100. The Intersection of OCD and Spirituality with Lucy Grantz

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October 31, 2023 • 27 mins

Think about this: have you ever tried to find peace and meaning through your spiritual practices, like meditation or prayer, only to have nagging, bothersome thoughts and habits that just won't leave you alone? This is the intersection of OCD and spirituality, and it's a complex place where your quest for spiritual connection and the constant demands of OCD come together.

In today’s episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, I’m joined by Lucy Grantz. Lucy is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in therapy for teens and adults struggling with OCD.

During our conversation, we discussed the intersection of OCD and spirituality. We share personal experiences of how spiritual practices can become compulsions for individuals with OCD, such as over-reliance on tarot card readings or healers. We emphasize the importance of distinguishing between engaging in spiritual practices for connection and joy versus using them as compulsions to alleviate anxiety. Our conversation also touches on the rigidity of OCD and the need for grounding.

In This Episode

[01:17] The relationship between OCD and spiritual practices
[04:09] Compulsive behaviors related to tarot cards and astrology
[07:09] The impact of OCD on manifestation and law of attraction
[08:03] How spiritual practices can become compulsions for individuals with OCD
[08:57] How OCD can affect the practice of meditation
[09:46] Thoughts as manifestations
[17:29] Recognizing the pattern of OCD
[21:11] Finding flexibility in spiritual practices
[22:43] Compulsions and over-reliance on spiritual practices
[23:38] Compulsive over-processing and fixation on the problem
[24:11] Finding a balance between helpful practices and compulsions

Notable Quotes

[03:11] “I don't want to make it sound like anything I think is bad about any of these spiritual practices, but when OCD latches on, it can start to be compulsive, and that's what we want to avoid, but that's what happened to me for a long time trying to solve my own OCD before I knew I had OCD.” - Lucy
[18:54] “With the law of attraction, that whole thing was like, well, I'm not manifesting what I want. So what's wrong with how I'm thinking about it? Or like I have this one bad thought and what will that mean for what I manifest?” - Lucy
[24:53] “I think it's not black and white, you know. I think with this whole thing we're trying to get back to that life is gray. OCD wants it to be one or the other but there are no rights and wrongs. Everything can be helpful and it's about us finding our own path and who we really are and our own grounding versus being in a compulsion.” - Lucy

Our Guest

Lucy Grantz is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Minnesota, specializing in helping teens and adults overcome Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety. Drawing from her own experience with OCD, she is dedicated to supporting others through their struggles. Lucy specializes in mental compulsions, using Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and collaborates with renowned expert Frederick Aardema. Her background in Buddhism and mindfulness adds a unique dimension to her therapy, and she is well-versed in Exposure and Response Prevention as well as rumination-focused CBT.

Resources & Links

Kristina Orlova, LMFT

Lucy Grantz

**Disclaimer**

Please note, while our host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.<

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