OCD Recovery: How to Stop Answering Every “What If?” | Jenna Overbaugh

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free Robert James shares his journey from crippling relationship OCD to preparing for marriage, explaining how doubt and overthinking once ruined relationships and how he learned to live with uncertainty. He discusses the strategy of postponing decisions, stopping compulsive analysis, and focusing on steady partnership qualities like kindness and support. The episode offers practical takeaways—observe anxious thoughts without ruminating, make space for discomfort, and prioritize quiet, reliable connection over constant emotional certainty—showing recovery means being able to move forward even without complete certainty Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.  

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free Robert James and OCD specialist Jenna Overbaugh explore relentless "what-if" questions, rumination, and subtle mental compulsions, sharing how personal experience shaped her clinical approach. They discuss ACT-based defusion, exposure and response prevention, building self-efficacy, and practical steps to reduce safety behaviors so you can live a bigger, more meaningful life despite uncertainty Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.  

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free Robert James explores how the labels we use for OCD and anxiety can become limiting identities, and why distinguishing between having a condition and being defined by it matters. The episode covers narrative identity, practical approaches like ERP and ACT, and the idea that small, consistent actions — even when you don’t fully believe them — can create new experiences that reshape your story. Listeners are encouraged to notice strengths alongside struggles, reallocate energy from compulsions to meaningful life activities, and try one small change to begin building a different future Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.        

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free In this episode Robert James explores the “just right” feeling that drives many compulsions in OCD—how the pursuit of certainty and repeated checking steals your ability to tolerate uncertainty and move on. He offers simple, practical steps to start resisting the urge to seek that perfect feeling, such as noticing small moments of checking, choosing to return to life despite discomfort, and practicing acceptance without needing it to feel perfect Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.      

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free Robert James explores how imagination can both trigger and transform OCD and anxiety, drawing on ideas from Cassandra Vieten's Imagine That. He explains how spontaneous mental images and deep-diving thoughts create real emotions and fuel rumination. The episode offers practical ways to respond: notice and return to the present with mindfulness, practice deliberate visualization of small, realistic steps toward what you want, and accept anxiety as you move forward rather than trying to eliminate it first Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.    

Join the Sensorimotor OCD Cohort - 22 September : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/checkout/sensorimotor-ocd-live-cohort This episode explains what "recovered from OCD" means in everyday life: how reading, relationships and simple pleasures can be enjoyed again while difficult moments still happen. It describes practical strategies—mindfulness, acceptance, ERP-informed thinking, the "spotlight" metaphor and repeated practice—that let healthier responses become habitual, how setbacks fit into recovery, and how to take back control of attention and choices Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.    

Join the Sensorimotor OCD Cohort - 22 September : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/checkout/sensorimotor-ocd-live-cohort Robert James interviews Eric about his lived experience with anxiety and centri-motor OCD, from a health scare and spiralling rumination to finding relief through meditation, grounding, and a structured three-step approach. Eric explains the role of values, acceptance, self-compassion, and how to handle setbacks, and highlights a 12-week cohort for people struggling with centri-motor OCD Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.  

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free In this episode Robert James explains OCD as a faulty alarm system: intrusive thoughts trigger intense anxiety, and compulsions (checking, reassurance-seeking, rumination) only reinforce the alarm. It’s not about logic but about a hypersensitive system demanding certainty. Robert outlines how exposure and allowing uncomfortable emotions—rather than fighting them—recalibrate that alarm, reduce triggers over time, and help you live by your values. He also mentions a 12-week program and a free discovery call for anyone seeking additional support. Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided: Break Free from OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/self-guided Sensorimotor OCD: robertjamescoaching.com/sensorimotor-self-guided New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free In this episode Robert James shares a personal morning when anxiety and OCD flared up unexpectedly and how he used practical tools to let go and return to the present. He outlines key steps: accept that bad days happen, make space for difficult emotions and the negative story, then ground yourself with breathing, sensory checks and refocusing on values and valued activities. Robert also mentions a 12-week self-directed and coached program available on his website for listeners seeking structured support Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.  

🔴 FREE LIVE WORKSHOP — TUESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2026 Break the Sensorimotor OCD Loop: Free Live Workshop Join me live at 7:00 PM CEST / 1:00 PM ET: https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/c/live-workshops-q-a/break-the-sensorimotor-ocd-loop-free-live-workshop In episode 643 of the OCD and Anxiety Podcast, Robert James discusses Sensorimotor OCD and how the stories we tell ourselves trap us in ongoing awareness of bodily sensations. He explains how anxiety-driven narratives escalate monitoring and rumination, and offers an invitation to a free workshop that will cover practical strategies to loosen this cycle. Register through the link in the show notes to join the special workshop focused on managing Sensorimotor OCD Disclaimer: Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.