How Do I Stop Obsessing Over ...? | EP 348How Do I Stop Obsessing Over ...? | EP 348
The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
Drew Linsalata explains why obsessive anxiety thoughts feel so powerful and argues that change comes from addressing compulsions rather than chasing thoughts away. The conversation outlines practical ideas on resisting safety behaviours so the brain can learn that feared threats and discomfort pass on their own.
22:50•15 Jul 2026
Why Obsessive Thoughts Stick and What Really Changes Them
Episode Overview
- Obsessions in anxiety and OCD are experienced as genuine threats, so they cannot simply be switched off or argued away.
- Compulsions—both behavioural and mental—are attempts to "save" oneself from obsessive fears, but they reinforce the anxiety cycle.
- Working on reducing and resisting compulsions is more effective than trying to control or replace obsessive thoughts.
- Exposure and response prevention involves allowing discomfort and fear to rise without performing safety behaviours, teaching the brain that the threat passes.
- Over time, resisting compulsions can lessen the intensity, duration, and frequency of obsessive episodes, even though anxious thoughts may still appear.
“You can't just decide to stop obsessing. We have to operate on a different level, and really, we want to learn how to stop compulsing.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This instalment of The Anxious Truth zooms in on a different kind of battle many people in recovery face alongside alcohol issues: relentless anxiety and obsessive thinking. Therapist and former anxiety sufferer Drew Linsalata breaks down why asking "How do I stop obsessing over this?" keeps people stuck, and why the real focus needs to shift to what they're doing in response to those obsessions.
Drew explains that in anxiety disorders and OCD, obsessions feel like genuine threats, not passing worries. Whether it’s health fears, moral scruples, relationships, safety, or the state of the world, these fixations latch onto what matters most and come with a "big emotional wallop" that makes letting go feel impossible. He points out that trying to think happier thoughts, logic your way out, or biohack your brain rarely works for more than a few hours.
Instead, he walks through the difference between obsessions and compulsions. Compulsions are the actions people take to "save" themselves from their obsessive fears – things like checking, seeking reassurance, cleaning, repeating rituals, mentally counting, reviewing memories, or endlessly worrying. Each compulsion might feel like short-term relief, but it quietly confirms to the brain that the obsession really is dangerous and must be taken seriously.
The heart of the episode is Drew’s argument that progress comes from working on compulsions, not chasing thoughts away. He describes exposure and response prevention: choosing, bit by bit and with self-compassion, not to perform the safety behaviours even when it feels like a huge mistake. Over time, this teaches the brain that the threat passes on its own and that discomfort is an experience to have, not a problem to solve.
If anxiety and obsessive thinking are hijacking your recovery or everyday life, this straightforward, no-nonsense breakdown might be the nudge you need to start asking a different question: instead of "How do I stop obsessing?", what compulsions could you gently begin to step back from today?
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