A tidy desk isn’t the story. Rosie, a third-year biochemistry student, opens up about the reality of OCD: intrusive thoughts that hit like alarms, compulsions that promise relief and steal time, and the slow, deliberate work of exposure therapy that teaches the brain to stop demanding rituals. We pull apart the myths and look at what day-to-day life actually feels like when your mind whispers “what if” at the worst possible times.

You’ll hear how driving became a minefield of doubt, how health anxiety fed a late-night Google loop, and why reassurance—whether from friends, managers, or search results—can quietly make OCD stronger. Rosie shares practical tools from therapy: naming the intrusive voice to reduce its authority, exposure and response prevention for contamination fears, and the discipline of not checking even when anxiety peaks. We also dig into system barriers that delay formal diagnosis, the cost of being misunderstood at work or uni, and the importance of language-why “I have OCD” matters, and why “I’m so OCD” jokes lands so badly. There’s no sugar-coating, and there’s no hopelessness either. Instead, we talk strategy: how to manage flare-ups, design a career that respects mental health limits, and reclaim study hours from rumination. If you care about mental health, neurodiversity, or supporting someone who lives with OCD, this conversation offers clear takeaways, humane insight, and resources like OCD Action to keep learning. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with one thing you learned—your notes help others find these stories.