S4E156: New Year, Same Fear: Handling OCD in 2026

Summary

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OCD Family Podcast

S4E156: New Year, Same Fear: Handling OCD in 2026

Host: Nicole Morris, LMFT
Date: February 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode marks Nicole Morris’s return after a spontaneous break, diving deep into the ongoing challenges of living with OCD—both personally and in family life. Nicole highlights the relentless nature of OCD, especially during times of transition like the new year, and offers hope and practical wisdom for sufferers and their support networks. The core message is about honoring your humanity, finding community, and seeking evidence-based resources—reminding listeners that recovery is possible, even if fear feels persistent.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unplanned Absence as Response Prevention

• Timestamp: 00:29–02:54
  • Nicole opens up about her unscheduled hiatus from the podcast, framing her lack of explanation as a positive act of response prevention—a technique in OCD treatment.
  • She reflects on the pressure OCD places on perfectionism and over-explaining:

    “OCD likes to say you better explain everything. Your consistency, your reliability. It needs to be perfect... And I didn't. And I'm still here. Truth is, 2025 was a lot for me. For many of you and damn it, 2026 has been no cakewalk either.” – Nicole (00:29)

2. Global Overwhelm & Community Focus

• Timestamp: 02:54–04:00
  • Nicole discusses the persistent sense of global and personal overwhelm and the impact of immediate, constant information.
  • She makes a point to keep this podcast focused on OCD and the family experience, rather than politics or commentary, creating a safe, supportive space.

3. Permission to Pause & The Power of Silence

• Timestamp: 04:00–09:30
  • Emphasizing self-compassion, Nicole assures listeners it’s okay to unplug and not perform their pain publicly:

    "It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to speak, but it's also okay to unplug, to pause... Sometimes not posting is the boundary. Not explaining is the pause. Or for me, the response prevention..." (04:20)

  • She relates this to Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), noting that “non-engagement can be a great support, a great tool.”

4. "New Year, Same Fear"—How OCD Endures Through Transitions

• Timestamp: 09:30–10:30
  • Nicole dispels the myth that the new year brings a clean slate:

    "OCD is not Cinderella. And it doesn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight. It doesn't just dissolve on January 1st. In fact, it may even feel louder now..." (09:37)

  • She acknowledges new beginnings can create new pressures—and that OCD will try to seize these moments.

5. Message of Hope: Recovery is Possible

• Timestamp: 10:30–11:10
  • Nicole shares her personal story: after 30 years with OCD, she is now “subclinical”—it no longer interferes with her life:

    "Relief is possible and better yet, recovery is possible. So I'm going to be listing some resources..." (10:45)

  • She encourages listeners not to give up, citing both lived experience and decades of research supporting treatments like ERP, ICBT, ACT, and medication.

6. Resources for Community & Continued Learning

• Timestamp: 10:45–11:10 & 12:20–14:34
  • Nicole highlights resources for self-study and professional development, including the OCD Training School’s course catalog and links to further information via the podcast website.
  • She invites listeners to share their own favorite resources in the community.

7. Validation & Togetherness Through Difficult Times

• Timestamp: 11:10–12:20
  • Nicole normalizes feelings of hopelessness, stress, and overwhelm, stressing the importance of shared experience and community support:

    "If you're finding yourself bogged down by OCD or OCRD...I get you. I hear you. I am you. But also know that you are not alone. You're still here. I'm still here. We are still in this together." (11:10)

8. Value-Driven Choices & Regulation

• Timestamp: 11:57–12:50
  • Drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Nicole discusses the value of sitting with discomfort and making choices aligned with personal values:

    “We can sit with the discomfort and choose our response to it. So what is value driven for you? For me it was regulation. And for me that led to Wyatt. So thank you for hanging in there with me through the quiet.” (11:59)

9. Final Words of Encouragement

• Timestamp: 12:50–13:05
  • Nicole wraps up by reinforcing the central theme of resilience and hope:

