It’s Not What You Think

Group Chat: Parenting with OCD

Do you find it tough to parent whilst drowning in OCD overwhelm? Well, Penny and Ange do, so they sat down for a candid chat about it. 
They talk about their own experiences as parents to young kids and read out anonymous comments that listeners sent in describing what parts they find the toughest. They also talk about some of the silver linings and include some practical tips for parents who might be struggling with their mental health. 
 
Shownotes: 
This Way Up: https://thiswayup.org.au/
The Brain Forest https://www.dymocks.com.au/the-brain-forest-by-sandhya-menon-and-kushla-ross-9780646856094
 
 

Emily Ferretti: Magical Thinking OCD

Penny talks to acclaimed contemporary painter, Emily Ferretti about her experience with magical thinking OCD.
Em talks so generously about: 
- Some of her early OCD symptoms that arose when she was at primary school
- Seeing a counsellor early on but not receiving the right treatment until she was an adult
- Having certain obsessions triggered by specific life moments 
- How OCD can wax and wane throughout someone's lifetime 
- Going on medication and finally seeing a psychologist who had experience with treating OCD
- The catharsis of group therapy 
- Becoming a mum who has OCD 
 
Shownotes:
Up - documentary
 

Dr Andrea Wallace: All about EMDR

Alison steps in for Angie today and joins Penny in welcoming back Dr Andrea Wallace to discuss EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).EMDR is an evidence-backed therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (for example side to side eye movements) alongside the recollection of memories to help the brain reprocess memories of events or feelings.
Penny and Alison discuss:
How the body/mind is wired to heal itself
What EMDR is and how it started
How and why it can be useful to help treat people with OCD
What EMDR sessions might look like
How it’s been helpful for Penny
How it can help people who might be resistant to trying ERP

Chris Walker: When childhood trauma meets OCD

Leading Australian TV producer, Chris Walker talks to Penny and Angie about the devastating intersection of OCD and childhood trauma. When Chris was a young kid he witnessed a devastating event which left him and his family reeling. A few years later, Chris experienced OCD symptoms which started to take over his life. 
In this very raw and honest episode, Chris talks so generously about:
The role religion and moral scrupulosity played in his OCD
The exhaustion of dealing with OCD at school when it’s so often invisible/hidden
The continuing misunderstanding around OCD and mental illness in general
Getting treatment for PTSD and ocd and how ERP therapy helped his compulsions
Seeing OCD symptoms in one of his children and his optimism for early intervention. 

Adelaide Miller: Solving the jigsaw of multiple diagnoses

Award-winning ABC journalist and independent filmmaker, Adelaide Miller has a lot going on. Over the last five years she's been diagnosed with OCD, an eating disorder, mild tourettes and ADHD. 
 
Adelaide talks to Penny and Alison about the symptoms she experienced as a child, the painful and awkward lengths she would go to, to make others feel happy and loved and how she's worked to unpack the different components of her neurodivergence and mental health. 
 
We discuss eating disorders in this episode, so if you need help please contact The Butterfly Foundation
 
Show notes: 
The Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam 

We're back..again! An ADHD diagnosis, an OCD slump and a big season ahead.

Season 3 is here! We're kicking things off with a relaxed catch-up between the girls-  chatting about Angie's recent ADHD diagnosis, Penny's honest account of an OCD relapse and Alison's mental gymnastics in the holidays. We also give you a little taste of the incredible guests we have lined up for the season ahead. 

Group chat: How OCD affects friendships

OCD can take so much from people, and a devastating effect of this illness is that it can complicate friendships. In this last episode of season 2, Alison Cosker joins Penny and Ange again to talk about how and why this is the case.
They touch on:
- How hard it can be to tell friends about an OCD diagnosis - The strain a mental illness, with no end-date can put on friendships- The boundaries that people with mental illness often have to put in place to look after themselves, and how this can be misconstrued- How friends can get entangled in the reassurance web- Trying to take the ego out of friendship where possible 
They end by giving tips for trying to maintain precious friendships; from the point of views of the person with and without OCD 

Monique Michelson: A neuroaffirming psychologist with ASD, ADHD and OCD

 
The guest this week is Monique Mitchelson, a neurodivergent clinical psychologist and co- host of the very popular Neurodivergent Woman podcast. 
 
Monique very generously shares her story about growing up in Queensland as an undiagnosed autistic adhd’er with OCD and learning more about her brain (and her family’s brains) once she became a psychologist. In this ep the following subjects are discussed:
- Why Monique decided to get into psychology 
- How so much changed once she received her diagnoses as an adult 
- Being a neurodivergent clinician and being open about being on medication 
- The interplay of symptoms when you have ASD, adhd and ocd with chronic health conditions 
- The motivations that drive the behaviour of people with neurotypical vs neurodivergent brains
- The risk of burnout for neurodivergent women
- Some of the differences behind the motivations that drive behaviours of kids with ocd and ASD 
 
The Neurodivergent Woman podcast 

When Tourette syndrome meets OCD

Did you know that Tourette Syndrome (TS) and OCD frequently co-occur? Penny and Angie talk to Jason McCurry who has TS and OCD. Jason talks so generously about:
- Experiencing both TS and OCD symptoms as a kid in a country town
- How OCD and TS interrelate 
- What actually happens physically when he starts ticking
- How physically arduous constant ticking can be for someone with TS
- His trepidation about coming onto the podcast, particularly with his TS flaring up a bit recently
- How he would like people to react if his TS symptoms flare up in public 
- How and why he now helps young people experiencing disability 
 
CYDA
For more info about Tourette Syndrome:
Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia

Perinatal OCD: When ‘the happiest time of your life’ turns dark.

This week is all about perinatal OCD, and it’s a biggie. Penny and Ange chat to perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe and clinical psychologist Dr kit Casey. In the discussion they talk about:
What perinatal OCD is
How the brain fundamentally changes during matrescence
Who gets perinatal OCD and why
Some of the common ( and extremely difficult obsessions that come up with perinatal OCD)
The ‘professionalisation of parenthood’
The loneliness of experiencing perinatal OCD
Why it’s so commonly misdiagnosed/missed altogether
Medication throughout the perinatal period
 
Matrescence by Lucy jones 
Self compassion episode with Andrea 
Pharmacist Rodney White at Monash medical centre; 03 9594 2361
Royal women’s hospital medicines information service:03 8345 3190
PANDA 1300 726 306
Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 13 11 14
Pregnancy birth and baby 1800 882 436
COPE centre of perinatal excellence 
SANDS miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support 
OCD Bounce 
So OCD 
Health direct(info for service around Australia)