OCD and Acceptance - How Does That Work? | Ep 344
OCD and Acceptance - How Does That Work? | Ep 344

The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast

Drew Linsalata talks with OCD specialists Joanna Hardis and Lauren Rosen about what acceptance really means in OCD, especially around intrusive thoughts and uncertainty. Their discussion highlights how allowing discomfort and questioning compulsions can gently shift the recovery process without promising quick fixes.

InformativeHonestAuthenticEncouragingSupportive

39:13•20 May 2026

RSS Feed

OCD, Acceptance and The Uneasy Art of Doing Less

Episode Overview

Acceptance in OCD focuses on allowing distressing thoughts, images and feelings without agreeing with or acting on their content.
Uncertainty can never be fully removed, and repeatedly trying to get to 100% certainty keeps compulsions and anxiety alive.
Thoughts and emotions are less trustworthy when intensity is high, so pausing and observing rather than reacting helps more deliberate choices.
Compulsions and rituals mainly provide brief relief and do not actually keep anyone safe, which can be painful to realise but also freeing.
Acceptance is an ongoing practice that often includes grief, self-compassion and learning to tolerate discomfort instead of trying to control everything.

“The fundamental thing that we are accepting is the uneasiness. That’s it.”

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation shifts the spotlight to obsessive-compulsive disorder and what acceptance really means when your biggest battle is inside your own head. Host and therapist Drew Linsalata teams up with OCD specialists Joanna Hardis and Lauren Rosen to unpack why acceptance can feel so confusing – and even dangerous – for people with OCD.

While panic and health anxiety often involve accepting obvious physical sensations, OCD is more about accepting disturbing thoughts, images and feelings that feel morally loaded or terrifying. As Joanna puts it, “We have to accept that there can be really distressing thoughts… That doesn’t mean we agree with the content.” You’ll hear them break acceptance into two key pieces: accepting uncertainty (you can’t be 100% sure about anything) and accepting internal experiences like emotions, urges and physical sensations.

They talk frankly about themes such as harm OCD, intrusive thoughts about infidelity, and the constant drive to “figure it out” that keeps people stuck in compulsions. Lauren highlights the emotional core: “The fundamental thing that we are accepting is the uneasiness.

That’s it.” The trio also call out the social media messages that say either “trust all your thoughts” or “ignore them all” – pointing out that real life is messier, and some thoughts are relevant while many are just noise. This episode is especially helpful for those who feel guilty about their thoughts, doubt their diagnosis, or fear that dropping rituals is unsafe.

There’s plenty of gentle humour too – from mindfulness “cabal” jokes to Drew’s line about how good it feels to stop metaphorically banging your head against a wall. Anyone facing OCD, anxiety, or alcohol-related compulsions may recognise the exhaustion of trying to control everything. Could acceptance of discomfort and uncertainty be the first step towards less suffering and more life?

PreviousNeuroscience and Therapy w/Ana Lund | Ep 343