    "New Year, same fear. But guess what, fam? We get to meet it with that same ferocity, with that same love, fierce courage and fight. Even on the days when it's quiet, we're burying it. We're doing this. And that builds hope. We are building hope. We've got this." (12:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On permission to unplug:

  "It's okay to not perform your pain where you're healing publicly. Sometimes not posting is the boundary... sometimes disappearing for a bit is the most regulated thing you can do." – Nicole (04:16)

• On the myth of fresh starts:

  "OCD is not Cinderella. And it doesn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight." – Nicole (09:37)

• On her own OCD journey:

  "I can truly say I'm subclinical... This shit, OCD shit, it doesn't get in the way of my functioning. It doesn't keep me up at night, it no longer calls the shots because at one point, family, it did." – Nicole (10:55)

• On community and resilience:

  "We can bear this. We can and we are. Even if we feel restless and discomfort and distress, we are bearing it. We don't have to like it. We can grieve it. We can share if we need to. But we can also just sit in the silence. Rest, unplug." – Nicole (11:16)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:29–02:54 — Nicole’s return and framing her break as response prevention.
• 04:00–09:30 — Self-compassion, the right to pause, and ERP insights.
• 09:30–10:30 — "New Year, Same Fear": OCD’s persistence.
• 10:45–11:10 — Encouragement and research-backed recovery resources.
• 11:10–12:20 — Normalizing struggle, importance of community.
• 12:55–13:05 — Uplifting closing: “We are building hope.”

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Resources Mentioned

• International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
• ICPT Online (for treatment info and providers)
• OCD Training School (courses for both sufferers and professionals)
• Further free resources, podcasts, and online communities listed at: ocdfamilypodcast.com

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Closing Summary

Nicole Morris delivers a heartfelt, honest check-in, breaking the stigma around needing breaks, emphasizing the never-ending (but manageable) nature of OCD, and providing practical resources and hope for listeners. The episode is a testament to the power of response prevention, community support, and resilience, reminding everyone in the "OCD family" that silence, rest, and stepping back are not failures—but vital acts of self-care and recovery.

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Transcript

[A]

Want a recipe for success?

[B]

Step 1 Visit ocdfamilypodcast.com courses Step 2 Click on my link to browse OCD Training School's amazing course catalog. Step three Enroll. And step four Enjoy learning with no added cost to you. You can support the OCD family community while grabbing some continuing education or learning how to bridge yourself to self help strategies for OCD. Again, that's ocdfamilypodcast.com courses and use my special link to sign up today.

[A]

Hey fam, it's been a minute and if you're wondering where I've been, honestly, same. I didn't plan a break, I didn't prep a see you later. I just didn't post. And that for me is actually a win for response prevention. Because OCD likes to say you better explain everything. Your consistency, your reliability. It needs to be perfect. You owe it to the fam. Everything hinges on this. And I didn't. And I'm still here. Truth is, 2025 was a lot for me. For many of you and damn it, 2026 has been no cakewalk either. So if you can relate or you just want to hear more, no shade. Join me fam, because here we keep it real.

[C]

I'm Nicole Morris, licensed marriage and family therapist and mental health correspondent and let me be the first to say welcome to the family. The OCD family that is.

[A]

I am here to create a community

[C]

of support for family members, spouses, partners, parents, adult children as there may be adult words and chosen family of OCD

[A]

sufferers and their community.

[C]

I've had over 22 years of experience in the mental health field, but please please note that this information does not qualify or substitute as a diagnostic evaluation, therapy or treatment and it is presented on an as is basis. Please follow up with a qualified mental health provider in your area regarding concerns for yourself or loved ones. Thank you for joining us today.

[A]

Now let's get started. Alright, you know I have missed you and I love making this podcast and what I can promise you is we're not going anywhere. I will continue making this podcast. In fact, I even have some amazing interviews already in the hopper, including a great episode with the fantastic Dr. Michael Greenberg and a really helpful conversation with Michael Parker on icbt, just to name a few. And honestly, by this point I had planned to have them published many times over famous. But alongside that intention were family illnesses, personal setbacks, holidays that weren't exactly joyful, although they had their moments and constant global overwhelm.

