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.