60 acast.com <![CDATA[Drinking Tea with Monsters: OCD, Mental Health, Pop Culture & Ghost Stories]]> https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters en Leela Dua ghosts,haunting,hauntings,spooky,monsters,storytelling,pop culture,trends,culture,celebrity,ocd,anxiety,mental health,neurodivergent Leela Dua The podcasts about OCD and other, less scary monsters OCD is exhausting, isolating, and wildly misunderstood, so we made a podcast about it.


Drinking Tea with Monsters is a weekly mental health podcast hosted by sisters Leela and Pri. Every episode, we get honest about what it actually feels like to live with OCD and anxiety: the intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the ERP therapy wins, and the really hard days.


But because OCD is heavy, we balance it with two other things we love: pop culture obsessions — books, TV binges, viral trends, celebrity deep-dives — and a true ghost story or paranormal tale to close every episode. Because nothing quiets an anxious brain like a good scare.


If you have OCD, love someone who does, or you've ever Googled 'is this OCD or am I just anxious?' at 2am, this show is for you.


New episodes every Wednesday.


Topics we cover: OCD subtypes, intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, OCPD, dissociation, OCD in children, religious scrupulosity, relationship OCD (ROCD), contamination OCD, harm OCD, magical thinking OCD, postpartum OCD, anxiety management, the gut-brain connection, neurodivergence, ADHD, and how to find the right therapist — plus ghost stories, pop-culture, trends, celeb gossip, conspiracy theories, Broadway, book clubs, and very strong opinions about TV.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD is exhausting, isolating, and wildly misunderstood, so we made a podcast about it.


Drinking Tea with Monsters is a weekly mental health podcast hosted by sisters Leela and Pri. Every episode, we get honest about what it actually feels like to live with OCD and anxiety: the intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the ERP therapy wins, and the really hard days.


But because OCD is heavy, we balance it with two other things we love: pop culture obsessions — books, TV binges, viral trends, celebrity deep-dives — and a true ghost story or paranormal tale to close every episode. Because nothing quiets an anxious brain like a good scare.


If you have OCD, love someone who does, or you've ever Googled 'is this OCD or am I just anxious?' at 2am, this show is for you.


New episodes every Wednesday.


Topics we cover: OCD subtypes, intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, OCPD, dissociation, OCD in children, religious scrupulosity, relationship OCD (ROCD), contamination OCD, harm OCD, magical thinking OCD, postpartum OCD, anxiety management, the gut-brain connection, neurodivergence, ADHD, and how to find the right therapist — plus ghost stories, pop-culture, trends, celeb gossip, conspiracy theories, Broadway, book clubs, and very strong opinions about TV.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> true Leela Dua info+680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb@mg-eu.acast.com 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb drinking-tea-with-monsters episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb/1753868675223-7a7b3f6d-ac39-401b-a959-0c393d8b664e.jpeg https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters <![CDATA[Drinking Tea with Monsters: OCD, Mental Health, Pop Culture & Ghost Stories]]> <![CDATA[Optimization OCD: When Efficiency Becomes the Obsession + Ghana's World Cup Curse on Harry Kane & the Lost Bagpiper of Edinburgh Castle]]> Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:53:22 GMT 54:04 6a4e10024d6f6e9e988d1229 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/optimization-ocd-when-efficiency-becomes-the-obsession-ghana 6a4e10024d6f6e9e988d1229 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb optimization-ocd-when-efficiency-becomes-the-obsession-ghana full 43 What if trying to manage your life more efficiently is actually the problem?


This week, Leela and Pri dive into optimization OCD, the subtype that hides in plain sight because it looks, from the outside, like just being very organized. The relentless need to do everything perfectly and efficiently, the hours lost researching the "best" way to complete an ordinary task, the paralysis when a system breaks down. If productivity has ever felt less like a tool and more like a trap, this one's for you.


Plus: a brief check-in on July resolutions. Because why should January get all the credit?


And we're completely obsessed with the Ghanaian spiritualist who publicly cursed Harry Kane before England's 2026 World Cup clash with Ghana. Did it work? Is Harry Kane going to be ok? Can England win another match? And what about the other Harrys — Styles, Prince, and more?


And to close: beneath the Royal Mile, there are tunnels. Centuries ago, a bagpiper was sent into the darkness playing his bagpipes so those above ground could follow where they led. Somewhere under the city, the music stopped.


Pour your tea, optimize nothing, and listen carefully for music in the walls. ☕


OCD

Optimization OCD (The Anxiety Resource Center) 


Horror TV Recos

Widows Bay (Apple TV)

The Boroughs (Netflix)

I Will Find You (Netflix)

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What if trying to manage your life more efficiently is actually the problem?


This week, Leela and Pri dive into optimization OCD, the subtype that hides in plain sight because it looks, from the outside, like just being very organized. The relentless need to do everything perfectly and efficiently, the hours lost researching the "best" way to complete an ordinary task, the paralysis when a system breaks down. If productivity has ever felt less like a tool and more like a trap, this one's for you.


Plus: a brief check-in on July resolutions. Because why should January get all the credit?


And we're completely obsessed with the Ghanaian spiritualist who publicly cursed Harry Kane before England's 2026 World Cup clash with Ghana. Did it work? Is Harry Kane going to be ok? Can England win another match? And what about the other Harrys — Styles, Prince, and more?


And to close: beneath the Royal Mile, there are tunnels. Centuries ago, a bagpiper was sent into the darkness playing his bagpipes so those above ground could follow where they led. Somewhere under the city, the music stopped.


Pour your tea, optimize nothing, and listen carefully for music in the walls. ☕


OCD

Optimization OCD (The Anxiety Resource Center) 


Horror TV Recos

Widows Bay (Apple TV)

The Boroughs (Netflix)

I Will Find You (Netflix)

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Mental Health Self-Advocacy as a Patient: How to Get the Help You Actually Need + Libraries, Office Romance & the Haunting of Windy Gates]]> Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT 1:02:11 6a44568a6a72c54c8d2b9210 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/self-advocacy-as-a-patient-how-to-get-the-help-you-actually 6a44568a6a72c54c8d2b9210 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb self-advocacy-as-a-patient-how-to-get-the-help-you-actually full 42 Do you know how to advocate for yourself as a patient? Most of us were never taught.


