Skip to content

How to help a loved one with OCD

June 29, 2025 · 50 min

Show notes

Hugh Van Cuylenburg has lived and loved someone with OCD for over 10 years. And that person happens to be co-host Penny Moodie. Penny and Angie talk to Hugh about why he thinks he’s still not great at always knowing what to do, why humour helps and why sometimes your instincts to help can fuel the OCD. They end the episode by offering their top tips on how to support someone you love who has this complex disorder.

Our top 6 tips:

1. Learn as much as you can about OCD

2. Practice patience

3. Try to foster a loving and non-judgemental environment

4. Expect relapses

5. Try to see your loved one's psychologist together

6. Try to plan ahead and agree what you will do together when the OCD flares up

The Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam

Othership app

All episodes of It’s Not What You Think

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.