parents, families, adolescents, & young adults as they navigate complex mental health challenges. Through her own lived experience of severe OCD & advocacy, Alie brings both professional expertise & a deeply personal understanding to her work.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00 ) Introduction & welcome to Alie!

(00:06:20 ) Who is Alie? Cackling loudly, caring deeply, and keeping it real

(00:17:10 ) Little Alie: Ontario winters, early-onset autoimmune illness, & toddler OCD traits

(00:21:00 ) School refusal, character shaming, and the fallout of mislabeling neurodivergence

(00:27:30 ) Baby carrot fingers, Harm OCD, robot-Dad obsessions, & mental compulsions in silence

(00:31:35 ) Health OCD, bent-knee lip-syncing, & OCD invisibility in high school

(00:38:00 ) How a youth-ministry cult fulfilled every OCD need for certainty & hyperresponsiblity

(00:45:00 ) Age 15 inpatient psych stay, OCD diagnosis, depression & suicidality, & being incorrectly treated with hypnosis

(01:00:00 ) Alternative high school pivot & graduating early

(01:10:00 ) Evangelical college, gallstone crash, and inpatient hell at 17

(01:17:00 ) Harm OCD meets ministry work: “swerve the car” & looping thoughts

(01:27:00 ) Excommunicated: blacklisted as “dangerous,” unraveling in isolation

(01:35:00 ) Youth residential jobs, MSW training, and surviving without treatment

(01:42:00 ) COVID collapse: health OCD, full agoraphobia, extreme OCD, & being unable to eat or drink

(01:49:00 ) Finally accessing evidence-based OCD treatment, residential treatment saving her life, becoming an OCD specialist

(02:05:09 ) Near-fatal brain aneurysm: when your worst health obsession becomes reality, and how OCD treatment saved her life

(02:10:49 ) Launching OCD & Anxiety Colorado, neurodivergent-affirming family-inclusive IOPs, & creating the resources that she once needed

Connect with Alie!

• Website
• Instagram: @Alie.Garza, @OCDAnxietyColorado

• LinkedIn: Alie, OAP
• Email: alie@ocdanxietycolorado.com

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