This week, Leela and Pri get into one of the most underrated skills in managing your mental and physical health: knowing how to advocate for yourself in a medical setting. How do you get doctors to actually listen? What do you say when you feel dismissed? How do you walk into an appointment knowing what you need and leave with more than a shrug? A practical, honest conversation with a mental health angle.


But first: libraries. Leela and Pri make the case for why libraries might be the most underrated, most quietly radical institutions we have, and why everyone should be using them more.


Then: Office Romance, the new Brett Goldstein and JLo film, gets the full review treatment. Does it deliver? (We have feelings.)


And to close: the haunting story of Windy Gates in Martha's Vineyard, a place where the wind apparently isn't the only thing that doesn't want to let you go.


So pour your tea, check out a book, and maybe call your doctor. ☕

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Do you know how to advocate for yourself as a patient? Most of us were never taught.


This week, Leela and Pri get into one of the most underrated skills in managing your mental and physical health: knowing how to advocate for yourself in a medical setting. How do you get doctors to actually listen? What do you say when you feel dismissed? How do you walk into an appointment knowing what you need and leave with more than a shrug? A practical, honest conversation with a mental health angle.


But first: libraries. Leela and Pri make the case for why libraries might be the most underrated, most quietly radical institutions we have, and why everyone should be using them more.


Then: Office Romance, the new Brett Goldstein and JLo film, gets the full review treatment. Does it deliver? (We have feelings.)


And to close: the haunting story of Windy Gates in Martha's Vineyard, a place where the wind apparently isn't the only thing that doesn't want to let you go.


So pour your tea, check out a book, and maybe call your doctor. ☕

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Is Accepting OCD the Answer? + Tarot and Mental Health & the Curse of Draga di Lovrana]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMT 58:46 6a346017db494ef85c5ed3f6 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/its-not-me-its-the-ocd-leela-takes-a-tarot-class-and-pri-sca 6a346017db494ef85c5ed3f6 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb its-not-me-its-the-ocd-leela-takes-a-tarot-class-and-pri-sca full 41 Is accepting OCD the answer? It might be the bravest thing you can do!


This week, Leela and Pri get into acceptance. What does it actually mean to accept living with OCD and other mental health conditions? Why is acceptance so often given a negative spin and classified as giving up or "just dealing with it,"? We deep dive into whether genuine acceptance can actually be one of the most powerful tools in the entire recovery toolkit.


But first: tarot! Is it spiritual practice, superstition, or something that edges too close to OCD territory? Leela and Pri pull back the curtain on what draws people to tarot, what it can offer, and where the line gets blurry.


And to close: a haunting trip to the Croatian coast and Draga di Lovrana, a clifftop hotel above the Bay of Kvarner with a curse baked into its foundation. Built in 1908, burned down in an alleged insurance scheme in 1923, and seemingly cursed ever since, owners who bought the ruins kept dying of sudden illness, one after another, as if the house itself were choosing who got to stay. Some locals say there's an even older, darker history beneath it. We'll let you decide.


So, pour your tea, pull your cards, and accept the fate of spending the next hour catching up with us, and of course the monsters!It’s not me, it’s the OCD


We're Totally Obsessed with

The Sheep Detectives

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Dark whimsical tarot deck

Rider Waite tarot deck

Coraline

Devon and Blakely

Beware (Winnie the Pooh)


OCD

IOCDF

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Is accepting OCD the answer? It might be the bravest thing you can do!


This week, Leela and Pri get into acceptance. What does it actually mean to accept living with OCD and other mental health conditions? Why is acceptance so often given a negative spin and classified as giving up or "just dealing with it,"? We deep dive into whether genuine acceptance can actually be one of the most powerful tools in the entire recovery toolkit.


But first: tarot! Is it spiritual practice, superstition, or something that edges too close to OCD territory? Leela and Pri pull back the curtain on what draws people to tarot, what it can offer, and where the line gets blurry.


And to close: a haunting trip to the Croatian coast and Draga di Lovrana, a clifftop hotel above the Bay of Kvarner with a curse baked into its foundation. Built in 1908, burned down in an alleged insurance scheme in 1923, and seemingly cursed ever since, owners who bought the ruins kept dying of sudden illness, one after another, as if the house itself were choosing who got to stay. Some locals say there's an even older, darker history beneath it. We'll let you decide.


So, pour your tea, pull your cards, and accept the fate of spending the next hour catching up with us, and of course the monsters!It’s not me, it’s the OCD


We're Totally Obsessed with

The Sheep Detectives

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Dark whimsical tarot deck

Rider Waite tarot deck

Coraline

Devon and Blakely

Beware (Winnie the Pooh)


OCD

IOCDF

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD: Supporting a loved one + Brett Goldstein's Office Romance & the Belcourt Castle haunting]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:53:00 GMT 1:21:50 6a32080b60728bbcda283912 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ocd-triggers-what-causes-a-flare-how-to-respond-brett-goldst 6a32080b60728bbcda283912 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ocd-triggers-what-causes-a-flare-how-to-respond-brett-goldst full 40 This is a fan favourite episode, back by popular demand. OCD triggers are everywhere, and knowing what they are is half the battle. This week, Pri talks about her experience supporting Leela's OCD journey and some strategies she's learned along the way on how to support a loved one with OCD, how to avoid falling into the reassurance trap, and what you can do to help if someone you love is going through it. Pri is also deep in a Brett Goldstein spiral — Roy Kent, SuperBob, All of You, and his latest with JLo, Office Romance — and we totally get it! We close with the chilling history of Belcourt Castle in Rhode Island, where the ghosts have very strong opinions about the antiques.


