OCD Recovery Podcast: “OCD Thought Feels Like A Statement”

Host: Ali Greymond
Date: December 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ali Greymond delves into a common and often misunderstood experience for people with OCD: when intrusive thoughts feel less like “what ifs” and more like firm, affirmative statements. Drawing from her extensive personal and professional experience, Ali offers practical tools for handling these thoughts, emphasizing the universality of this symptom across all OCD themes. The episode is rich in reassurance and actionable advice, delivered in Greymond’s direct and compassionate tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Affirmative OCD Thoughts Are Normal

• Description: Ali clarifies that many OCD sufferers experience thoughts not as doubts or questions, but as statements that feel extremely real and convincing.
  • Quote:
    “Today I wanted to talk to you about what to do if OCD thoughts come in not as a what if thought, not as a question, but as a statement. It feels like a fact, it feels affirmative rather than a question. You have to understand that that's very, very common. I would say maybe more than 75%, more than 80% feel this way.”
    (00:15)

2. OCD’s Goal is the Same—Regardless of Presentation

• Description: Whether a thought comes as a question, a feeling, a statement, or even in dreams, the purpose is always to prompt rumination or compulsions.

  • Quote:
    “It doesn't matter how it comes in—as a thought, as a question, as a sensation... It's all okay. Just choose to disregard.”
    (03:54)

• These thoughts may come with physical sensations, emotions, or urges, making it feel more real, but those variations are still OCD content.

3. Content Doesn’t Matter—Process Does

• Description: Focusing on the specific nature or ‘content’ of the intrusive thought leads to an endless loop. OCD can easily swap one obsession for another if you engage with the content.

  • Quote:
    “You need to view that no matter what OCD sends, no matter how it sends it... It doesn't matter. However it sends it. It's OCD, it's content. I am choosing not to react.”
    (02:22)

• Whack-a-mole analogy:
  If you deal with one theme but stay vigilant for others, you’ll be stuck in a never-ending cycle.

4. The Power of Tracking and Reducing Compulsions (The Greymond Method)

• Description: Ali emphasizes the importance of tracking rumination and compulsive behaviors, advocating incremental reduction until reaching zero.

  • Quote:
    “If you track, if you reduce and continue to reduce every day until you get to zero... you also apply this to your daily life where you're not overreacting, overthinking. Now you are secure, now it won't come back.”
    (03:38)

• Small Amounts Matter:
  Even if you’re ruminating only briefly each day, it keeps the cycle alive and the OCD “on life support.”

5. Disregarding Thoughts is Never Wrong

• Description: Ali reassures listeners that choosing not to react and not to engage with OCD thoughts is always the right approach.

  • Quote:
    “You will never be in a situation where you're like ‘I disregarded and it all fell apart.’ No, you will disregard. It will feel bad... As long as you don't feed this.”
    (04:37)

• The Anxiety Curve:
  Ali explains the anxiety curve—initial distress will peak, but if you don’t give in, it decreases over time.

• “Set yourself up for success” by refusing to do compulsions and resisting urges to seek reassurance, research, or analyze.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the futility of chasing content:
  “Your brain can switch that content on a dime to something else. And if you don't start approaching OCD recovery from a position of 'it's all content, it doesn't matter,' you're gonna continue to go around and around forever. It becomes a whack, a mole situation.” (01:45)

• On progress measurement:
  “A lot of the times people will say, oh, I don't really need to track, I'm just refusing. But the problem with that is you will not be able to know at the end of the day if you've done better than the previous day or previous week—or worse, especially when the numbers are low.” (02:06)

• On relapse risk:
  “Whenever there's a stressful life situation, whenever something happens, it comes back up because they've never really finished the journey.” (03:17)

• Ultimate encouragement:
  “I promise you this works step by step. I believe in you.” (05:02)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 00:00–00:32 | Introduction; what it means when OCD thoughts feel like statements
• 00:33–01:31 | The variety in OCD thought presentation; the ultimate goal is to provoke compulsions
• 01:32–03:18 | The irrelevance of content; the danger of “whack-a-mole” recovery and the crucial need to disregard all thoughts the same way
• 03:19–04:22 | The Greymond Method: tracking, reducing, and ultimate freedom; why every minute of rumination matters for long-term results
• 04:23–05:01 | The anxiety curve, importance of resolving to disregard, and empathic encouragement

Summary

This concise, powerful episode addresses a pressing and widely misunderstood OCD symptom: intrusive thoughts that feel like firm statements instead of doubts. Ali demystifies this experience, offers practical strategies (e.g., consistent tracking and disregarding all intrusive content), and delivers reassurance rooted in deep expertise and compassion. Her message is clear: no matter how real an intrusive thought feels, recovery is possible if you treat all intrusive content the same way—by consistently choosing not to react.

For more resources or to work with Ali, visit youhaveocd.com.

(This summary omits advertising, intro/outro, and non-content material in line with user’s request.)