Can changing your diet improve OCD? Does coffee make anxiety and intrusive thoughts worse? And when does a food rule stop being a preference and become an OCD compulsion?

In this episode of Just Checking, Jess and Laura explore food, drink and OCD. They cover wellness and optimisation culture and how it can quietly undermine your coping beliefs.

They look at what the research actually says about caffeine and OCD, how stimulants fit in for people with ADHD, and how alcohol can create new material for OCD to latch onto.

They also discuss alcohol dependency in OCD, the overlap between ARFID and OCD, and how to tell an eating disorder apart from OCD-driven food compulsions and intrusive thoughts.

There's also Brain Spam (this week: racist intrusive thoughts), a Listener Question, the Weekly Win, Exposure Lab, and Laura talking to her printer.

⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide, alcoholism, and eating disorders.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Time Stamps:

00:32 Episode overview

01:15 Hellos

09:25 Why we are doing this episode

10:30 Future plans for the podcast

13:45 Brain Spam

20:00 Introduction to food, drink and OCD

21:00 Optimisation culture

24:05 Impact on coping beliefs

26:30 Coffee and OCD

30:32 Alcohol and OCD

35:05 Caffeine and OCD research

36:05 Stimulants and ADHD

38:45 Alcohol causing things for OCD to latch on to

39:20 Real evidence of problems

40:35 Alcohol dependency in OCD

42:00 ARFID and OCD

43:55 Food compulsions

46:55 Eating disorder vs OCD

50:50 What the research says

52:10 Summary

53:25 Listener Question

57:00 Weekly Win

58:00 Exposure Lab

58:45 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Hoarding is not a preference or a lifestyle choice, and mass clean-outs don't fix it. In this episode of Just Checking, Jess and Laura explore what hoarding disorder really is, how early it starts, and how it differs from collecting.

They cover its links with trauma, neurodivergence and attachment, the key risks, and the shame and secrecy that keep people from getting help.

You'll also hear what therapy can look like, what to do if you're not ready for change, and why therapists are only the start of the process, with advocacy an important part of the role.

Plus: first jobs, Laura talks cocks, and your usual Brain Spam, Listener Question, Weekly Win and Exposure Lab.

Find further support and information at:

Hoarding UK: https://www.hoardinguk.org/

Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre: https://www.octc.co.uk/

Hoarding Disorders UK: https://hoardingdisordersuk.org/

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:30 Episode overview

01:28 Hellos and first jobs

11:00 All about hoarding

12:30 Brain Spam 🧠

14:40 Thank you to Christian

16:23 Why are we covering hoarding?

17:04 What is hoarding?

19:15 How early hoarding starts

23:00 A study into hoarding

24:15 Neurodivergence and attachments with hoarding

26:40 Collecting vs hoarding

27:15 Hoarding support and prejudice

29:00 Link with trauma

31:00 Stats and hard facts

33:10 Key risks of hoarding

35:20 Support groups for hoarders

35:30 How can we spot hoarding?

37:45 Shame and secrecy

38:20 Where to get hoarding information

40:42 What if you aren't ready for change?

41:45 What may therapy look like?

43:20 Extra roles of a therapist

48:50 Special Interest Groups with the BABCP

51:50 Listener Question

56:45 Weekly Win

59:00 Exposure Lab

1:00:10 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

What does sexual orientation OCD (SO-OCD) actually look like, and how do we treat it? In this shorter vignette episode, Jess and Laura walk through the story of Lola, a heterosexual cis woman whose OCD has latched onto her sexual identity.

We unpack what the fear is really about (spoiler: it's not homophobia), the compulsions that keep SO-OCD going, including checking for a "groinal response" (or as we call it, the sexy tingle), and why the line between psychoeducation and reassurance matters so much in therapy.

We also cover where we'd start with Lola, worst-case-scenario experiments and the challenges of exposure work, how OCD shrinks your life, neurodivergent adaptations, and what we're actually aiming for in treatment. Plus, Jess breaks into song and there's a listener competition.

Whether you're living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or you're a clinician wanting to feel more confident working with sexual orientation OCD, this one's for you.

Topics: sexual orientation OCD, SO-OCD, relationship OCD, moral OCD, OCD and sexuality, intrusive thoughts, groinal response, OCD compulsions, ERP, CBT for OCD, reassurance seeking, neurodivergent OCD.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

01:00 Introduction and hello

03:20 What is a vignette

03:50 Why we picked a heterosexual cis woman

04:40 Overview of Lola' sexual orientation OCD

07:40 Homophobia fear

12:35 Jess breaks into song

13:40 The world is scary for trans people

14:25 Where would we start with Lola?

18:15 What compulsions we can see

20:00 What is a groinal response, or sexy tingle?

23:45 Psychoeducation vs reassurance

25:50 Listener competition

27:15 Worst case scenario experiment

30:00 General experiment challenges

34:20 OCD shrinks your life

37:10 We lose sight of things in therapy goals

43:10 Neurodivergent adaptions

45:00 General overview of working with SO OCD

48:20 What are we aiming for in therapy?

