This coming week marks OCD Awareness Week, and I wanted to record something personal. I’ve lived with OCD since I was 12, and while I’m much further along in my recovery, it still shapes my everyday life.

In this solo episode, I talk honestly about what OCD really is - beyond the stereotypes of tidy desks and neat sock drawers. I share what it’s like to live with the intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and exhaustion that come with this misunderstood illness, as well as the long journey through therapy, medication, and finally finding hope through Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).

I’ve partnered with OCD Action to raise awareness and support others who might feel alone in their struggle. OCD is treatable — recovery might not mean silence, but it does mean freedom and learning to live alongside it.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you can find help and community at ocdaction.org.uk or through their helpline.

Let’s start changing the conversation about OCD - one honest story at a time.

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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October is a big month for OCD awareness and in today's HEALING 101 episode I speak with musician Jessica Sweetman. We talk about what OCD really feels like when it spikes and, most importantly, what actually helps. No magic fixes. Just small, doable things that steady you, keep you creating, and get you through the wobbly days. We don’t overcomplicate it so if you’re after calm, clarity, and a few ideas you can try today, this one’s for you.

Find Jessica:

Website: https://www.jessicasweetman.com/

Instagram: @itsjessikamusic

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

Substack: substack.com/@hurttohealing

Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few topics in mental health are as complex, charged, and deeply personal as gender dysphoria. For some, transitioning feels life-saving. For others, it leads to regret and the painful realisation that surgery or hormones didn’t solve the deeper struggles underneath.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Az Hakeem - psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of Detrans: When Transition is Not the Solution. For over two decades, Az has worked with people questioning their gender, those pursuing transition, and those who later detransitioned. His work has given him unique insight into what lies beneath gender distress from autism and trauma to identity, shame, and societal influence.

This is not about ideology or taking sides. It’s about listening to lived experiences, asking difficult questions, and opening up compassionate space for conversations that too often get shut down.

Whether you’re a parent, a clinician, or simply someone wanting to better understand this issue, I hope this conversation helps you think more deeply about what it really means to heal.

Contact Az: https://www.nightingalehospital.co.uk/specialist/dr-az-hakeem/

Buy his book: https://amzn.eu/d/f3pGQ5m

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

Substack: substack.com/@hurttohealing

Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.