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OCD, it’s really not what you think. This is a podcast about the horrors and hilarities of living with OCD, hosted by author and mental health advocate Penny Moodie and CEO of Stand Up Events, Angie Greene. Both Penny and Angie have lived with OCD for as long as they can remember and they have had enough of the misconceptions about OCD that can cause so much damage. They want to share what it’s really like to live with OCD so that other people feel more understood and less alone. Each week they will speak to an expert or someone with lived experience to delve into the raw and often confronting reality of living with this often debilitating illness. Penny and Angie are on a mission to shine a light on something that is so often shrouded in shame so that everyone can feel less alone. So if you have OCD, or you know someone who has OCD, take a listen! INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/itsnotwhatyouthink_pod

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Check latest episodes from It’s Not What You Think podcast

Cate Gilpin: When OCD creeps into your career

2026/10/25

We know that OCD can affect every part of our lives, and unfortunately our careers can often be in the firing line of this difficult disorder. In this episode, Penny and Angie talk to writer, consultant and mother of two, Cate Gilpin about how OCD has affected her career and how she has finally taken some control back. We talk with Cate about: Being an anxious kid and having obsessions that she wouldn't understand until she was an adult Sexual orientation OCD Experiencing intense feelings of over-responsibility when working in retail Being diagnosed with OCD after having her two kids, and later on with ADHD Chronic imposter syndrome and playing it safe in jobs she was over-qualified for Facing the terror of starting a new, challenging role

Henry Bretz: Finding the funny in OCD

2026/10/18

We’re back with Season 4 of It’s Not What You Think! In this episode, Penny and Angie talk to comedian and radio host, Henry Bretz about his experience with OCD. You might know Henry for going viral for his satirical videos pretending to be Karl Stefanovic (OCD makes him soooo angry). We dive into: An amazing 'Obsession Confession' featuring Scooby Doo Being diagnosed as a young adult Mental compulsions and how debilitating they can be Worrying about worry: when Henry was on holidays and feared he might have depression The fear of OCD ruining key moments in his life What it’s like to have OCD as a comedian Resources: The Joy Thief by Penny Moodie Henry Bretz’s show ‘Karl Stefanovic: Live and Angry’

Group Chat: Has the stigma around OCD actually decreased?

2026/07/26

For the last episode of season 3, Penny and Ange are joined by Alison Cosker. Together they discuss: What’s next for the podcast Why they decided to run an event in Melbourne and what happened when they did Whether they think stigma around mental illness, and OCD in particular, has lessened now that more and more people are talking about it Their favourite lesson or moment from this season Links: Help us record another season!

Nathan Dowling: The Bergen 4 Day Treatment (B4DT)

2026/07/19

There is a real buzz surrounding a treatment method originating in Norway. Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Melbourne Mindcare, Nathan Dowling joins Penny and Angie to talk about this intensive but gentle method, which is now being piloted in Australia. They discuss: What the Bergen 4 Day Treatment (B4DT) method is and how it differs from other methods of treatment The origins of the treatment method in Norway How Nathan and others in Melbourne were trained by the Norwegian specialists Why Nathan and others are so excited about the promising results of the pilot program in Melbourne What the four days look like Some of the initial results of the program What the future of the B4DT looks like in Australia Melbourne Mindcare OCD program at Melbourne Clinic More info about the B4DT

Dr Leila Masson: What parents must know about PANS/PANDAS

2026/07/12

Paediatrician Dr Leila Masson joins Penny and Angie to talk about PANS/PANDAS, a medical condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks brain cells and can lead to sudden, severe symptoms of OCD. Doctors often mistake PANS/PANDAS for other conditions and it can be extremely difficult for parents to get a diagnosis for their kids. Dr Masson, a medical doctor who also specialises in environmental and nutritional health discusses: - Why kids get PANS/PANDAS - what the signs and symptoms are - how it is diagnosed - why it can be so hard to receive a diagnosis - how it can be treated - how to look after your kids’ immune systems to try to avoid conditions like PANS/PANDAS LINKS Dr Masson’s online parents course for PANS/PANDAS Children’s Health A to Z by Dr Leila Masson PANDAS Network Family media plan

Jo Gray: 'Living Proof' that you can get on top of your OCD

2026/07/05

A few years ago, Jo’s OCD was so crippling that she needed to be hospitalised and completed two stints at The Melbourne Clinic. OCD had completely taken over her life in every way. Jo joins Penny and Angie for a beautiful conversation about what she found the most helpful in her recovery and how she ended up turning her pain into a way to help so many others, through her counselling practice called Living Proof Therapy. The Melbourne Clinic OCD Program