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...Brett Goldstein and all of his works

Office Romance (Netflix)

Superbob (Amazon, Roku, & Tubi)

All of You (Apple TV)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

Shrinking (Apple TV)


OCD

If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Call or text 988 or start a chat online  to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Living with someone with OCD: How to help and support them (NOCD)

Living With Someone Who Has OCD. Guidelines for Family Members (IOCDF)

Families: “What Can I Do to Help?” (IOCDF)

Helping someone with OCD (MindUK)


DTWM

Belcourt Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is a fan favourite episode, back by popular demand. OCD triggers are everywhere, and knowing what they are is half the battle. This week, Pri talks about her experience supporting Leela's OCD journey and some strategies she's learned along the way on how to support a loved one with OCD, how to avoid falling into the reassurance trap, and what you can do to help if someone you love is going through it. Pri is also deep in a Brett Goldstein spiral — Roy Kent, SuperBob, All of You, and his latest with JLo, Office Romance — and we totally get it! We close with the chilling history of Belcourt Castle in Rhode Island, where the ghosts have very strong opinions about the antiques.


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...Brett Goldstein and all of his works

Office Romance (Netflix)

Superbob (Amazon, Roku, & Tubi)

All of You (Apple TV)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

Shrinking (Apple TV)


OCD

If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Call or text 988 or start a chat online  to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Living with someone with OCD: How to help and support them (NOCD)

Living With Someone Who Has OCD. Guidelines for Family Members (IOCDF)

Families: “What Can I Do to Help?” (IOCDF)

Helping someone with OCD (MindUK)


DTWM

Belcourt Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD, Community & True Crime Advocacy: Erika McCoy on the IOCDF, Mental Health & Whether Octopuses Are Bent on World Domination]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:00:00 GMT 36:11 6a289b6074e72c6295b9ad50 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ocd-community-true-crime-advocacy-erika-mccoy-on-the-iocdf 6a289b6074e72c6295b9ad50 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ocd-community-true-crime-advocacy-erika-mccoy-on-the-iocdf full 39 The octopuses are organizing. The IOCDF can help. Coincidence? Probably.


This week on Drinking Tea with Monsters, the podcast about OCD and other less scary monsters, we open by diving deep, literally into the ocean to ask the question keeping us up at night: are octopuses plotting world domination? We investigate the evidence. It's not great.


Then we're back with Erika McCoy, IOCDF advocate and artist, for part two of a conversation that just keeps giving. This week we go deeper into Erika's work with the International OCD Foundation, what the IOCDF actually does, how it can help you find community aligned to your special interests if you're living with OCD, and how you can get involved no matter where you are in your journey.


Then Erika takes us somewhere unexpected: true crime advocacy, and the ways mental health is woven into that world more than most people realize. It's a perspective you won't hear anywhere else.


No spooky story this week but fear not, we'll be back next week with more tea and more monsters. We promise.


OCD

IOCDF

IOCDF Special Interest Groups

IOCDF - Find a Therapist

Not Alone Notes

Vase Your Fears

Erika McCoy

FB: erika.mckenzie.391

IG: @creativitea_plus_mha

TT: @creativitea_plus_mha

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The octopuses are organizing. The IOCDF can help. Coincidence? Probably.


This week on Drinking Tea with Monsters, the podcast about OCD and other less scary monsters, we open by diving deep, literally into the ocean to ask the question keeping us up at night: are octopuses plotting world domination? We investigate the evidence. It's not great.


Then we're back with Erika McCoy, IOCDF advocate and artist, for part two of a conversation that just keeps giving. This week we go deeper into Erika's work with the International OCD Foundation, what the IOCDF actually does, how it can help you find community aligned to your special interests if you're living with OCD, and how you can get involved no matter where you are in your journey.


Then Erika takes us somewhere unexpected: true crime advocacy, and the ways mental health is woven into that world more than most people realize. It's a perspective you won't hear anywhere else.


No spooky story this week but fear not, we'll be back next week with more tea and more monsters. We promise.


OCD

IOCDF

IOCDF Special Interest Groups

IOCDF - Find a Therapist

Not Alone Notes

Vase Your Fears

Erika McCoy

FB: erika.mckenzie.391

IG: @creativitea_plus_mha

TT: @creativitea_plus_mha

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Religious Scrupulosity OCD & Healing Through Art with IOCDF Advocate Erika McCoy + the Boy Meets World Fallout & a Spooky Soup Story]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:02:22 GMT 50:16 6a1fdf8f570c4c93ab022b1d true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ocd-religious-scrupulosity-the-boy-meets-world-breakup-erika 6a1fdf8f570c4c93ab022b1d 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ocd-religious-scrupulosity-the-boy-meets-world-breakup-erika full 38 OCD doesn't care that you loved Boy Meets World.


This week on Drinking Tea with Monsters, the podcast about OCD and other less scary monsters, we open with the drama nobody asked for but everyone's talking about: Why did Ben Savage (Cory Matthews himself) ghost Danielle Fishel (Topanga), Rider Strong (Shawn), and Will Friedle (Eric)? We break down the Pod Meets World fallout, what it might mean, and yes, we're making it about mental health.


Then we sit down with Erika McCoy, IOCDF advocate and artist, for a conversation that is equal parts raw and hopeful. Erika walks us through her personal OCD journey, including religious scrupulosity, the exhausting loop of reviewing, and how she found her way to healing through art. Whether you're newly diagnosed, years into recovery, or just OCD-curious, Erika is exactly the voice you need to hear.


We close out with a deeply strange piece of internet history: a spooky story about soup, stretching from the early days of the web through YouTube and the rise of social media. You'll never look at a bowl of broth the same way.


Bonus: We have Panera thoughts. Specifically broccoli cheddar soup thoughts. No notes.


I'm totally obsessed with:

Pod Meets World


OCD

IOCDF

IOCDF Special Interest Groups

IOCDF - Find a Therapist

Not Alone Notes

Vase Your Fears

Erika McCoy

FB: erika.mckenzie.391

IG: @creativitea_plus_mha

TT: @creativitea_plus_mha

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD doesn't care that you loved Boy Meets World.


