Shows
It’s Not What You ThinkGroup chat: How OCD affects friendshipsOCD can take so much from people, and a devastating effect of this illness is that it can complicate friendships. In this last episode of season 2, Alison Cosker joins Penny and Ange again to talk about how and why this is the case.
They touch on:
- How hard it can be to tell friends about an OCD diagnosis
- The strain a mental illness, with no end-date can put on friendships
- The boundaries that people with mental illness often have to put in place to look after themselves, and how this c...
2025-11-2342 minIt’s Not What You ThinkMonique Michelson: A neuroaffirming psychologist with ASD, ADHD and OCD
The guest this week is Monique Mitchelson, a neurodivergent clinical psychologist and co- host of the very popular Neurodivergent Woman podcast.
Monique very generously shares her story about growing up in Queensland as an undiagnosed autistic adhd’er with OCD and learning more about her brain (and her family’s brains) once she became a psychologist. In this ep the following subjects are discussed:
- Why Monique decided to get into psychology
- How so much changed once she received her diagnoses as an adult
- Being a neurodivergent clinician and being open about being on medication
- The interplay of symptom...
2025-11-1658 minIt’s Not What You ThinkWhen Tourette syndrome meets OCDDid you know that Tourette Syndrome (TS) and OCD frequently co-occur? Penny and Angie talk to Jason McCurry who has TS and OCD. Jason talks so generously about:
- Experiencing both TS and OCD symptoms as a kid in a country town
- How OCD and TS interrelate
- What actually happens physically when he starts ticking
- How physically arduous constant ticking can be for someone with TS
- His trepidation about coming onto the podcast, particularly with his TS flaring up a bit recently
- How he would like people to react if his TS symptoms fl...
2025-11-0247 minIt’s Not What You ThinkPerinatal OCD: When ‘the happiest time of your life’ turns dark.
This week is all about perinatal OCD, and it’s a biggie. Penny and Ange chat to perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe and clinical psychologist Dr kit Casey. In the discussion they talk about:
What perinatal OCD is
How the brain fundamentally changes during matrescence
Who gets perinatal OCD and why
Some of the common ( and extremely difficult obsessions that come up with perinatal OCD)
The ‘professionalisation of parenthood’
The loneliness of experiencing perinatal OCD
Why it’s so commonly misdiagnosed/missed altogether
Medication throughout the perinatal period
Matrescence by Lucy jones
Self compassion episode with Andrea
Pharmacist Rodney White...
2025-10-2658 minIt’s Not What You ThinkBailey MacDonald: Being a young person with OCDThis week Penny and Angie talk to Bailey MacDonald, an 18 year old who has OCD. Bailey has been suffering with OCD for many years, but it was a few years ago that a particular OCD theme entered Bailey’s life and completely upended it. Whilst Bailey isn’t comfortable to go into the content of the obsessions, she bravely talks to Penny and Angie about:
⁃Her first encounter with the mental health system and why it put her ff seeking help for years after
⁃How exhausting it is to be at school whilst dealing with debilitating OCD
⁃When she first told her mu...
2025-10-1246 minIt’s Not What You ThinkAlison Cosker: A special chat about neurodivergence, 'that' tricky OCD manoeuvre and the profundity of grief.This week Penny and Ange welcome their dear friend and unofficial producer, Alison Cosker, into the studio for a conversation about multiple diagnoses, doubting the doubt, and how grief can be impacted by OCD (and vice versa).
They also introduce the first Obsession Confession segment sent in by a dear listener.
2025-10-0545 minIt’s Not What You ThinkDr Louise Newson: OCD & hormonesFrom periods, pregnancy and beyond, hormones play a crucial role in your mental health. When you have OCD, you might notice that during certain times of the month, or throughout certain life stages, the OCD symptoms get significantly better or worse. Penny and Angie chat with Dr Louise Newson, GP and menopause specialist, to explore how natural hormone shifts interact with OCD and anxiety.
They also discuss:
- how to advocate for yourself when you see a doctor and you might be curious about looking further into your hormones and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- the difference between natural and synt...
