110. Empowering OCD Recovery: A Journey of Skill-Building with Mark Freeman

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March 19, 2024 • 27 mins

In our ever-evolving understanding of mental health, we often fixate on finding a cure or a quick fix for conditions like OCD. But what if we reframed our approach to embrace a journey of skill-building instead? This powerful concept lies at the core of Mark's advocacy for individuals living with OCD.

Join us in today’s episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, where we're thrilled to welcome Mark Freeman, a renowned mental fitness coach and author of "You Are Not a Rock." With over 4 million views on his YouTube channel, Mark's empowering approach to mental health is both refreshing and inspiring.

During our conversation, we delve into the concept of OCD recovery, emphasizing skill development over the idea of being "recovered." Mark uses the analogy of learning to swim to illustrate managing life with OCD, highlighting adaptability and setting intentions to stay present amidst intrusive thoughts. We also explore the "uncertainty budget" and the impact of a rapidly changing world on mental health.

Join us for insights into gradual tool adoption and the importance of avoiding instant solutions. Don't miss out!

In This Episode

[00:57] Mark Freeman's YouTube channel
[03:10] Approaching recovery
[05:42] Flexibility in mental health
[07:46] Understanding recovery
[08:51] Tools for managing OCD
[13:30] Sitting with fear
[15:57] Quality time with friends and intrusive thoughts
[16:41] Setting intentions in social situations
[17:35] Cutting out compulsions and fears
[19:37] Starting with the basics
[20:24] Accepting imperfection and practice
[22:14] Adapting to modern-day stress
[23:09] Managing uncertainty budget
[25:08] Gratitude and finding stability

Notable Quotes

[03:57] "What helped me is approaching recovery as more like learning how to swim." -Mark
[17:35]"I want to get good at having conversations with people in choppy water while having angry monsters and intrusive thoughts, and that's what I'm going there to practice." - Mark
[18:37] "I've been teaching my brain all day through all these kind of normal activities that we should control what other people think, so it's natural I'll just want to keep doing that in that situation."- Mark
[25:52]” Everybody, take care of your uncertainty budget; you don't have uncertainty credit cards, you can't go over budget.- Mark

Our Guests

Mark Freeman is a seasoned data strategist likening data management to racing - a vital yet often overlooked component. With a passion for integrating data seamlessly into tech ecosystems, he champions the concept of "shifting data left," advocating for collaboration between data and software engineering teams. Mark's expertise lies in optimizing data flow, ensuring businesses harness their data assets effectively for success.

Resources & Links

Kristina Orlova, LMFT

Mark Freeman