This week on Drinking Tea with Monsters, the podcast about OCD and other less scary monsters, we open with the drama nobody asked for but everyone's talking about: Why did Ben Savage (Cory Matthews himself) ghost Danielle Fishel (Topanga), Rider Strong (Shawn), and Will Friedle (Eric)? We break down the Pod Meets World fallout, what it might mean, and yes, we're making it about mental health.


Then we sit down with Erika McCoy, IOCDF advocate and artist, for a conversation that is equal parts raw and hopeful. Erika walks us through her personal OCD journey, including religious scrupulosity, the exhausting loop of reviewing, and how she found her way to healing through art. Whether you're newly diagnosed, years into recovery, or just OCD-curious, Erika is exactly the voice you need to hear.


We close out with a deeply strange piece of internet history: a spooky story about soup, stretching from the early days of the web through YouTube and the rise of social media. You'll never look at a bowl of broth the same way.


Bonus: We have Panera thoughts. Specifically broccoli cheddar soup thoughts. No notes.


I'm totally obsessed with:

Pod Meets World


OCD

IOCDF

IOCDF Special Interest Groups

IOCDF - Find a Therapist

Not Alone Notes

Vase Your Fears

Erika McCoy

FB: erika.mckenzie.391

IG: @creativitea_plus_mha

TT: @creativitea_plus_mha

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD, Uncertainty, and Intrusive Thoughts: Why Your Brain Won't Let Go + the Garth Brooks Theory & Mrs. Bagsby Returns]]> Wed, 27 May 2026 06:22:00 GMT 1:05:09 6a162dd2942fd187547a7bd5 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/rewind-ocd-and-uncertainty-the-phoebe-buffay-theory-is-garth 6a162dd2942fd187547a7bd5 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb rewind-ocd-and-uncertainty-the-phoebe-buffay-theory-is-garth full 37 This is a fan favourite episode, back by popular demand.


OCD and uncertainty are a brutal combination, and this week we get into why. Leela unpacks what it actually feels like when your brain locks onto a thought and won't release it, how uncertainty fuels the OCD cycle, and the real strategies that help break it.


Then things get chaotic in the best way. We investigate the viral theory that Garth Brooks might be a serial killer, and how comedian Tom Segura came to be a key witness.


And we get into the social media algorithm and why it's making all of us a little more anxious than we need to be.


We close with a ghost story: Pri tells the haunting tale of Mrs. Bagsby, the spectral resident of the Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn in Staunton, Virginia. Unsettling, atmospheric, and absolutely worth staying for.


For fans of true crime, paranormal stories, and honest mental health conversations.

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is a fan favourite episode, back by popular demand.


OCD and uncertainty are a brutal combination, and this week we get into why. Leela unpacks what it actually feels like when your brain locks onto a thought and won't release it, how uncertainty fuels the OCD cycle, and the real strategies that help break it.


Then things get chaotic in the best way. We investigate the viral theory that Garth Brooks might be a serial killer, and how comedian Tom Segura came to be a key witness.


And we get into the social media algorithm and why it's making all of us a little more anxious than we need to be.


We close with a ghost story: Pri tells the haunting tale of Mrs. Bagsby, the spectral resident of the Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn in Staunton, Virginia. Unsettling, atmospheric, and absolutely worth staying for.


For fans of true crime, paranormal stories, and honest mental health conversations.

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Dissociation & OCD: When Your Mind Checks Out + The Devil Wears Prada 2 & the Mystery of the Zanetti Train]]> Thu, 21 May 2026 03:58:00 GMT 40:02 6a0e812680978431da7393e3 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-devil-wears-prada-2-dissociation-and-a-haunted-train 6a0e812680978431da7393e3 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-devil-wears-prada-2-dissociation-and-a-haunted-train full 36 Dissociation: what it is, how it connects to OCD and anxiety, and what it feels like from the inside.


Taking a page from Lena Dunham's Famesick, this week Pri walks Leela and the listeners through dissociation: what it actually is, how it shows up, and how it connects to OCD and anxiety. Both Pri and Leela share their personal experiences honestly.


Plus: The Devil Wears Prada 2 is here, and the genius of Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway is receiving the reverence it deserves. Also on the obsession list: Manifest, Resident Alien, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic.


And to close: Leela takes us into the haunting story of the Zanetti Train mystery, a chilling and atmospheric tale that's stayed with us.


We're obsessed

The Devil wears Prada 2

Yesteryear

Letstalk.ocd's Post on the Devil Wears Prada and OCD

The Cut

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Manifest

Resident Alien

Remarkably Bright Creatures


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Dissociation: what it is, how it connects to OCD and anxiety, and what it feels like from the inside.


Taking a page from Lena Dunham's Famesick, this week Pri walks Leela and the listeners through dissociation: what it actually is, how it shows up, and how it connects to OCD and anxiety. Both Pri and Leela share their personal experiences honestly.


Plus: The Devil Wears Prada 2 is here, and the genius of Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway is receiving the reverence it deserves. Also on the obsession list: Manifest, Resident Alien, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic.


And to close: Leela takes us into the haunting story of the Zanetti Train mystery, a chilling and atmospheric tale that's stayed with us.


We're obsessed

The Devil wears Prada 2

Yesteryear

Letstalk.ocd's Post on the Devil Wears Prada and OCD

The Cut

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Manifest

Resident Alien

Remarkably Bright Creatures


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD Book Club: Famesick by Lena Dunham OCD Book Club: Famesick by Lena Dunham Thu, 14 May 2026 03:57:00 GMT 1:13:00 6a0536593eb64523564ae324 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ocd-book-club-famesick-by-lena-dunham 6a0536593eb64523564ae324 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ocd-book-club-famesick-by-lena-dunham full 35 What happens when ambition, OCD, perfectionism, and the desperate need to be seen all collide?


