Anxiety Disorders and Sneaky Compulsions (Episode 151)

About this episode

This episode explores sneaky compulsions associated with anxiety and OCD, highlighting how they often serve as avoidance mechanisms.

Want to talk about what you heard here? We're hanging out in the Disordered community space: https://disordered.fm/community --- This episode of Disordered dives into the concept of sneaky compulsions. Many people struggling with anxiety or OCD often find themselves performing behaviors that they do not immediately recognize as compulsions. These can look like productive research, seeking reassurance through a joke, or even "checking" to see if you still feel calm. Drew and Josh discuss how these behaviors are often avoidance or escape mechanisms in disguise. Whether it is asking a therapist if you are the worst case they have ever seen or using AI to obsess over a body sensation, these actions are designed to provide short term relief while keeping you stuck in the anxiety cycle. Key topics covered in this episode: * Why we mask compulsions as personality traits or curiosity. * The "reassurance seeker's workaround" of projecting issues onto others. * How gathering more information can actually be a form of avoidance. * Real life examples from the community about catching sneaky compulsions in the moment. * The importance of psychological flexibility and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Josh Fletcher, Drew Linsalata

Topics covered

• anxiety disorders
• compulsions
• OCD
• avoidance mechanisms
• psychological flexibility
• health anxiety

Keywords

• anxiety
• OCD
• compulsions
• avoidance
• reassurance seeking
• psychological flexibility
• health anxiety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disordered

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• Is Distraction a Compulsion In Anxiety Recovery? (Episode 157) · May 29, 2026 · 40 min
• Asking For Anxiety Help (Episode 156) · May 22, 2026 · 39 min
• Taboo OCD Themes (Episode 155) · May 15, 2026 · 47 min
• Anxiety Recovery: When You're Trying To "Win" (Episode 154) · May 1, 2026 · 42 min