Tess Murphy: B(F)RB, pulling my hair out

2026/06/28

Tess very generously talks to Penny and Angie about: when her hair pulling symptoms began her religious upbringing and the intense feelings of shame and perfectionism the various treatments she’s tried in order to stop pulling out her eyelashes accepting how life pans out (regardless of the condition) what she wishes people knew about trich what she'll do if her kids show signs

Gryff Connah: Taboo OCD and saying the quiet parts out loud

2026/06/21

In this episode Penny and Ange are joined by young emerging performer and theatre-maker, Gryff Connah. He talks to them about how intrusive thoughts and compulsions have woven their way throughout his life and how his dad helped him to identify what was really going on. Together they discuss: the early signs of OCD as a young kid the obsessive thoughts intensifying during lockdown when Gryff was a teenager the validation and relief that came with a diagnosis some of the more taboo themes of OCD that are so common but rarely talked about the play ‘Flicker’ that Gryff is involved with producing for the Melbourne fringe festival, which delves into the complex themes of OCD

Group Chat: Parenting with OCD

2026/06/14

Do you find it tough to parent whilst drowning in OCD overwhelm? Well, Penny and Ange do, so they sat down for a candid chat about it. They talk about their own experiences as parents to young kids and read out anonymous comments that listeners sent in describing what parts they find the toughest. They also talk about some of the silver linings and include some practical tips for parents who might be struggling with their mental health. Shownotes: This Way Up: https://thiswayup.org.au/ The Brain Forest https://www.dymocks.com.au/the-brain-forest-by-sandhya-menon-and-kushla-ross-9780646856094

Emily Ferretti: Magical Thinking OCD

2026/06/07

Penny talks to acclaimed contemporary painter, Emily Ferretti about her experience with magical thinking OCD. Em talks so generously about: - Some of her early OCD symptoms that arose when she was at primary school - Seeing a counsellor early on but not receiving the right treatment until she was an adult - Having certain obsessions triggered by specific life moments - How OCD can wax and wane throughout someone's lifetime - Going on medication and finally seeing a psychologist who had experience with treating OCD - The catharsis of group therapy - Becoming a mum who has OCD Shownotes: Up - documentary

Dr Andrea Wallace: All about EMDR

2026/05/24

Alison steps in for Angie today and joins Penny in welcoming back Dr Andrea Wallace to discuss EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). EMDR is an evidence-backed therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (for example side to side eye movements) alongside the recollection of memories to help the brain reprocess memories of events or feelings. Penny and Alison discuss: How the body/mind is wired to heal itself What EMDR is and how it started How and why it can be useful to help treat people with OCD What EMDR sessions might look like How it’s been helpful for Penny How it can help people who might be resistant to trying ERP

Chris Walker: When childhood trauma meets OCD

2026/05/17

Leading Australian TV producer, Chris Walker talks to Penny and Angie about the devastating intersection of OCD and childhood trauma. When Chris was a young kid he witnessed a devastating event which left him and his family reeling. A few years later, Chris experienced OCD symptoms which started to take over his life. In this very raw and honest episode, Chris talks so generously about: The role religion and moral scrupulosity played in his OCD The exhaustion of dealing with OCD at school when it’s so often invisible/hidden The continuing misunderstanding around OCD and mental illness in general Getting treatment for PTSD and ocd and how ERP therapy helped his compulsions Seeing OCD symptoms in one of his children and his optimism for early intervention.

Adelaide Miller: Solving the jigsaw of multiple diagnoses

2026/05/10

Award-winning ABC journalist and independent filmmaker, Adelaide Miller has a lot going on. Over the last five years she's been diagnosed with OCD, an eating disorder, mild tourettes and ADHD. Adelaide talks to Penny and Alison about the symptoms she experienced as a child, the painful and awkward lengths she would go to, to make others feel happy and loved and how she's worked to unpack the different components of her neurodivergence and mental health. We discuss eating disorders in this episode, so if you need help please contact The Butterfly Foundation Show notes: The Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam

We're back..again! An ADHD diagnosis, an OCD slump and a big season ahead.

2026/05/03

Season 3 is here! We're kicking things off with a relaxed catch-up between the girls- chatting about Angie's recent ADHD diagnosis, Penny's honest account of an OCD relapse and Alison's mental gymnastics in the holidays. We also give you a little taste of the incredible guests we have lined up for the season ahead.

Group chat: How OCD affects friendships

2025/11/23

OCD can take so much from people, and a devastating effect of this illness is that it can complicate friendships. In this last episode of season 2, Alison Cosker joins Penny and Ange again to talk about how and why this is the case. They touch on: - How hard it can be to tell friends about an OCD diagnosis - The strain a mental illness, with no end-date can put on friendships - The boundaries that people with mental illness often have to put in place to look after themselves, and how this can be misconstrued - How friends can get entangled in the reassurance web - Trying to take the ego out of friendship where possible They end by giving tips for trying to maintain precious friendships; from the point of views of the person with and without OCD