Exploring Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Treatments and Impact - A conversation with Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD

This episode focuses on all things "OCD". Join Tony and Jen as the speak with one of the leading experts in the field, Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD, to navigate the often misunderstood world of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, specializing in severe anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and trauma/PTSD. At McLean Hospital, Dr. Van Kirk is the director of psychological services at the OCD Institute. He is a member of the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Committee and Interdisciplinary Recovery Oriented Practice Committee, and also serves as the site facilitator for McLean’s Schwartz Rounds Committee.

Dr. Van Kirk’s clinical research focuses on the role of motivation across treatment and the impact of trauma on treatment outcomes, and on promoting innovative methods to assess and conceptualize recovery.

Additionally, he is involved in efforts to reduce mental health stigma (such as participating in McLean Hospital’s Deconstructing Stigma campaign), emphasizing the importance of bridging the gap between therapists, researchers, and those with mental health challenges, including individuals who work in the mental health field.

Key notes from this episode:

• OCD can manifest in various ways and is often misunderstood

• Living with OCD requires learning to tolerate uncertainty and resisting the urge to engage in rituals

• Early identification and intervention can help manage OCD symptoms and improve quality of life

• OCD is characterized by intrusive, unwanted, repetitive, and distressing thoughts, images, feelings, urges, or impulses.

• Compulsions or rituals are repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at neutralizing fear or distress.

• OCD can manifest in various ways, including contamination concerns, fear of harm, unacceptable taboo thoughts, and perfectionism.

• The brain science behind OCD involves hyperactivity in the frontal lobe and the orbital frontal cortex, leading to constant "what-if" scenarios and difficulty in completing tasks.

• Treatment for OCD includes medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and behavioral therapy, specifically exposure response prevention (ERP).

Learn more about Dr. Van Kirk, by visiting his website, here.

To learn more about OCD, visit the OCD Institutes page, here.