Podcast Summary

Get to Know OCD: “Helpful Tips If Your OCD Flared Over Thanksgiving Weekend”

Host: Dr. Patrick McGrath (NOCD Chief Clinical Officer)
Date: November 30, 2025

Episode Overview

Dr. Patrick McGrath explores the challenges that people with OCD commonly face during and after stressful events like Thanksgiving weekend. He provides practical, compassionate advice for managing post-holiday stress, countering OCD-driven guilt and shame, and the importance of seeking support – all with his characteristically direct and reassuring tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holidays as Stressors for OCD (00:00–01:10)

• Dr. McGrath opens by acknowledging that, while holidays are meant to be fun, they are almost always stressors, and “boy, does OCD love a stressor.”
• Quote:
  “No matter how much fun a weekend may be or a holiday might be, it’s still a stressor. And boy, does OCD love a stressor and love to take advantage of stressors as a way to try to say, hey, hey, woohoo, look at me over here, yo.” (00:06)

2. Permission to Rest & Breaking Down Tasks (01:10–02:30)

• Dr. McGrath emphasizes the importance of rest after hosting and acknowledges that OCD often pressures individuals to be productive at all times.
• He recommends breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable pieces, using the pizza analogy:
• Quote:
  “How do you eat a giant extra extra extra extra extra large pizza? One bite at a time is how you do it.” (01:56)

3. OCD's Use of Guilt and Shame (02:30–04:15)

• Dr. McGrath highlights that OCD seizes on not just anxiety and discomfort, but also guilt, shame, and disgust to dictate behaviors.
• He encourages listeners to avoid being driven by negative self-talk and self-punishment.
• Quote:
  “OCD loves guilt… shame, guilt, disgust. These are all other emotions that OCD will grab onto to try to get people to do certain things and certain behaviors.” (02:39)
• He cautions against using negative self-motivation and contrasts how people encourage loved ones versus how harsh they can be on themselves.
• Quote (on self-talk):
  “You wouldn’t say that to somebody you love. But would you say that to yourself? … That’s only going to bring you down, and it’s never going to build you up.” (03:45)

4. Normalizing Discomfort and Reaching Out (04:15–05:15)

• It’s normal to feel uncomfortable or less than perfect after a taxing weekend, and acknowledging that is not defeat.
• Dr. McGrath underscores the value in seeking help and support.
• Quote:
  “The beauty of being able to acknowledge that it isn’t that you’re admitting defeat. It means that you’re admitting that you could use some assistance and you could use some help.” (04:35)

5. The Coaching Analogy: Even Experts Get Help (05:15–06:35)

• He draws a parallel to professional athletes, pointing out that even peak performers have coaches.
• He confronts the myth that mental health is something one must handle alone.
• Quote:
  “Everybody has a coach. If you’re the kind of person who thinks, I have to do this on my own… But you also watch sports—and you watch people who… are considered to be at the top of athletic peak performance, who still get coached… Why is that okay for them, but it’s not okay for you?” (05:31)

6. Encouragement to Seek Professional Help (06:35–end)

• Dr. McGrath emphasizes that help is available through NOCD, whether for OCD, anxiety, depression, trauma, BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviors), or hoarding.
• Therapy is positioned as a way to have a knowledgeable companion “to walk beside you, to assist you so that you are also at the top of your game.”
• Quote:
  “You don’t have to do this by yourself. You don’t have to suffer in silence. Just like that athlete that you look up to, looks up to their coach. You can have a therapist who’s there to walk beside you, to assist you so that you are also at the top of your game. What could be better than that?” (07:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Normalizing Self-Care:
  “It’s okay to take a break. OCD may tell you you have to be productive at all times or else you’re lazy… But we don’t have to listen to OCD or anything that it says whatsoever, because, well, it just doesn’t tell the truth.” (00:36)
• Practical Tip:
  “If it is overwhelming looking at all of the stuff to do, it might be less overwhelming looking at one thing to do and then after that step, pick the next step… and so on and so forth.” (02:21)
• Reframing Motivation:
  “My motivator has to tear me down as a way to build me up, even though I would never do that to anyone else.” (03:22)
• Permission for Help:
  “If any of this has been going on, the good thing is there is a place to reach out… we have therapists waiting for you.” (06:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 — Intro: How OCD capitalizes on post-holiday stress
• 01:10 — The importance of rest and breaking down overwhelming tasks
• 02:30 — OCD and the role of guilt, shame, and self-critical motivation
• 04:15 — Owning discomfort, reaching out for help
• 05:15 — Coaching analogy: Even experts need support
• 06:35 — Encouragement and resources for seeking therapy

Final Takeaways

• Holidays can be stressful for people with OCD, fueling symptoms like guilt and shame, not just anxiety.
• It’s healthy to take breaks and approach post-holiday overwhelm with self-compassion and practical steps.
• Avoid harsh self-criticism and treat yourself with the same kindness you’d show a loved one.
• Seeking support – whether from a therapist, coach, or loved one – is a sign of strength, not weakness.

This episode offers relatable reassurance and actionable advice for anyone whose OCD symptoms flared up over Thanksgiving weekend, blending everyday wisdom with therapeutic expertise.