In the first official DTWM OCD Book Club episode, Leela and Pri read Famesick by Lena Dunham and find it's far more than a celebrity memoir. It's a deep, uncomfortable look at what happens when OCD-adjacent thinking meets the machinery of fame: perfectionism, intrusive thoughts, the need for approval, the compulsive storytelling, and the complicated relationship between vulnerability and visibility.


This conversation goes beyond Lena Dunham and into something more personal: the lengths we go to for approval, what we tell ourselves to stay in control, and the ways creativity and anxiety become completely entangled.


Pour a cup of tea. This one goes somewhere real. ☕


Read...

Famesick by Lena Dunham


Watch...

Tiny Furniture (HBO)

Girls (HBO)

Too Much (Netflix)


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What happens when ambition, OCD, perfectionism, and the desperate need to be seen all collide?


In the first official DTWM OCD Book Club episode, Leela and Pri read Famesick by Lena Dunham and find it's far more than a celebrity memoir. It's a deep, uncomfortable look at what happens when OCD-adjacent thinking meets the machinery of fame: perfectionism, intrusive thoughts, the need for approval, the compulsive storytelling, and the complicated relationship between vulnerability and visibility.


This conversation goes beyond Lena Dunham and into something more personal: the lengths we go to for approval, what we tell ourselves to stay in control, and the ways creativity and anxiety become completely entangled.


Pour a cup of tea. This one goes somewhere real. ☕


Read...

Famesick by Lena Dunham


Watch...

Tiny Furniture (HBO)

Girls (HBO)

Too Much (Netflix)


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Travelling with OCD: When Uncertainty Doesn't Win + Big Mistakes & the Eerie Summerwind Mansion]]> Wed, 06 May 2026 04:19:19 GMT 1:01:40 69fac14879d314932a83d9f6 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/big-mistakes-better-days-and-the-summerwind-mansion 69fac14879d314932a83d9f6 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb big-mistakes-better-days-and-the-summerwind-mansion full 34 Traveling with OCD. When OCD doesn't win!


OCD and travel are not natural companions. But this week, Leela shares a surprisingly positive experience navigating a trip with OCD, where the uncertainty didn't spiral for once. What shifted? What helped? An honest, hopeful update from the middle of the journey.


Plus: a proper catch-up. Big Mistakes on Netflix is genuinely great, Dan Levy remains a gift, and Leela and Pri go through their current reading lists, from Ant and Dec's autobiography to Anna Kendrick's Scrappy Little Nobody to Lena Dunham's Famesick.


And to close: the eerie history of Summerwind Mansion, a place where reality reportedly felt just slightly, persistently off. A few ghosts that refuse to stay quiet.


Pour yourself a cup and settle in. ☕


I'm Obsessed...

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Mr. Blobby (Our nightmares)


Autobiographies

Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story by Ant and Dec

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

Famesick by Lena Dunham


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Traveling with OCD. When OCD doesn't win!


OCD and travel are not natural companions. But this week, Leela shares a surprisingly positive experience navigating a trip with OCD, where the uncertainty didn't spiral for once. What shifted? What helped? An honest, hopeful update from the middle of the journey.


Plus: a proper catch-up. Big Mistakes on Netflix is genuinely great, Dan Levy remains a gift, and Leela and Pri go through their current reading lists, from Ant and Dec's autobiography to Anna Kendrick's Scrappy Little Nobody to Lena Dunham's Famesick.


And to close: the eerie history of Summerwind Mansion, a place where reality reportedly felt just slightly, persistently off. A few ghosts that refuse to stay quiet.


Pour yourself a cup and settle in. ☕


I'm Obsessed...

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Mr. Blobby (Our nightmares)


Autobiographies

Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story by Ant and Dec

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

Famesick by Lena Dunham


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Symptoms You Might Be Missing + Snake Yoga & a Ghost with Book Recs]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:45:00 GMT 51:05 69edbfa0289eeb2c7b021ab1 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/yoga-with-snakes-things-i-didnt-realize-were-ocd-and-book-re 69edbfa0289eeb2c7b021ab1 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb yoga-with-snakes-things-i-didnt-realize-were-ocd-and-book-re full 33 Some OCD thoughts evolve so slowly you don't realise what you're dealing with. Here's how to spot them.


Not every OCD symptom arrives loudly. Some of the most disorienting signs are the ones that feel like ordinary overthinking, the repeating thought, the indecision, the "just right" feeling you can't shake. This week, Leela and Pri explore the subtle, often-missed signs of OCD and how to tell them apart from regular anxiety.


Plus: snake yoga is apparently a real wellness trend, and Leela and Pri investigate whether it's relaxing or deeply counterproductive. There are also detours into Neighbours, Home and Away, The OC, and somehow the Jungle Book. It makes sense when you listen.


And to close: a ghost in a library with unexpectedly specific, and excellent, book recommendations.


I'm Obsessed...

Neighbors 

Home and Away

The OC

The Jungle Book


Book List

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Some OCD thoughts evolve so slowly you don't realise what you're dealing with. Here's how to spot them.


Not every OCD symptom arrives loudly. Some of the most disorienting signs are the ones that feel like ordinary overthinking, the repeating thought, the indecision, the "just right" feeling you can't shake. This week, Leela and Pri explore the subtle, often-missed signs of OCD and how to tell them apart from regular anxiety.


Plus: snake yoga is apparently a real wellness trend, and Leela and Pri investigate whether it's relaxing or deeply counterproductive. There are also detours into Neighbours, Home and Away, The OC, and somehow the Jungle Book. It makes sense when you listen.


And to close: a ghost in a library with unexpectedly specific, and excellent, book recommendations.


I'm Obsessed...

Neighbors 

Home and Away

The OC

The Jungle Book


Book List

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

A man called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum


OCD

IOCDF


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Dread & Psychological Horror: The Chilling Overlap + TV Comebacks & the Tragic Love of Pedro & Inês]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT 1:01:44 69e83bba66c3374f7eeed33b true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/tv-comebacks-ocd-dread-and-the-tragic-love-of-pedro-ines 69e83bba66c3374f7eeed33b 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb tv-comebacks-ocd-dread-and-the-tragic-love-of-pedro-ines full 32 OCD dread and psychological horror have more in common than you'd think. Let's get into it.