50:45 Feedback request

51:30 Thank you and goodbye

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Ever felt "dirty" after a memory, a thought, or being around a certain person, even though you haven't touched anything? That's mental contamination, and it's one of the most commonly missed presentations of contamination OCD.

In the third episode of our contamination OCD series (following physical and disgust-based contamination), Jess and Laura unpack what mental contamination is, how it can show up, and why it so often goes unrecognised - by sufferers and clinicians alike.

We explore the subtypes, the link with trauma, the central role of guilt and shame, and how treatment differs from standard ERP, including how combining therapeutic approaches can help.

We also look at the measurement scales used to assess mental contamination.

Plus: Laura shares some very embarrassing Brain Spam, a Listener Question, this week's Weekly Win, and a new Exposure Lab challenge.

Has mental contamination affected you? We'd love to hear your experience - get in touch.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:40 Episode overview

01:20 Hello and introduction

07:30 Mental contamination plan

08:25 We are winging it

10:50 Brain Spam

14:04 What is mental contamination

16:40 Subtypes of mental contamination

18:00 Trauma link with mental contamination

19:50 Mental contamination is often missed

20:30 How can mental contamination look?

25:35 How treatment differs from ERP

31:10 Mental contamination measurement scales

37:25 Guilt and shame

47:00 Combining types of therapy

48:40 Mental contamination subtypes described

55:00 Call out for experience-sharing

56:25 Listener Question

58:15 Weekly Win

59:29 Exposure Lab

1:01:10 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

What happens when your intrusive thoughts end up on the page? This week we're joined by author Louis Urbanowski to talk about his experience of "Pure O" OCD, what actually helped him, and how he now uses his obsessive brain in his writing. His books feature characters with OCD.

We talk about why the "Pure O" label can be misleading, the hidden mental load of OCD, and the overlap between OCD, neurodivergence and shame.

Louis also explains how writing became a place to put intrusive thoughts, why "good enough" is okay, and how a partner can support someone with OCD. We also cover sensory differences, getting diagnosed, the jobs that suit an OCD brain, and Louis' honest reflections on wishing he'd been braver.

As always, we finish with a listener question, this week's win and the Exposure Lab.

⚠️ Content note: this episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts (46:45). If you're struggling, contact Samaritans on 116 123 (UK, free, 24/7).

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Featuring Louis Urbanowski, author

To Follow Louis:

https://linktr.ee/Urbwrites?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAU5vXVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAnNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABpxl_cisqLbDburKiLFcODOMPd1QqiUkPQpAUprJOTGqViB2vS09X4CrH6UnD_aem_ByThqUt8ymBZtrRI85wGEg

https://www.instagram.com/urbwrites?cplk=aDBidHUzYm0zZWs1

Time Stamps:

00:39 Introduction to the episode

01:42 Louis introduction to himself

04:54 Brain Spam

10:40 Writing as a place to put intrusive thoughts

13:07 Louis' OCD story

15:12 Good enough is okay

16:45 Writing and OCD

18:45 We all have different needs

22:10 The mental load of OCD

23:20 Misleading Pure O name

25:10 Spinning OCD to be useful

26:25 Neurodivergence cost

29:00 OCD, neurodivergence and shame

34:00 Using an obsessive brain

35:10 Louis changed how he wrote

37:30 Jobs for an OCD brain

39:10 Being yourself and sensory differences

40:00 Diagnoses

43:00 How a partner can support OCD

46:45 Suicidal thoughts

49:40 Louis wishes he was braver

52:07 Louis book descriptions and where to find

52:54 Listener Question

56:20 Weekly Win

58:15 Exposure Lab

1:01:20 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Contamination OCD is so much more than liking things clean. In this episode of Just Checking, OCD specialists Jess and Laura unpack what contamination OCD really is, how it differs from everyday cleanliness, and why it can leave people feeling like nowhere is ever truly safe.

We explore the different types of contamination fear, the lasting impact of the pandemic, the role of shame, and the hidden secondary consequences that affect daily life and relationships. We also tackle the big worry for many people: what does therapy actually look like? From where ERP (exposure and response prevention) starts to how family accommodation can keep OCD going, we walk through recovery step by step. Plus, Jess shares how she used ERP with her seven-year-old, Laura makes an admission, and we discuss neurodivergence and chronic illness in contamination OCD.

Brain Spam brings Laura's spicy intrusive thought and Jess' unfortunate mum fail. We finish with a listener question, our Weekly Win and this week's Exposure Lab challenge.

Whether you live with OCD, love someone who does, or support clients as a clinician, this episode will help you understand contamination OCD with warmth, honesty and a bit of humour.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Resource from the Show: Asbestos fear blog: Asbestos OCD: Understanding the Challenges and Rewards of Treatment – Southampton CBT Therapy Services Time Stamps:

00:37 Episode overview

02:30 Why contamination OCD now

06:40 Brain Spam

14:20 Contamination OCD vs wanting to be clean

20:20 The impact of the pandemic

27:00 Anxiety equation impact on fear

29:05 Types of contamination fear

32:35 Never feeling safe

34:05 Contributory factors to this theme

35:50 The practical impact of this OCD theme

37:40 Shame and contamination fears

38:20 Secondary consequences

41:20 Fears of what therapy can look like

45:50 Where does therapy start?

