🧠 Full OCD Recovery - The Maybe, Maybe Not Technique In OCD

Summary

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Podcast Summary: OCD Recovery with Ali Greymond

Episode: 🧠 Full OCD Recovery - The Maybe, Maybe Not Technique In OCD
Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Ali Greymond

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Ali Greymond breaks down the "Maybe, Maybe Not" technique often used in OCD recovery, particularly its shortcomings for people experiencing intense anxiety. Drawing from her extensive experience, she proposes a more effective mindset rooted in recognizing patterns and making empowered choices—focusing on real change rather than surface-level acceptance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The "Maybe, Maybe Not" Technique: Limitations

• Difficulty in High Anxiety:

  • Ali immediately points out how, at peak anxiety (level 10), it is nearly impossible for someone to calmly say, "maybe, maybe not" regarding distressing obsessions.

    "The reason why I don't like the maybe, maybe not technique is because a lot of the times the person, when they're level 10 anxiety, cannot simply say maybe, maybe not." (00:00)

• Examples of Extreme OCD Thoughts:

  • She references typical obsessive thoughts that are deeply unsettling:
    • "Maybe, maybe not. I killed someone and forgot."
    • "Maybe, maybe not. I have an incurable disease and I'm not gonna do a cancer screening because maybe, maybe not."
  • These highlight the implausibility of simply "sitting with uncertainty" at extreme anxiety levels.

A Pattern-Recognition Approach to OCD Thoughts

• Re-framing the Obsessive Thought:

  • Instead of debating the content, Ali recommends labeling the thought as another recurring OCD moment:

    "This is thought number one million. Why is this thought number one million? Because I’ve had this before in various forms." (00:26)

• Understanding OCD's Mechanisms:

  • OCD typically provokes a compulsion—be it reassurance-seeking, checking, confessing, or another behavior:

    "It gives me the push to do reassurance, which OCD always works like this. It pushes you to do some sort of an action..." (00:38)

Disregarding Compulsions and Taking Practical Steps

• Finding a "Leaning Stick":

  • Ali encourages listeners to rely on the knowledge that the thought fits their past OCD patterns, using this as a "leaning stick" to disregard rather than engage.

    "So that just gives you a little tiny bit of a leaning stick to say, you know, I can lean on this and then I disregard." (00:46)

• No Need to Accept Uncertainty or Worst-Case:

  • Recovery isn't about forcefully accepting the worst-case or endlessly sitting with "maybe":

    "You don't need to accept, worst case scenario, you don't need to say maybe, maybe not. You need to say, this is like all my other OCD thoughts." (00:55)

• Drawing on Bravery to Resist OCD Habits:

  • She reaffirms the need for inner strength to break the pattern:

    "I gotta find the bravery and the inner strength to make the choice to step over this without checking, without figuring it out and move forward. That’s the correct, that’s a real way." (01:00)

Critique of the "Maybe, Maybe Not" Technique

• Why It's Insufficient:

  • Ali describes the technique as "shallow"—helpful for some, but not substantial when anxiety is overwhelming.

    "Maybe, maybe not. It's a shallow surface-level technique where a person with OCD a lot of the times at level 10 out of 10 anxiety, simply cannot say that." (01:11)

• Alternative: Choice Over Compulsion

  • What helps: the resolve to not perform the compulsion—or at least delay it.

    "...I'm going to make the choice to not do the behavior that I did last time that got me even deeper in. Or at least maybe they'll say I'm delaying the choice to do the behavior—that’s more realistic." (01:19)

Wrap-Up and Personal Note

• Ali notes that this approach is her professional opinion:

  "...maybe, maybe not. You may agree with it, you may not, but that’s my opinion." (01:31)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This is thought number one million. Why is this thought number one million? Because I’ve had this before in various forms." (00:26)
• "It gives me the push to do reassurance, which OCD always works like this. It pushes you to do some sort of an action..." (00:38)
• "You don't need to accept, worst-case scenario, you don't need to say maybe, maybe not. You need to say, this is like all my other OCD thoughts." (00:55)
• "That’s the correct, that's a real way... not checking, without figuring it out and move forward." (01:00)
• "Maybe, maybe not. It's a shallow surface-level technique..." (01:11)
• "...I'm going to make the choice to not do the behavior that I did last time that got me even deeper in." (01:19)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Critique of the “Maybe, Maybe Not” Technique
• 00:26 – Pattern-recognition approach to intrusive thoughts
• 00:38 – How OCD compulsion mechanisms work
• 00:46 – Using the “leaning stick” of experience
• 00:55 – Rejecting the necessity to accept uncertainty
• 01:00 – The importance of choice and inner bravery
• 01:11 – "Maybe, Maybe Not" as a shallow technique
• 01:19 – Realistic, practical approach: choosing not to perform compulsions

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Summary Takeaway

Ali Greymond offers an alternative to the "maybe, maybe not" approach, arguing that true OCD recovery hinges not on passive acceptance of uncertainty but on active recognition of patterns and the courageous choice to break compulsive cycles.
Her insight emphasizes self-compassion, realism, and the power of daily decisions—providing a practical, empathetic route forward for OCD sufferers at all anxiety levels.

Transcript

[A]

The reason why I don't like the maybe, maybe not technique is because a lot of the times the person, when they're level 10 anxiety, cannot simply say maybe, maybe not. I killed someone and forgot. Okay. I'm okay living in the maybe, maybe not or maybe maybe not. I have an incurable disease and I'm not gonna do a cancer screening because maybe, maybe not. Like, it's very, very difficult to do that. Instead, what you should be doing is to say, this is thought number one million. Why is this a thought number one million? Because I've had this before in various forms. It gives me the push to do reassurance, which OCD always works like this. It pushes you to do some sort of an action, a checking, asking for reassurance, confessing, whatever behavior. So it follows in line with my usual ocd, with my usual patterns, and based on that, I'm going to choose to disregard. So that just gives you just a little tiny bit of a leaning stick to say, you know, I can lean on this and then I disregard. You don't need to accept, worst case scenario, you don't need to say maybe, maybe not. You need to say, this is like all my other OCD thoughts. Other people experience the same thing. I gotta find the bravery and the inner strength to make the choice to step over this without checking, without figuring it out and move forward. That's the correct, that's a real way saying maybe, maybe not. It's like it's a shallow surface level technique where a person with OCD a lot of the times at level 10 out of 10 anxiety, same, simply cannot say that. But they might be able to say, I'm going to make the choice. I'm going to make the choice to not do the behavior that I did last time that got me even deeper in. Or at least maybe they'll say I'm delaying the choice to do the behavior that's more realistic. So that's just my opinion. And maybe, maybe not. You may agree with it, you may not, but that's my opinion. Emergency session is available. The link is in the description.