2025-09-2854 minIt’s Not What You ThinkRick Davies: The agony and absurdity of living with ocdAustralian actor and writer Rick Davies joins us to talk candidly about living with OCD and his more recent diagnosis of ADHD. We chat about:
How acting became a safe haven from the exhaustion of OCD
The trepidation of talking so openly about mental illness as someone with a public profile
How cathartic it is to hear other people talk about their ocd experiences
The co morbidity of OCD and ADHD
Feeling like a fraud when the ocd flares up
How privilege plays into recovery
The imperfects episode with Rick Davies
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gkJmjH0evWzyJckThC5lk?si=f...
2025-09-211h 01It’s Not What You ThinkWe're Back! The Difficulty of 'Coming Out' with OCDWe’re back for Season 2! In this return episode, Angie and Penny chat about :
what they got up to over their holidays
why OCD can get so much worse when the pressure is on to have a good time
the complexities of ‘coming out’ with OCD.
Angie reveals how difficult it can be to talk about false memory OCD
Freedom From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Jonathan Grayson
2025-09-1442 minIt’s Not What You ThinkA chat with our psychologist: Part 2 - Is Self-Compassion the Antidote to shame?In the season finale of Season 1, we're joined once again by clinical psychologist Andrea Wallace for a powerful discussion on the role of self-compassion in healing shame, especially for people living with OCD.
Andrea breaks down why shame and OCD so often go hand in hand, and how cultivating self-kindness can be a transformative part of the recovery process. We also explore:
• Why shame frequently accompanies OCD
• What to do when withholding joy becomes a compulsion
• How to help children release shame
• A simple, guided self-compassion exercise you can try at home
Whether you're living w...
2025-07-2045 minIt’s Not What You ThinkA chat with our psychologist. Part 1: mythbustingYes, we have the same psychologist, and to us, she is an OCD wizard. In this special two-part episode, Dr Andrea Wallace shares some of her wisdom around what it REALLY feels like to have OCD, busts some common OCD myths and talks a bit about her own imposter syndrome (apparently even the wizards gets it).
2025-07-1336 minIt’s Not What You ThinkAll about kids and OCDThis week Penny and Angie are joined by pediatrican Dr Annie Moulden and clinical psychologist Lauren Wetheimer. They dive into topics including who can diagnose a child with OCD and how this process unfolds, how and why parents play such a big and important role in OCD recovery, the advantages of early diagnosis and the role of medication.
Finding a psychologist in Australia:
OCD Bounce Directory
Seeing a provisional psychologist:
UTS
Bond university
Swinburne University
Online therapy options:
OCD? Not Me!
Boo...
2025-07-0652 minIt’s Not What You ThinkHow to help a loved one with OCDHugh Van Cuylenburg has lived and loved someone with OCD for over 10 years. And that person happens to be co-host Penny Moodie. Penny and Angie talk to Hugh about why he thinks he’s still not great at always knowing what to do, why humour helps and why sometimes your instincts to help can fuel the OCD. They end the episode by offering their top tips on how to support someone you love who has this complex disorder.
Our top 6 tips:
1. Learn as much as you can about OCD
2. Practice patience
3. Tr...
2025-06-2950 minIt’s Not What You ThinkA Hero's Journey: The road to an OCD diagnosisPenny and Angie speak to Clinical Psychologist and Director of Melbourne Psychology and Counselling, Dr Claire Ahern about the often-bumpy road to getting an OCD diagnosis. They also pick Claire's brain about what to look for in a therapist, the question to ask someone who you suspect might have OCD and the differences between anxiety and OCD.
OCD Bounce
Mental Health Online
MindSpot
This Way Up
OCD? Not Me!
Claire Ahern's Website: OCD Online
2025-06-2345 minIt’s Not What You ThinkHello and welcome to our brains.In the very first ACTUAL episode Penny and Angie introduce themselves and talk about their own personal experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the light and the dark sides of this disorder and what's coming up on this first season of It's Not What You Think.
2025-06-2334 min
It’s Not What You ThinkWelcome to It's Not What You ThinkOCD, it’s really not what you think. This is a podcast about the horrors and hilarities of living with OCD, hosted by author and mental health advocate Penny Moodie and CEO of Stand Up Events, Angie Greene.
2025-06-1301 min