logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2021
28m 44s

OCD, the kitchen, and me

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Hot stoves, perishable food, and potentially dirty surfaces can make the kitchen a difficult place for someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

People with OCD will frequently experience unwanted thoughts, images or urges - which may include worries about contamination or harming themselves and others. They will often use repetitive behaviours to relieve their anxiety - including washing and cleaning, or repeatedly checking their actions. All this means that both cooking and eating food prepared by others can become very distressing.

In this episode, Emily Thomas meets three people who have suffered from the disorder. They explain how debilitating the condition can be by describing just one aspect of daily life - the way they eat.

Contributors: Chrissie Fadipe, Shai Friedland, Patricia Grisafi

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this programme, please see the related links section at the bottom of this page.

Up next
Jul 9
Protein v fibre
Protein is a health and fitness buzzword – plastered on packaging, prioritised in diets and praised by fitness influencers. But is our preoccupation with protein overshadowing another nutritional essential – fibre? Ruth Alexander explores the science, and marketing, behind protei ... Show More
26m 29s
Jul 2
Video game food
It can be the difference between life and death for your character, signal you’re on a hostile planet or in a sumptuous world, or can even give you the whole basis for a game. In this week’s Food Chain we hear where the ideas for some of the most disgusting and delicious foods in ... Show More
26m 29s
Jun 25
The story of your plate
What can we tell about a society from the plates, bowls and cups it uses? In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about the history of pottery, from early earthenware to the porcelain discovered by ancient China, known as ‘white gold’. Professor of archaeology, Joanita Vroom from ... Show More
26m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Understanding More About the Psychology of Eating Disorders
People that develop eating disorders tend to be sensitive souls, who feel their feelings very deeply. Ultimately this is a super-power and means that individuals are hugely empathetic, kind and compassionate beings. But it also means that the world can feel overwhelming and trick ... Show More
16m 36s
Jul 2020
Food and Mood: how eating affects your mental health
One silver lining of lockdown is that it has brought talk of mental health, particularly depression, into the general conversation. And what is becoming increasingly evident is the role that food has in warding off depression and anxiety.Professor Felice Jacka is the leading expe ... Show More
28m 44s
Jun 2024
My Struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Breht opens up about his lifelong struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the hopes that it might help others. He discusses developing contamination OCD as a child after a traumatic event, reflects on how his OCD has morphed over the years and taken on different forms, and ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 2023
OCD Isn’t What We Think It Is
We’ve all seen depictions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in pop culture: characters like Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” or Detective Adrian Monk from “Monk.” Their compulsions are portrayed as annoying, but ultimately it just makes people with OCD appear quirky ... Show More
25m 11s
Nov 2023
OCD myths and realities, with Dean McKay, PhD, and Uma Chatterjee
Have you heard people say, “I’m so OCD”? There are a lot of myths around obsessive compulsive disorder. In reality, it’s a multi-faceted mental health disorder that seriously affects people’s lives – but is also treatable with evidence-based therapies. Psychologist Dean McKay, Ph ... Show More
49m 35s
Nov 2021
The Psychology of Eating Disorders - Exploring What‘s Underneath
As a therapist, I love supporting clients to explore their story and to make sense of their eating disorder. It's not always an easy job, as eating disorders are complicated and there is no one cause.  It can feel as if they are all about food, however, they are a complex interpl ... Show More
23m 2s
Aug 2021
Living With Relationship OCD
Everyone has intrusive thoughts. But if you live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Well, it becomes something much more extreme. You get stuck on your thoughts, and you can’t move past them. And you play those thoughts on a loop, like a broken record. You’ve probably heard abou ... Show More
46m 29s
May 2024
Having OCD
(Video podcast available on Spotify & YouTube) In this episode, Madeline opens up about her experience with OCD and how it has affected her life. Bursting myths and sharing personal stories, she shines a light on the realities beyond repetitive behaviors. Dive into her journey th ... Show More
53m 31s
Mar 2024
OCD- A Journey Of Struggles, Complexities & Victories
Book your free session directly, visit: www.robertjamescoaching.com   Want to support the podcast in return for exclusive content and more access to me? Check out my Patreon tiers, any help is much appreciated :) www.patreon.com/user?u=88044382 In  episode 374 of the The OCD and ... Show More
20m 38s
Mar 2022
206: Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors – Jessica Setnick
Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating & Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors When you hear the words “eating disorder” most people get an image in their mind of what that means and what that “looks” like. Unfortunately, that can lead to many missed opportunities to help people. If we use ... Show More
1 h