About this episode
Imagine struggling with intrusive thoughts that feel unbearable, unshakable, and all-consuming. You try to fight them, suppress them, or rationalize them away, only to find that they persist, growing stronger with every attempt to resist. But what if the key to managing OCD wasn’t in pushing these thoughts away, but rather in changing your relationship with them?
In this thought-provoking episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova, LMFT, welcomes Naomi Matlow, a writer, educator, and OCD advocate, to explore how Buddhist psychology offers a fresh perspective on OCD management. Naomi, the author of A Thought is Just a Thought: A Buddhist Guide to OCD, shares how ancient Buddhist teachings on mindfulness, suffering, and attachment can help individuals with OCD develop a new understanding of intrusive thoughts.
Together, Kristina and Naomi dive deep into the nature of suffering, the role of acceptance, and practical techniques for navigating intrusive thoughts without letting them define you. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to integrate mindfulness-based approaches into their OCD recovery journey.
In This Episode
[00:00:00] Introduction to the episode
[00:01:04] Naomi’s background and inspiration for writing her book
[00:02:33] Understanding OCD through a Buddhist lens
[00:04:03] How thoughts are like sensory perceptions
[00:05:41] The Western tendency to over-identify with thoughts
[00:07:12] The challenge of accepting intrusive thoughts
[00:09:56] Clinging, aversion, and the roots of suffering in OCD
[00:11:20] The Four Noble Truths and how they relate to OCD
[00:13:20] The role of desire and resistance in maintaining suffering
[00:16:29] Practical steps to cultivate acceptance and detachment
[00:18:35] Shifting focus from thoughts to sensory experiences
[00:20:45] Meditation techniques for intrusive thoughts
[00:22:14] How to connect with Naomi
[00:22:54] Closing remarks
Notable Quotes
[00:13:00] "An OCD thought is a thought you are not willing to have." – Naomi Matlow
[00:07:12] "We tend to put so much weight on the content of our thoughts, but thoughts are just another form of perception—like smelling something bad in the fridge. They don’t define who we are." – Naomi Matlow
[00:11:20] "Clinging to positive experiences or pushing away negative ones only deepens suffering. Acceptance isn’t about approval—it’s about allowing reality to be what it is." – Naomi Matlow
[00:25:00] "The body is always in the present moment, but the mind is often stuck in the past or worried about the future. That’s why grounding in the senses can be so powerful." – Naomi Matlow
Our Guest
Naomi Matlow is a writer, educator, and OCD advocate based in Southern California. I
