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In this episode of Nutty & Slutty, Janine and Isadora explore obsessive-compulsive disorder — and why it is far more complex than the familiar stereotypes of spotless houses, rigid organization, and repeatedly checking whether the stove is off. Isadora reflects on growing up with parents whose need for order once felt like criticism, while Janine shares how OCD became entangled with her experience of bipolar disorder.

Janine describes the relentless cycle of intrusive thoughts: unwanted ideas about sexuality, identity, violence, and other frightening subjects that can feel impossible to resolve. The two discuss an essential distinction — the thoughts that accompany OCD may be deeply upsetting precisely because they do not reflect the person’s character, desires, or intentions.

The conversation also examines treatment, including working with an OCD specialist and using exposure therapy to reduce the power of an obsession. Janine explains the counterintuitive process of allowing a distressing thought to exist without fighting it, analyzing it, or performing a compulsion — until what once felt like a hard ball ricocheting through the mind becomes something softer and easier to let pass.

With warmth, humor, and their characteristic honesty, Janine and Isadora reveal the exhausting private terrain that may be hidden behind an ordinary exterior. It is a conversation about stigma, empathy, and the courage required to speak aloud the thoughts that cause shame — and to discover that having a thought is not the same as wanting it or acting upon it.

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Welcome to NUTTY & SLUTTY
Where Mental Health, Sexuality and Unfiltered Truth Take Center Stage

NUTTY & SLUTTY is a bold, sex-positive podcast exploring the messy, complicated and often hilarious intersections of mental health, sexuality and real life — without shame, filters or pretense.

Hosted by Janine Noel (living with bipolar disorder) and Isadora O’Boto (ex-escort), this show brings together two radically honest perspectives for conversations that are as raw as they are insightful. From navigating mood swings and medication to unpacking the realities of sex work and desire, nothing is off-limits.

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Isadora O’Boto (co-host) is a Juilliard Drama grad. Under the pen name Sephe Haven, she is the author of two award-winning memoirs: My Whorizontal Life and A Someday Courtesan, and playwright/performer of the solo show: “My Whorizontal Life: The Show!” Isadora co-hosted the podcast My Index to Sex with Lynn Ferguson. Find her at: isadoraoboto.com

Janine Noel (co-host) is creator and host of Bipolar She podcast, where guests sh...