Episode 9: What Mindfulness Means to Me

I'm so excited to publish this episode, as I believe mindfulness with OCD is SO confusing and has so many different meanings. Mindfulness absolutely is a concept, but is it what we believe it to be because of what we hear, or what we misunderstand?

The speakers in this episode are able to give their own definitions based on lived experience and share with us what that looks like for them. I hope so much that it translates to you and that you can pull from their experiences and examples of practicing mindfulness that will help you see that it's an incredible and helpful tool to include in your own journey toward recovery.

If this podcast helps you or inspires you, please consider donating or sponsoring us monthly through our Patreon account at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked
Check out the different levels of benefits you can receive by helping us keep these conversations going!

If you are struggling with shame, or other emotions that come alongside OCD and are feeling isolated and need support, please come join my online community where you can get weekly sessions with certified peer support specialists and support groups, and monthly classes and events. Join us when you are needing a community of people who 'get it'!
https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn

Episode 8

We talk with therapist and advocate/educator Jonny Say of the Integrative Centre for OCD in London. Jonny is a regular contributor for 2026 and will engage in several discussions over the course of the year.

Today, we discuss one of the many complex emotions we experience with OCD, particularly with sexual/violent/taboo intrusions - shame. This is an emotion that can take many forms at all stages of OCD, it can be an emotion that continues to pull us back into the entanglement, and it can also be a barrier to treatment. We discuss ways of disconnecting to the shame and Jonny has several helpful strategies that may help if you get stuck in the shame loop.

Why is self-compassion so difficult to attain when living with OCD? We have a good chat about this, and also discuss ways to start practicing self-compassion, because as we discuss in the episode - it IS in fact, a practice we can do daily!

Find out more about Jonny and hear more about his advocacy on his Youtube Channel at - Jonny Say Therapy.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

If this podcast helps you or inspires you, please consider donating or sponsoring us monthly through our Patreon account at www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked
Check out the different levels of benefits you can receive by helping us keep these conversations going!

If you are struggling with shame, or other emotions that come alongside OCD and are feeling isolated and need support, please come join my online community where you can get weekly sessions with certified peer support specialists and support groups, and monthly classes and events. Join us when you are needing a community of people who 'get it'!
https://the-ocd-support-community.co.mn

This is part of the series of:
A Day In The Life of...

And today we are talking about what it's like to be hospitalized for OCD. This is an experience that is not uncommon but is hugely stigmatized. Hospitalization is a source of shame, stigma, and fear about how people will view us, what it means about us, and then the traumatization of what it is like to be in many of these centers/hospitals/institutions.

Being hospitalized can be an enormous source of shame, not to mention that many practitioners have NO idea what OCD is or how it can manifest, so the combination of being in a space that is terrifying PLUS not understanding what you are going through can be absolutely traumatizing.

Today, we are sharing our experiences of being hospitalized because of our experiences with OCD. Our hope is that if you have been hospitalized or if you are in the future, you know you aren't alone in this, that you can get through it, and that there are opportunities to find peace and joy, even in a place where that seems impossible!

Hospitalization can serve a vital function, and that is if you are in a space with your mental health that you need intervention for safety and security, please understand that it is imperative for you to seek that support. Personally, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to stabilize in a secure environment, despite it's flaws, in order to gain some insight, understanding, and knowledge about what can help while my nervous system was stabilizing. I have always known that if I needed to be hospitalized again, I could do it and I'd be okay. So, this episode is meant to help you see that if you have been or even in the future if you are hospitalized, it is NOT the end of the world! You will survive it, you will and can find hope and motivation, and you do have hope.

If you want to support or sponsor our podcast, please visit our patreon page at
https://www.patreon.com/intrusivethoughtsunmasked.com

If you are looking for an online community who understands, gets what you are going through, and you can connect to to feel less alone, check out my OCD online community at
http://the-ocd-support-community.mn.co