About this episode
Questions about what you've heard today? Want to interact with Drew and other listeners of this podcast? Check out the Disordered Community space.-----When compulsions are behavioral, like hand washing or door checking, they are easy to identify. But when they are mental in nature, things get much fuzzier. In this episode, I’m joined by OCD specialist Lauren Rosen to take the mystery out of mental compulsions and explain why your "problem-solving" brain is actually keeping you stuck.We break down the critical difference between having an intrusive thought (the obsession) and what you intentionally dowith that thought (the compulsion). Whether you are struggling with OCD, panic disorder, or health anxiety, learning to recognize internal behaviors like mental review, rumination, and self-flagellation is a vital step toward psychological flexibility.What We Discuss:Defining Mental Compulsions: Why internal behaviors like rumination, mental review, and rehearsing are active choices, not just "thoughts".The "No Equipment" Sport: How the ease and invisibility of mental compulsions make them particularly consuming and re-triggering.Thoughts vs. Thinking: Using the "square root of 17" analogy to identify when you have moved from a passive thought into an active mental behavior.The Identity Trap: Why we often mistake worrying and "thoughtfulness" for a core part of our identity or a tool for safety.Shifting Attention: How to stop compulsing without suppressing thoughts or getting into a perfectionistic battle with your own mind.About Lauren Rosen:Lauren is a licensed psychotherapist and the Director of The Center for the Obsessive Mind. She is the author of The Mental Compulsions Workbook for OCD and co-host of the Purely OCD podcast. Recovery is a journey of small, brave leaps of faith. You feel real fear, but you are not in real danger. Let’s get into it.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/337Lauren's InstagramLauren's WebsiteThe Mental Compulsions Workbook for OCDSend in a question or comment via text.Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost work