48:00 How do things look through therapy?

52:28 Family accommodation

56:05 Why OCD therapists love this

58:00 Jess used ERP with her 7 year old

58:55 Laura's admission

1:00:00 Over-correcting

1:02:00 Did you get ill?

1:03:40 Neurodivergence and chronic illness in contamination OCD

1:07:18 Listener Question

1:09:20 Weekly Win

1:10:40 Exposure Lab

1:11:10 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Depression and OCD show up together far more often than people realise, and when they do, everything can feel heavier. In this episode of Just Checking, Jess and Laura look at why OCD and depression so often co-occur, how depression symptoms interact with obsessions and compulsions, and how neurodivergence can shape the picture.

We talk honestly about suicide risk and what good safety planning looks like. Then we answer the big clinical question: should you treat depression or OCD first? We cover setting realistic goals for therapy, taking recovery bit by bit, adapting sessions when motivation and energy are low, and why compassionate approaches matter so much when you're living with both.

You'll also get Brain Spam, a Weekly Win, a listener question, and a new Exposure Lab challenge.

This episode is for anyone living with OCD and depression, their loved ones, and therapists who want to feel more confident working with comorbid presentations.

If you're struggling, please reach out. In the UK you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time. If you're in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also access emergency mental health support by selecting option 2 after calling NHS111 in the UK.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Time Stamps:

00:40 Introduction and trigger warning

01:48 Brain Spam

10:38 Depression and OCD comorbidity

13:00 Why does it co-occur?

16:00 Depression symptoms and OCD

19:00 Neurodivergence impact

20:02 How OCD and depression presents together

25:10 Suicide and risk

28:10 Safety planning

34:30 What does treatment look like?

34:50 Goals for therapy

38:20 Treatment order for depression and OCD

40:10 Bit by bit

43:40 Adaptions to sessions

45:00 Compassionate approaches

49:50 Laura's message to your voice

52:00 Plans for future episodes

54:40 Weekly Win

55:10 Listener Question

57:30 Exposure Lab

1:02:15 Laura's message to her mum

1:03:00 Goodbyes

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Resources:

Depression video: https://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc?si=Z0kS2IYsGJOKhjnT

Body doubling app: dubbii | dubbiiSuicide safety plan: Email jess@reimaginetherapy.co.uk

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.

Sensorimotor OCD; where you get stuck noticing your breathing, blinking, thinking, or other automatic bodily processes. It can feel relentless and impossible to switch off.

In this episode of Just Checking, we're joined by Andy and Ferne from the Anxious Academy to explore what sensorimotor OCD is, why it can feel like the "worst" OCD theme, and how to treat it.

We cover common sensorimotor compulsions, when reassurance becomes a compulsion, and why loss of certainty and control drives the cycle. Andy and Ferne share their lived experience, and we look at why response prevention often matters more than exposure with this theme. We also discuss compassion work, dropping perfectionism, metacognitive therapy for OCD, exposures for metacognitive beliefs, and experiments for mental compulsions.

We also cover green and red flags in OCD programmes, neurodivergent considerations, what recovery really looks like, the biggest recovery roadblocks, and a common mistake therapists make with this presentation.

If you're living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or you're a therapist wanting to understand this theme better, this one's for you.

Podcast by:

Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist

and

Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist

Edited by Christian Nickson

Featuring Andrew Mellish and Ferne Manniex from Anxious Academy

Anxious Academy Website: https://theanxiousacademy.co.uk/

Time Stamps:

00:00 Anxious Academy introduction

02:45 Introduction to the episode

05:40 Brain Spam

11:10 What is sensorimotor OCD?

17:00 Losing a sense of certainty and control

18:05 Common sensorimotor compulsions

21:00 When validation and assurance changes to reassurance

23:45 Why Ferne struggled with sensorimotor themes

24:35 How sensorimotor OCD impacted Andy

25:25 Is this the 'worst' OCD theme?

28:05 Focusing more on response prevention than exposure

29:00 Compassion work

34:35 Dropping the perfectionism

36:20 Metacognitive therapy for OCD

39:30 Metacognitive awareness

40:25 Exposures for metacognitive beliefs

43:40 Experiments for mental compulsions

44:35 Metacognitive Training

45:55 Red flags in OCD programmes

47:40 OCD compulsions involving OCD research

48:35 Summary of what OCD therapy green flags are

49:50 Neurodivergent considerations

58:20 What does recovery look like?

1:01:25 Biggest recovery roadblocks

1:05:30 Jess Donald Trump toddler analogy

1:06:45 Common therapist mistake with this

1:12:26 Weekly Win

1:18:58 Exposure Lab

1:24:21 Goodbyes

Resources:

Andy's recommended Youtube attention videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx0h9GH33gV0ItzP_nOuJPVIXLzh3vDBo&si=YWLWilOUbGtx4VZX

Anxious Academy social media: @theanxiousacademy

Get in Touch:

Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us:

Email us at ocdcollectiveuk@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod

For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd

Please check out our privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing

Content Warnings:

We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.

Disclaimer:

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.