Full OCD Recovery: Is OCD Rumination A Compulsion?

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: OCD Recovery
Host: Ali Greymond
Episode: Full OCD Recovery: Is OCD Rumination A Compulsion?
Date: December 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles the frequently asked question: Is rumination a compulsion in OCD? Ali Greymond explains her unique strategy for tracking rumination separately from other compulsions, and how this approach can clarify your recovery journey. The episode provides actionable advice for tracking, reducing, and ultimately overcoming rumination as part of OCD recovery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Rumination as a Compulsion (00:00–01:10)

• Ali Greymond establishes that rumination is technically a compulsion within OCD behavior.
  • Quote [00:04]:
    "A common question is, is rumination a compulsion? Technically, yes, rumination is a compulsion."
• She cautions that, for practical purposes, clients should track rumination separately from physical or simple compulsions.

2. Why Separation in Tracking Matters (00:12–00:50)

• Ali provides two contrasting examples:
  • Client A: Mentions “just one compulsion”—checking the stove for a few seconds.
  • Client B: Also reports “one compulsion,” but describes ruminating all day long.
  • This illustrates the huge difference in severity and impact, even if the number of compulsions appears the same.
  • Ali’s Insight [00:28]:
    "One compulsion in both cases, but a completely different situation."

3. Tracking Rumination: Practical Approaches (01:10–02:10)

• Ali recommends tracking rumination in minutes rather than as a simple count.
  • Advice [01:13]:
    "You need to track it in very approximate minutes. How many minutes in the last three hours did you ruminate?"
• She offers an interactive prompt:
  • Practicing estimation: "If I ask you right now, how many minutes in the last three hours did you ruminate? What would you say, approximately?"

4. Active vs. Passive Rumination (01:30–01:50)

• Differentiates between passive (thoughts just appear) and active (intentionally engaging) rumination.
  • Explanation [01:36]:
    "Active rumination, Passive. We know all. All the time. It's there, but actively, how much did you entertain the thoughts?"

5. Daily Tracking and Goal-Setting (01:50–02:40)

• Suggests using an app or writing it down:
  • At set intervals (every 3 hours), note how much time you actively ruminated.
  • Each day, aim to reduce total rumination time a bit more than the day before.
  • Ali’s Encouragement [02:10]:
    "Tomorrow, our game is to reduce from today. And you will see that as your rumination drops, your anxiety will also start to drop, little by little, day after day, getting better."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Rumination is a compulsion, of course, but you need to track it in very approximate minutes." (Ali Greymond, 01:13)
• "One compulsion in both cases, but a completely different situation." (Ali Greymond, 00:28)
• "As your rumination drops, your anxiety will also start to drop, little by little, day after day, getting better." (Ali Greymond, 02:19)

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Actionable Tools from the Episode

How to Track Rumination:

• Every three hours, estimate and write down (or enter in the app) how many minutes you actively engaged with obsessive thoughts.

Your Daily Challenge:

• “Our game is to reduce from today.” Small, consistent drops in daily rumination mean steady recovery progress.

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Tone & Style

Ali Greymond’s delivery is hands-on, pragmatic, and supportive. She combines deep clinical insight with practical steps—addressing listeners directly, maintaining a calm and encouraging presence throughout.

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Quick Reference: Important Timestamps

• 00:00: Introduction—Is rumination a compulsion?
• 00:13: Tracking compulsions—physical vs. rumination
• 01:13: Why track rumination by minutes
• 01:36: Active vs. passive rumination
• 02:10: Goal-setting: Reduce rumination, reduce anxiety

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Summary:
This episode clarifies the nature of rumination as a compulsion and provides straightforward techniques for quantifying, tracking, and gradually reducing it as part of OCD recovery. Ali Greymond’s advice gives listeners a concrete daily structure for making real progress.

Transcript

[A]

A common question is, is rumination a compulsion? Technically, yes, rumination is a compulsion. But with clients, we track it into two separate categories. I'll tell you why. Because let's say if client A says, I did one compulsion, and I ask, okay, what was the compulsion? Oh, I looked at the stove a few times before I left the house. Okay, that was, what, seconds through for the entire day? That's the only compulsion that that client did. And the other client will say, oh, I also did one compulsion. And then I asked them what. And they'll be like, I ruminated all day long. One compulsion in both cases, but a completely different situation. So rumination is a compulsion, of course, but you need to track it in very approximate minutes. How many minutes in the last three hours did you ruminate? Practice this with me right now. If I ask you right now, how many minutes in the last three hours did you ruminate? What would you say, approximately? Active rumination, Passive. We know all. All the time. It's there, but actively, how much did you entertain the thoughts? Put that number down in the app. Then next three hours, do the same thing. Next three hours, do the same thing. And then tomorrow, our game is to reduce from today. And you will see that as your rumination drops, your anxiety will also start to drop little by little, day after day, getting better. Emergency session is available. The link is in the description.