Show Notes
Are you a terrible person, or does your brain just really, really want you to think so? This week Jess and Laura get into moral scrupulosity OCD — the subtype where intrusive thoughts aren't about harm or contamination, but about your fundamental character, your values, and whether you've done something unforgivable. Laura gets personal about her own moral OCD compulsions (yes, really), and they unpack why this subtype hits so differently — the shame, the thought-action fusion, and why reassurance-seeking feels almost morally necessary in itself. Plus: a detour into horse willies, a neurodivergent shout-out, and an unexpectedly deep dive into manifesting.
🧠 Brain Spam, an Exposure Lab, and a listener question about supporting a loved one with moral OCD round things out nicely.
Podcast by Laura Mole, Adv. Dip, MBACP OCD specialist therapist and Jessica Hayes, Msc PGDip, BABCP Accred OCD and perinatal specialist therapist Edited by Laura Mole
Time stamps 00:43 Stuff you might Google with Moral scrupulosity OCD 02:50 Introduction and catch up 09:00 Brain 🧠 Spam 14:30 Horse willies 15:30 What moral OCD is 18:00 Laura's moral OCD compulsions 26:30 Why does it feel so bad? 28:11 What if i have actually done something bad? 31:35 Differences in therapy to help moral OCD; tolerating uncertainty, compassion, and thought-action-fusion. 40:46 Autistic shout-out 42:00 OCD irony 44:25 Manifesting and OCD 50:22 Question from a listener: Supporting a loved one 59:02 Exposure Lab 1:02:45 Upcoming episode themes 1:03:23 Goodbyes
Get in Touch: Got intrusive thoughts to share or questions for us: Email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok: @justcheckingpod For our individual OCD pages, you can find Laura on Tiktok and Instagram as @ocdtherapylaura and Jess as @jess_helps_your_ocd Please check out our privacy policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YJZ4Sdh4OpxjRR9twGY6dOMH9n55Mq6qTqLBxOtN3Fw/edit?usp=sharing
Content Warnings: We do reference some thoughts that people may find distressing so please listen with caution if this is you, and take a break if you need to.
Disclaimer This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support, please contact a mental health professional for advice and support.
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