[B]

I find myself asking, is the world

[A]

worse off than it's ever been because we've had some dark periods, but shit. Or is it the fact that we can update from our phones in a split second? Go live, Tweet Post Comment Is the over accessibility in some ways the problem? If you're newer to joining us, I make this point often enough because it seems like the world is on fire. Literally often enough that I don't get into politics here because this is for the fam. It's a podcast on OCD and OC related disorders, also known as OCRDs. And while there's a broad spectrum where you can go and get commentary, reporting opinion pieces, literally whatever you want to find, you can find it. And things you don't want to find, you can find it. In contrast, there are very few spaces for the OCD family community where you can gain evidence based learning resources and support and so I really, really try to stick to that. But talking or not, I want to honor the heaviness, anxiety, frustration, hope and every feeling in between. If anything, I think it's a reminder that self compassion and giving ourselves grace to be human. Especially overwhelmed humans or scared humans, or concerned humans, or intrigued humans. I don't know we're allowed to be who we are. And I know I'm not the only one feeling this, so I wanted to say this out loud. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to speak, but it's also okay to unplug, to pause. Whether it's something happening in our world or maybe just even your world, your loved one's world, it's okay. It's okay to not perform your pain where you're healing publicly. Sometimes not posting is the boundary. Not explaining is the pause. Or for me, the response prevention, which I think we can all agree is the hardest part of exposure and response prevention. Sometimes silence is rest, and sometimes disappearing for a bit is the most regulated thing you can do. On my YouTube thumbnail, I said, did Nicole ghost the fam? I don't think I ghosted the fam, and I haven't ghosted myself. I think ghosting speaks to an intention to leave someone without any explanation. But did I disappear? Did I need to take a beat? Yeah, and I did. I'm a mom, sister, daughter. I may be a practitioner, I may have a podcast. But I'm also human. And what I've learned, whether it's with my OCD or just life in general, I'm much better off when I stay present and do what I need to do to regulate in the present Sometimes it's going to be focusing on work, working on proposals, working on a podcast studio, which, if you've caught any pics on social media, is something that will roll out in 2026. It's been a fun project. And sometimes it's gonna be, you know, doing nothing. Because that's something, especially if we're just really used to doing, doing, doing, doing. From that erp, that exposure and response prevention perspective, we actually learned that non engagement can be a great support, a great tool. So, new year, same fear. Yep. I'm sure for many. Because guess what? OCD is not Cinderella. And it doesn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight. It doesn't just dissolve on January 1st. In fact, it may even feel louder now because it's a new year and there's transition and maybe you're going back to school or starting a new quarter at work, or maybe it's a new semester, maybe it's a new deductible, a higher premium. It's a rent that's due, it's a mortgage. I don't know. Fill in the blank. Could it be a new chapter? Sure. But it also could be a new pressure, a new resolution. Ugh, gross. And OCD is opportunistic. So what does it do? It's like, hey, Boo. An opportunity to reassert control. But here's some good news. We don't have to obey the fear just because it's familiar, just because it's big, just because it's distressing, and just because it's still here or even if it's growing. That doesn't mean that we or our loved ones are destined for a life of pain and suffering. I say this not only as a clinician that has had the honor of walking this road with many clients, but also as an OCD warrior myself. Not realizing until a good 30 years into my disorder that my anxiety was really just OCD in sheep's clothing. Because I'll admit there were times where I was like, shit, I have peaked too early. Life is only going to get more anxiety filled and distressing from here and now. I can truly say I'm subclinical. Which you might be like, er, translation, Nicole. It's simple. This shit, OCD shit, it doesn't get in the way of my functioning. It doesn't keep me up at night, it no longer calls the shots because at one point, family, it did. And I'm very thankful for that. So if I could go 30 years going, phew, I guess this is what it's going to be for me. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way. But don't just take my word for it, because my anecdotal report isn't just a fluke. And we know that because we have decades of research, backing, exposure and response, prevention, inference based, cbt, acceptance and commitment, therapy, medication, research and more. Relief is possible and better yet, recovery is possible. So I'm going to be listing some resources over on this episode's [e-mail]. they're going to point you in the direction of the International OCD foundation and ICPT Online where you can learn more about the research, treatments and access worldwide provider info for for you or your loved ones. But additionally, I'm gonna list some of the free resources, pods and channels I recommend for learning, whether through bite sized reels on Instagram, quick posts you can swipe through, or research roundtables on YouTube. There's actually a really cool community, many led by my friends and colleagues, many past guests here on the pod. So you are welcome to check them out too or or comment if you're watching on YouTube or you're listening on your favorite podcasting app, comment your favorite. Because hey, let's keep it real. The fam keeps it real. We got your back. Also on the subject of learning, whether you're curious about diving into maybe a self study course on OCD or maybe you're a practitioner looking to access real deal trainings on OCD or some of our OC related disorders, I'm also gonna Link OCD Family Podcast.com courses where you can check out OCD OCD Training School's entire course catalog. OCD Training School works with many of our field's top specialists to provide CE eligible trainings for master's and doctorate level providers. That's huge because I feel like I don't know. My psychologist friends out there can tell me that sometimes it's harder to find CES for them. And when you use my link ocdfamilypodcast.com courses you are helping to directly support the OCD family community at zero extra cost to you. So that's pretty cool. You can get quality training and help the family grow here while you gain helpful tools and resources for relief from ocd. I mean, say less. Am I right? I'm here for it. Also, no matter where you're at, if

