Obsessions and compulsionsObsessions and compulsions
All In The Mind
Most people have strange, intrusive thoughts. They can be embarrassing or completely irrational, so we don’t often talk about them. But for some these thoughts are impossible to stop, and can lead to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
28:50•28 Jun 2015
Obsessions, Compulsions and the Hidden Weight of Intrusive Thoughts
Episode Overview
- Intrusive, disturbing thoughts are common, but for some they become persistent obsessions linked to compulsive behaviours.
- OCD can focus on highly specific themes, such as HIV, and ignore rational evidence against those fears.
- Effective treatment often combines antidepressant medication with OCD-focused cognitive behavioural therapy to break the obsession–compulsion loop.
- Adopting a "helicopter view" helps place feared risks alongside everyday dangers, reducing their emotional grip.
- OCD is a medical condition that benefits from open discussion and professional help, rather than being dismissed as mere neatness or fussiness.
“Obsession has no regard for rational explanation.”
This episode dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours, giving you an unfiltered look at life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Journalist and author David Adam shares how a single irrational thought about HIV at age 18 – "like a snowflake that came from the summer sky" – marked the moment his life changed, leading to decades of private torment.
You’ll hear David explain intrusive thoughts in plain terms: those sudden urges to jump in front of a train or steer into oncoming traffic that most people shrug off. He points out that for some, these thoughts stick and form a relentless loop of obsession and compulsion, from Winston Churchill hiding behind pillars when trains passed to Howard Hughes burning clothes and demanding intricate routines around something as simple as a bottle of milk.
The conversation moves from vivid case studies – including a young Ethiopian girl who felt compelled to eat her own mud wall – to the science that still struggles to pin down OCD’s exact causes. Personality traits such as an "inflated sense of responsibility", family patterns, brain changes and even physical illness all appear to play a part, yet no single explanation fits everyone.
David talks candidly about seeking help after his OCD began to affect his parenting, describing how antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy helped him break the obsession–compulsion cycle. He explains the "helicopter view": zooming out from a feared risk to see it as just one tiny danger among many we live with every day. Host Lynne Malcolm steers the conversation towards practical advice.
David stresses that OCD is "a medical problem" that "needs medical help", urging people to talk about their intrusive thoughts and seek proper OCD-focused therapy rather than dismissing their struggles as quirks or neat-freak habits. If intrusive thoughts or rituals have ever made you wonder "Is it just me?", this episode might be the nudge to look for support and start talking about what’s really going on.
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