Inspired by a point Elena Fasan made in her interview, Leela and Pri unpack the unsettling overlap between OCD dread and psychological horror: The Haunting of Hill House, Insidious, the creeping wrongness that both produce. What is OCD dread, exactly? How does it show up in real life versus on screen? And why does horror resonate so deeply with anxious people?


Plus: the TV comeback season is real. Steve Carell in Rooster, Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback, Dan Levy in Big Mistakes, the watchlist is officially full. Leela and Pri also cover Deli Boys, Shrinking, the Scrubs reboot, and more.


And to close: the haunting true love story of Pedro I of Portugal and Inês de Castro: A tragic historical romance that refused to end even after death.


TV Show Watchlist

Rooster (HBO)

The Comeback (HBO)

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Scrubs Reboot (Hulu)

Scrubs (Hulu)

The Americans (Disney+ / Hulu)

The Koreans (Coming in 2026/2027)

Squid Games (Netflix)

Insidious (HBO)

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Ghosts (CBS)


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD dread and psychological horror have more in common than you'd think. Let's get into it.


Inspired by a point Elena Fasan made in her interview, Leela and Pri unpack the unsettling overlap between OCD dread and psychological horror: The Haunting of Hill House, Insidious, the creeping wrongness that both produce. What is OCD dread, exactly? How does it show up in real life versus on screen? And why does horror resonate so deeply with anxious people?


Plus: the TV comeback season is real. Steve Carell in Rooster, Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback, Dan Levy in Big Mistakes, the watchlist is officially full. Leela and Pri also cover Deli Boys, Shrinking, the Scrubs reboot, and more.


And to close: the haunting true love story of Pedro I of Portugal and Inês de Castro: A tragic historical romance that refused to end even after death.


TV Show Watchlist

Rooster (HBO)

The Comeback (HBO)

Big Mistakes (Netflix)

Deli Boys (Hulu)

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Scrubs Reboot (Hulu)

Scrubs (Hulu)

The Americans (Disney+ / Hulu)

The Koreans (Coming in 2026/2027)

Squid Games (Netflix)

Insidious (HBO)

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Ghosts (CBS)


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Parenting a Child with OCD: Signs, First Steps & What to Ask a Therapist, Expert Advice with Elena Fasan]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:45:00 GMT 47:36 69c9fba8c28a24a07fa206c0 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/parenting-ocd-with-elena-fasan 69c9fba8c28a24a07fa206c0 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb parenting-ocd-with-elena-fasan full 31 Your child might have OCD. Here's what to look for, where to start, and the questions that matter most.


In part two with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective, we get into the practical reality of parenting a child with OCD. What are the signs parents should know? How do you start the process of getting help without making things worse? And critically: what questions should you ask a therapist before you trust them with your child? A genuinely useful episode for anyone navigating parenting a child with OCD.


Recommendations

Books


Podcasts


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Your child might have OCD. Here's what to look for, where to start, and the questions that matter most.


In part two with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective, we get into the practical reality of parenting a child with OCD. What are the signs parents should know? How do you start the process of getting help without making things worse? And critically: what questions should you ask a therapist before you trust them with your child? A genuinely useful episode for anyone navigating parenting a child with OCD.


Recommendations

Books


Podcasts


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Parenting OCD: A Hollywood Expert's Personal Story with Elena Fasan + Tom Cruise, Oprah & Real Talk on Mental Health]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:04:00 GMT 39:25 69c37b7b176efa525769daf1 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/what-did-tom-cruise-do-now-tales-from-hollywood-and-about-oc 69c37b7b176efa525769daf1 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb what-did-tom-cruise-do-now-tales-from-hollywood-and-about-oc full 30 She grew up in the world of ballet. She worked in Hollywood. She met Tom Cruise, Oprah, and Duran Duran. She also has OCD.


In part one of our interview with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, and founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles, Elena shares her remarkable personal journey. From the performing arts world to the high-pressure stages of ballet and Hollywood, she opens up about navigating it all while living with OCD, depression, and skin picking. Expect surprising celebrity stories and honest mental health conversation in equal measure.


Tangents

Sexy Beast (Available to rent on Youtube, Amazon Prime, AppleTV)

The Beast in Me (Netflix)


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> She grew up in the world of ballet. She worked in Hollywood. She met Tom Cruise, Oprah, and Duran Duran. She also has OCD.


In part one of our interview with Elena Fasan, licensed clinical social worker, OCD specialist, and founder of the Children's OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles, Elena shares her remarkable personal journey. From the performing arts world to the high-pressure stages of ballet and Hollywood, she opens up about navigating it all while living with OCD, depression, and skin picking. Expect surprising celebrity stories and honest mental health conversation in equal measure.


Tangents

Sexy Beast (Available to rent on Youtube, Amazon Prime, AppleTV)

The Beast in Me (Netflix)


OCD

Elena Fasan is a licensed clinical social worker who treats children, adolescents, and emerging adults diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorders, and OC spectrum disorders. She founded and is the director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective in Los Angeles and has worked as an adjunct professor teaching child development classes. She also has lived experience with OCD, depression, and skin picking.

Children's OCD and Anxiety Collective

Parenting OCD

IOCDF

IG: @parenting_ocd


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCPD vs. OCD: What's the Difference? + Gucci's Reincarnation & the Ghost Who Solved Her Own Murder]]> Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:45:00 GMT 48:44 69ba19e77df9481e6857666d true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-ghost-who-solved-their-own-murder-the-reincarnation-of-g 69ba19e77df9481e6857666d 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-ghost-who-solved-their-own-murder-the-reincarnation-of-g full 29 OCPD: the Amy Poehler of disorders. It's not like the others. Let's break it down.


Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is frequently confused with OCD but they're fundamentally different conditions. This week, Leela and Pri break down what OCPD actually is, how it shows up, why it's misunderstood, and how to tell it apart from OCD.


Plus: in honour of Friday the 13th, a dive into the eerie lore behind one of history's unluckiest days. And a fashion deep dive: the iconic comeback story of Gucci, from George Costanza's looks to Miranda Priestly's choices to the full reincarnation of a fashion house. (No, it's not The Devil Wears Prada 2. Though that's coming too.)


And to close: the story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, believed to be the only ghost in history to have helped solve her own murder in court.


If you love true crime, paranormal mysteries, psychology, and a touch of dark humour, this episode is for you. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...fashion

Max Alexander

The Devil Wears Prada 2

And That's Why We Drink (Episode 271 on Barbro Karlén)


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)


DTWM

Zona Heaster Shue


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCPD: the Amy Poehler of disorders. It's not like the others. Let's break it down.


Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is frequently confused with OCD but they're fundamentally different conditions. This week, Leela and Pri break down what OCPD actually is, how it shows up, why it's misunderstood, and how to tell it apart from OCD.


Plus: in honour of Friday the 13th, a dive into the eerie lore behind one of history's unluckiest days. And a fashion deep dive: the iconic comeback story of Gucci, from George Costanza's looks to Miranda Priestly's choices to the full reincarnation of a fashion house. (No, it's not The Devil Wears Prada 2. Though that's coming too.)


And to close: the story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, believed to be the only ghost in history to have helped solve her own murder in court.


If you love true crime, paranormal mysteries, psychology, and a touch of dark humour, this episode is for you. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...fashion

Max Alexander

The Devil Wears Prada 2

And That's Why We Drink (Episode 271 on Barbro Karlén)


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)


DTWM

Zona Heaster Shue


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & the Gut-Brain Connection: Can What You Eat Affect Anxiety? + Jonathan Groff & the Gloved Ghost of Mortemer Abbey]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:29:12 GMT 1:15:50 69b143f8c891dc74e81d94a2 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/jonathan-groff-is-a-nice-indian-boy-the-gutbrain-connection 69b143f8c891dc74e81d94a2 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb jonathan-groff-is-a-nice-indian-boy-the-gutbrain-connection full 28 Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation. For people with OCD and anxiety, that conversation matters.


The gut-brain axis is one of the most fascinating frontiers in mental health and it has real, practical implications for managing OCD and anxiety. This week, Leela and Pri dive into the science of how your digestive system influences mood, serotonin levels, and anxiety, and what you can actually do about it through food and nutrition.


Plus: Pri is back from her break, and Leela is fully obsessed with Jonathan Groff: Broadway legend, Bollywood crossover star, Hamilton, Frozen, A Nice Indian Boy. They cover it all.


And to close: a trip to the shadows of Mortemer Abbey in France to uncover the eerie legend of the ghosts within: white ladies, werewolves, and monks. Oh my.


Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us for a conversation that moves from Broadway to biology to the paranormal. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🎭 Jonathan Groff in:



OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Can Diet Affect Your OCD Symptoms? (NOCD)

Diet and Nutrition Tips for Anxiety and OCD (OCD and Anxiety Centers)


Supplements that work for us (NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. Please consult your doctor before taking any new supplements.)



DTWM

👻 Mortemer Abbey


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation. For people with OCD and anxiety, that conversation matters.


The gut-brain axis is one of the most fascinating frontiers in mental health and it has real, practical implications for managing OCD and anxiety. This week, Leela and Pri dive into the science of how your digestive system influences mood, serotonin levels, and anxiety, and what you can actually do about it through food and nutrition.


Plus: Pri is back from her break, and Leela is fully obsessed with Jonathan Groff: Broadway legend, Bollywood crossover star, Hamilton, Frozen, A Nice Indian Boy. They cover it all.


And to close: a trip to the shadows of Mortemer Abbey in France to uncover the eerie legend of the ghosts within: white ladies, werewolves, and monks. Oh my.


Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us for a conversation that moves from Broadway to biology to the paranormal. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🎭 Jonathan Groff in:



OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Can Diet Affect Your OCD Symptoms? (NOCD)

Diet and Nutrition Tips for Anxiety and OCD (OCD and Anxiety Centers)


Supplements that work for us (NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. Please consult your doctor before taking any new supplements.)



DTWM

👻 Mortemer Abbey


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Neuroscience Explained with Therapist April Grant + AI, the Future & True Ghost Encounters]]> Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:03:13 GMT 1:13:55 69a7ece947994e3427fd61a0 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ai-and-the-future-of-tech-the-neuroscience-of-ocd-and-tech-e 69a7ece947994e3427fd61a0 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ai-and-the-future-of-tech-the-neuroscience-of-ocd-and-tech-e full 27 What is actually happening in an OCD brain? The neuroscience is fascinating and kind of reassuring.


This week, we welcome back April Grant, Resident Counselor at Authentic Connections Counseling and Founder of True North Therapy, specializing in ADHD and OCD. Together, they dive into the neuroscience of OCD: how the neurodivergent brain is wired differently, why it loops, and the genuinely hopeful question: can we retrain it to work with us rather than against us? Real lived experience, explained through real science.


Plus: the AI conversation nobody can stop having. Revolutionary tool? Ethical dilemma? Something more autonomous than we're ready for? Leela and April unpack it.


And to close: Leela and April share two genuine, personal paranormal encounters, one in Virginia, one in Michigan, that they still cannot explain.


Brains. Bots. Ghosts. Let's sip. ☕️


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🤖 the dystopian AI future


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

April Grant

Authentic Connections Counseling LLC

True North Therapy PLLC


DTWM

👻 Our true life encounters.


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What is actually happening in an OCD brain? The neuroscience is fascinating and kind of reassuring.


