Podcast Summary: OCD Recovery – “But This OCD Thought Is Different”

Host: Ali Greymond
Date: November 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ali Greymond addresses a common stumbling block for those working on OCD recovery: the belief that a new intrusive thought is unique or somehow different from previous obsessions. Through personal experience and years of coaching, Ali explains why recognizing the repetitive nature of OCD is crucial for recovery and provides practical strategies to break the cycle of rumination and compulsions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Myth of “The Different Thought”

• Core Issue: Many people in OCD recovery are convinced that their current intrusive thought is different and demands special attention.
  • Ali quotes a frequent sentiment:

    “But this OCD thought is different. This OCD thought is unlike any OCD thought I’ve ever had. And I need to solve it immediately.” (00:26)

• Ali’s Response: Every OCD thought feels “urgent” and “different” but this is just another manifestation of the same disorder.
  • “This is not the one. This is the same one as the last one, as the one before that, and as the one that’s coming tomorrow and the next day.” (00:40)

2. OCD Relies on Your Participation

• Behavior Drives OCD:
  • Ali emphasizes,

    “OCD cannot exist without rumination, compulsions, and avoidances. And you are the one who is doing rumination, compulsions, and avoidances.” (01:01)

• Personal Responsibility:
  • Recovery starts with recognizing that OCD’s power comes from one’s own participation.

    “Without you actively participating, OCD cannot exist in you. It can only exist in you with your active participation.” (01:14)

3. Breaking the Cycle

• Recognize and Refuse:
  • By continually telling yourself the thought is not different and refusing to engage, you begin the path to recovery.
    • “This is the time where you stand up for yourself and you say, no, the thought is not different. I will not ruminate.” (01:31)
• Track Rumination:
  • Actively track your rumination and reduce it with the intent of cutting it down little by little.
    • “Hopefully track my rumination and reduce it with an intent of reduction and little by little, get it down, because that’s what I need to do to fix this.” (01:38)

4. Taking Back Control

• OCD Is Not Uncontrollable:
  • “It’s not happening outside of your control. You’re just controlling it in a bad way. But you are the machine that’s driving it.” (01:50)
• Empowerment:
  • Because you’re “driving it,” you can also STOP driving it.

5. Why Consistency Matters More Than Occasional Exposures

• Continuous Awareness:
  • Exposure therapy must be ongoing and consistent throughout daily life, not just once for an hour.
    • “This is why one-off exposures once a day for an hour is not enough. Because all day long you are doing behaviors that feed the disorder.” (02:07)
  • Real-life engagement is necessary:

    “All day long you need to be on top of it for the next little while to not do the behaviors.” (02:14)

6. Practical Benefits of Refusing OCD Behaviors

• Efficiency Gains:
  • Refusing to engage with compulsions and rumination frees up time and energy for productive activities.
    • “It feels like, oh, it’s going to take so much time. No, actually it’s going to save you time because instead of doing rumination and compulsions... You’re actually going to get stuff done.” (02:28)

7. Final Advice & Encouragement

• Make the Choice:
  • “This thought is not different. This is just thought number 1 million and you don’t need to feed it. Choose not to feed it anymore. Starting from here.” (03:24)

Notable Quotes

• “You are the machine that’s driving it.” – Ali Greymond (01:51)
• “Choose not to feed it anymore. Starting from here.” – Ali Greymond (03:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26 – The feeling of a “different” OCD thought
• 01:01 – The role of behavior in OCD
• 01:31 – Standing up to the “different” thought
• 02:07 – Why single exposures aren’t enough
• 02:28 – The benefits of refusing compulsions
• 03:24 – Closing encouragement to stop feeding OCD

Tone and Approach

Ali’s tone is direct, compassionate, and empowering. She offers practical strategies rooted in her own experience and coaching wisdom, always reminding listeners that recovery is both possible and within their control.

Summary:
This episode breaks down the illusion of the “different” OCD thought and firmly establishes that recovery comes from systematically refusing to engage with OCD’s demands. Ali motivates listeners to reclaim agency over their minds with practical tracking and reduction of OCD behaviors, offering encouragement that every thought—no matter how compelling—fits the same pattern and can be overcome through consistent, conscious effort.