OCD in the time of Corona

Time to head to the grocery story: you need your list, money, keys…and mask, hand sanitizer, wipes…. Your heart pounds, the sweating starts, you are pretty sure you are having a heart attack and really don’t want to go to the hospital; you wonder if you might be going crazy.  Maybe going out isn’t even worth it, if it spikes your anxiety and sets off a round of symptoms of OCD.  Sound familiar?  If so, check out the podcast Back from the Abyss by local psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock.

I can no longer count how many people have asked me if I’ve listened to Dr. Heacock’s podcasts.  While the idea of listening to podcasts is sound, I seem to struggle to carve out time to listen.  Today, while putting stain on the new fence, I listened to OCD in the Time of Corona, quickly followed by Adventures in Exposure Therapy, with Dr. Heacock and Dr. Indermuehle.  If you are a person who experiences symptoms of OCD, or if you love someone with OCD, you will want to find a fence to stain and listen to the podcasts.

Dr. Heacock first interviews Erin, a person with pronounced symptoms of OCD.  He then talks with Dr. Indermuehle about her experiences with Erin, specific treatments for OCD, and in vivo Exposure with Response Prevention.  Both podcasts are captivating, educational, and will give you that Driveway Moment that NPR used to give us, back when we drove places.

Both Heacock and Indermuehle speak of symptoms of OCD with compassion, understanding, and humor.  After you hear the empathy in Indermuehle’s voice, you will quickly understand why she has a one year (!) wait list.  She is worth the wait!  Several of my clients have also worked with Indermuehle and (of course!) gotten better.

So, get outside, find a fence to stain, and start listening to Back from the Abyss.