Podcast Summary: Get to Know OCD

Episode: She Made A Comedy Show Out Of Her OCD Journey

Hosted by: Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD Chief Clinical Officer
Guest: Olivia Levine
Release Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features standup comedian, writer, and actor Olivia Levine, who shares her remarkable journey growing up with OCD as well as coming into her sexual identity as a queer woman. Olivia discusses how she turned her lived experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder into a comedic solo show, "Unstuck," using humor and vulnerability to break stigma and foster understanding. Together with host Dr. Patrick McGrath, Olivia examines the intersections of mental health, sexuality, artistic expression, and the power of self-acceptance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olivia’s Background and OCD Journey

• Olivia introduces herself as an actor, writer, standup comedian, and “very gay” woman living in New York City, originally from San Francisco.
• She was diagnosed with OCD at 17 or 18, during the turbulent transition to college and simultaneously coming out as queer.
  • Quote:

    "I was officially diagnosed when I was 17 or 18 years old...after I moved across the country from San Francisco to New York, realized I was gay. Lots of other things going on...so it was a big moment of change that obviously, you know, incited sort of a moment of a...big OCD spike." (02:28)

2. Early Experiences with OCD and Shame

• As a child, Olivia’s OCD manifested as classic contamination fears, excessive handwashing (resulting in bleeding), repeated checking, and highly specific compulsions related to shame and sexuality.
• Lack of proper diagnosis and understanding fostered deep isolation and confusion.
  • Quote:

    "I think in high school, my OCD, though I didn't have the name for it, it just felt really isolating, and it felt like it made people upset with me...Once I came upon a label...I was able to contextualize that behavior." (06:27)

• She recounts feeling "like I was dying every day" before getting the proper diagnosis and entering the right treatment. (04:20)

3. Therapeutic Journey: From Misunderstanding to Evidence-Based Care

• Early mental health support lacked proper OCD training, focusing on generic anxiety strategies, which were ineffective and even counterproductive.
  • Quote:

    "People are out there trying to help, but like, they didn't know what they were trying to help." (08:36)

• Transitioning to evidence-based treatment (ERP—Exposure and Response Prevention) was transformative, albeit challenging.
  • Quote:

    "It was awesome. It was also really hard...Creating my hierarchies, it was a lot of hard work. It was hard to hold myself accountable because it's so much easier to compulse...But then to really sort of confront the anxiety head on and be like, I can handle this...that was important." (09:53)

• Olivia candidly discusses her process of slowly building tolerance for discomfort and doubt, and how that empowered her to regain agency over her OCD.

4. OCD, Sexuality, and Internalized Shame

• Olivia details how shame and repression around her sexuality intertwined with her OCD themes, focusing intensely on contamination and harm obsessions related to her vagina and fears of harming others.
  • Memorable Anecdote:

    "There was a time in my life where I was convinced in high school that I was going to kill people with my vagina germs. There was a point in my life where I convinced myself I was going to impregnate my mom. Like, all of this stuff sort of was around my sexuality..." (00:00, 14:37)

• Embracing her queerness and being “out” lessened the power of these obsessions.
  • Insight: Accepting her identity helped resolve deeply rooted anxieties and obsessions.

5. The Power of Community and Openness

• For years, secrecy and shame dominated Olivia’s approach to OCD; she felt unable to share her most distressing symptoms.
• Creating her one-woman show "Unstuck" transformed her relationship with her mental health, using humor to neutralize shame and connect with others.
  • Quote:

    "I joke about these things in my solo show...because I think the way to talk about OCD that makes people want to listen and feel comfortable is to be like, this is intense...And also I can look back, thankfully, where I am right now and laugh a little bit about it." (00:00, 17:37)

• The show has created opportunities for honest dialogue, reduced stigma, and allowed others to relate and share their own stories.

6. OCD and the Creative Process

• Olivia describes how OCD-driven perfectionism and fear of making mistakes profoundly affect her writing and creative output.
  • Quote:

    "Honestly my OCD affects my writing so much and has my entire, like. I think I'm still on a journey with realizing the sort of interaction between my creativity and my ocd, specifically when it comes to the writing component." (30:57)

• She shares challenges with avoidance, procrastination, over-research, and relentless review cycles—how OCD can turn creative work into a source of anxiety.
• Over time, Olivia has learned to trust herself more and let projects unfold naturally, prioritizing openness and progress over unattainable perfection.

7. Moving Forward: Joy, Acceptance, and Embracing Vulnerability

• Olivia now leans into joy and curiosity regarding her sexuality, her writing, and her art, and strives to approach new challenges with self-compassion and optimism.

• She finds excitement and freedom in being openly vulnerable—both on stage and off.

  • Quote:

    "There are sort of not many stories that I'm unwilling to tell. I will tell you anything and everything." (37:26)

• The conversation closes with Olivia affirming that the best way to fight stigma is through open dialogue, humor, and authentic self-expression.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity and shame of OCD obsessions:

  "When you think you're going to make your mom pregnant or kill your dad with your vagina...Yes, I have a sense of humor about it all, because I must. It's great material." (17:37)

• On the power of comedy and storytelling:

  "That's my favorite part about it...I recognize not everyone is in that place, of course, where it's funny...But for me, where I am, it's very important to have a sense of humor about it." (18:31)

• On creative struggles:

  "I would write answers to the point of like, you know, I'd write a four page answer and my teacher would be like, just write a paragraph. Like, seriously, just write a paragraph...There was so much fear of, like leaving something out." (31:39)

• On moving from secrecy to openness:

  "The show’s about OCD, but it's also about being yourself and being honest...I show people how open you can be—and that that doesn't, in fact, lead to exile and isolation, but it leads to community and conversation and understanding." (27:05)

• On the evolving relationship to joy and the future:

  "There was so much shame around [sex] for so many years...now I'm sort of like nothing's—beyond things that are literally illegal or make me uncomfortable—of course, like, nothing is...You can explore what you like and what makes you happy." (39:43)

Important Timestamps

• [03:46] — Olivia’s OCD diagnosis, sexual identity, and early struggles
• [06:27] — The relief of receiving a diagnosis ("moment of recognition")
• [09:53] — Discovering ERP therapy and its challenges
• [14:35] — In-depth discussion of shame, sexual obsessions, and how they related to identity
• [17:37] — Finding humor in past obsessions through her solo show
• [25:05] — How and why Olivia created her solo show “Unstuck”
• [30:57] — Navigating OCD as a creative professional—writing, performance, perfectionism
• [39:43] — Embracing joy, sex, writing, and self-acceptance

Resources & Where to Find Olivia

• Instagram: @olivialevine19

  “I'm always sort of advertising my comedy shows and whenever I'm doing my show Unstuck.”

• Website: olivia-levine.com
• NOCD: nocd.com

Final Thoughts

This heartfelt, candid, and often hilarious episode powerfully illustrates how vulnerability, humor, and storytelling can break through the isolation of OCD. Olivia Levine’s journey from secrecy and shame to community and creative expression offers hope and insight for anyone affected by OCD or striving to live more authentically.