Your Brain Is Lying to You: Jon Hershfield on Escaping OCD’s Grip & Getting Your Life Back

2025-12-31

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Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air!Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawnWhat if the thoughts that torment you don’t have to define you anymore?In this eye-opening episode of The Big Silence, Karena sits down with Jon Hershfield, MFT, director of the Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt. From his own lived experience with OCD to becoming a leading voice in evidence-based treatment, Jon unpacks what OCD really is, looking beyond the stereotypes. He s...

Have a message for Karena? She'd love to hear from you and share your comment or question on air!

Leave Karena a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/KarenaDawn

What if the thoughts that torment you don’t have to define you anymore?

In this eye-opening episode of The Big Silence, Karena sits down with Jon Hershfield, MFT, director of the Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt. From his own lived experience with OCD to becoming a leading voice in evidence-based treatment, Jon unpacks what OCD really is, looking beyond the stereotypes. He shares how obsessions and compulsions hijack your life, why diagnosis matters, and how exposure therapy and mindfulness can help you reclaim control. Whether you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, supporting someone with OCD, or just want to understand this widely misunderstood condition, Jon's wisdom offers clarity, hope, and a roadmap forward.

How do you distinguish between quirky habits and a diagnosable condition, and what does true healing look like?

Understanding the difference between personality and pathology is the first step toward compassionate, effective treatment.

(00:00) From Lived Experience to Leading Expert

Jon's 20-year battle with OCD
Finding community in online support groups
Why he decided to pursue a career helping others with OCD
The power of treating the whole person, not just compartmentalized diagnoses

(08:00) What OCD Really Is: Beyond the Stereotype

Breaking down the difference between being "quirky" and having a disorder
Obsessions: unwanted intrusive thoughts that violate your values
Compulsions: ineffective strategies to relieve distress from obsessions
The "psychic damage" of mental rituals: ruminating, analyzing, and seeking certainty
Recognizing when the "D" (disorder) part matters

(16:00) Diagnosis, Identity & the Modern Mental Health Landscape

Navigating multiple diagnoses in a world of one-hour evaluations
The danger of letting diagnoses become your identity
How OCD can coexist with other conditions like autism, ADHD, and personality disorders
Why specialization matters when seeking OCD treatment

(25:00) ERP, Mindfulness & Doing the Work

Why Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold standard for OCD treatment
How mindfulness helps you observe thoughts without attaching to them
The importance of homework in therapy
Facing your fears until your brain realizes you can survive the uncertainty
Meditation and being present with discomfort

(33:00) Finding Help, Resources & What Brings Joy

Where to start if you think you might have OCD
Why working with an OCD specialist is crucial for effective treatment
Jon's upcoming book: Being a Parent with OCD (2026)
The privilege of helping people expand their world when OCD has made it small

Reconnect with yourself and your community: We start the New Year, New TI-YOU Challenge January 5th in the Tone It Up App. Just download the Tone It Up App at ToneItUp.com/app and we will see you January 5th!

Episode Resources