[B]

you're finding yourself bogged down by OCD

[A]

or ocrd, if you're like just surviving from one community crisis to another or feel like hope is shrinking. I get you. I hear you. I am you. But also know that you are not alone. You're still here. I'm still here. We are still in this together. And we. We can bear this. We can and we are. Even if we feel restless and discomfort and distress, we are bearing it. We don't have to like it. We can grieve it. We can share if we need to. But we can also just sit in the silence. Rest, unplug.

[B]

Because much like my act colleagues have

[A]

taught me, we can sit with the discomfort and choose our response to it. So what is value driven for you? For me it was regulation. And for me that led to Wyatt. So thank you for hanging in there with me through the quiet. Thanks for bossing back or supporting your warriors in the trenches. Even on the days where it might just look like you taking a break, rest, crying, or literally doing nothing at all. New Year, same fear. But guess what, fam? We get to meet it with that same ferocity, with that same love, fierce courage and fight. Even on the days when it's quiet, we're burying it. We're doing this. And that builds hope. We are building hope. We've got this. So that's all I've got for now, fam. Just a little check in, a little acknowledgement of the silence as I kick into gear here for 2026. But hey, let's talk again soon.

[C]

Thank you for joining me and our OCD Family Community. If you enjoyed what you hear today, please like and subscribe to the OCD Family Podcast wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Did you find this content helpful? Please consider leaving a review. The more people that know they're not alone, the better. For more information regarding today's podcast, please Visit OCD Family Podcast.com and remember to join the email list while you're there. It will provide you with the most up to date information, resources and the download on the family chatter.

[A]

Oh yeah, nothing says family like taking a beat for those needs I can meet. That's right, I went there.

[C]

And you can too. @ocdfamilypodcast.com.

[B]

Therapists ready to shape the future of Pediatric OCD Treatment Join the Next Steps in Pediatric OCD On Demand course from Angela Adamson Springer LCSW and learn how to adapt inference based cognitive behavioral therapy for kids. With research still emerging, this course empowers you to explore new methods and contribute to the growing field of evidence based practices with OCD training, school's 365 day access for on Demand courses, you'll gain practical tools to help kids by adapting ICBT's signature 12 modules to be as

[A]

creative as the kiddos you're treating.

[B]

So sign [e-mail] courses to support the podcast at no extra cost and support

[A]

further growth and hope for our youngest of warriors.