This week, we welcome back April Grant, Resident Counselor at Authentic Connections Counseling and Founder of True North Therapy, specializing in ADHD and OCD. Together, they dive into the neuroscience of OCD: how the neurodivergent brain is wired differently, why it loops, and the genuinely hopeful question: can we retrain it to work with us rather than against us? Real lived experience, explained through real science.


Plus: the AI conversation nobody can stop having. Revolutionary tool? Ethical dilemma? Something more autonomous than we're ready for? Leela and April unpack it.


And to close: Leela and April share two genuine, personal paranormal encounters, one in Virginia, one in Michigan, that they still cannot explain.


Brains. Bots. Ghosts. Let's sip. ☕️


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🤖 the dystopian AI future


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

April Grant

Authentic Connections Counseling LLC

True North Therapy PLLC


DTWM

👻 Our true life encounters.


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & Hypervigilance: Why Your Nervous System Won't Relax + Back to the Future to takedown AI & The Haunted Taj Mahal]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:58:40 GMT 1:13:35 699eabb0a4a9e6b7fda4b15a true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/back-to-the-future-to-take-down-ai-punch-the-monkey-hypervig 699eabb0a4a9e6b7fda4b15a 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb back-to-the-future-to-take-down-ai-punch-the-monkey-hypervig full 26 Hypervigilance: when your nervous system can't stop scanning for threats that aren't there. Sound familiar?


This week, Leela and Pri deep dive into hypervigilance. What it is, why the OCD and anxious brain defaults to it, and how the "monkey mind" keeps punching the panic button even when nothing is actually on fire. Strategies to help your nervous system stand down.


Plus: they go Back to the Future to ask: if you could rewrite the timeline, would you stop the rise of AI? A whole new conspiracy theory is developed live on air.


Also: the world's current obsession with Punch the Monkey, explored.


And to close: the ghostly romance behind the Taj Mahal: the tragic love story of Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and the haunting legend surrounding one of the world's most iconic monuments.


Because sometimes the real monsters are the ones we build and the ones we carry inside. ☕


Our Current Watchlist

📺 Back to the Future II (Available to buy or rent)

📺 Shrinking (Apple TV)


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🐵 Punch the monkey


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Taj Mahal, India


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com


OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Hypervigilance: when your nervous system can't stop scanning for threats that aren't there. Sound familiar?


This week, Leela and Pri deep dive into hypervigilance. What it is, why the OCD and anxious brain defaults to it, and how the "monkey mind" keeps punching the panic button even when nothing is actually on fire. Strategies to help your nervous system stand down.


Plus: they go Back to the Future to ask: if you could rewrite the timeline, would you stop the rise of AI? A whole new conspiracy theory is developed live on air.


Also: the world's current obsession with Punch the Monkey, explored.


And to close: the ghostly romance behind the Taj Mahal: the tragic love story of Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and the haunting legend surrounding one of the world's most iconic monuments.


Because sometimes the real monsters are the ones we build and the ones we carry inside. ☕


Our Current Watchlist

📺 Back to the Future II (Available to buy or rent)

📺 Shrinking (Apple TV)


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

🐵 Punch the monkey


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Taj Mahal, India


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com


OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & Social Anxiety: How OCD Affects Your Social Life + Fall Out Boy & Loarre Castle's Screaming Ghost, and Spilling the Tea on a Puzzling Betrayal]]> Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:32:49 GMT 56:38 69957e241774b22d5a0c9302 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/spilling-the-tea-on-a-puzzling-betrayal-ocd-in-social-situat 69957e241774b22d5a0c9302 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb spilling-the-tea-on-a-puzzling-betrayal-ocd-in-social-situat full 25 OCD doesn't just live in your head. It shows up in your friendships, your social life, and the way you move through the world.


This week, Leela and Pri dive into the overlap between OCD and social anxiety: how obsessive-compulsive disorder can impact relationships, social situations, and the exhausting mental work of just being around other people.


But first: there's a puzzling betrayal to address. Leela and Pri finally confront the incident (it involves competitive speed puzzling) and there are feelings. Also: the Dunkin' Super Bowl commercial is a millennial nostalgia dream, and the Joe Biden / Fall Out Boy connection needs to be discussed.


And to close: Pri tells the chilling story of Loarre Castle in Spain, where, the legend goes, the walls still echo with something terrifying.


Puzzles. Betrayal. OCD confessions. A screaming castle. Put the kettle on. ☕


Our Current Watchlist

📚Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt | 🎧Audiobook narrated by Michael Urie

📚Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley | 🎧Audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland Michael Urie

📚She Didn’t See it Coming by Shari Lapena

📚I Hope this Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

📚The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

📺Good Cop/Bad Cop (Netflix)

📺How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Netflix)

📺Derry Girls (Netflix)


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

📼Dunkin' Super Bowl Commercial

💿Fall Out Boy


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Loarre Castle, Spain


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD doesn't just live in your head. It shows up in your friendships, your social life, and the way you move through the world.


This week, Leela and Pri dive into the overlap between OCD and social anxiety: how obsessive-compulsive disorder can impact relationships, social situations, and the exhausting mental work of just being around other people.


But first: there's a puzzling betrayal to address. Leela and Pri finally confront the incident (it involves competitive speed puzzling) and there are feelings. Also: the Dunkin' Super Bowl commercial is a millennial nostalgia dream, and the Joe Biden / Fall Out Boy connection needs to be discussed.


And to close: Pri tells the chilling story of Loarre Castle in Spain, where, the legend goes, the walls still echo with something terrifying.


Puzzles. Betrayal. OCD confessions. A screaming castle. Put the kettle on. ☕


Our Current Watchlist

📚Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt | 🎧Audiobook narrated by Michael Urie

📚Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley | 🎧Audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland Michael Urie

📚She Didn’t See it Coming by Shari Lapena

📚I Hope this Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

📚The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

📺Good Cop/Bad Cop (Netflix)

📺How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Netflix)

📺Derry Girls (Netflix)


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

📼Dunkin' Super Bowl Commercial

💿Fall Out Boy


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Loarre Castle, Spain


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Even Disneyland isn't Disneyland: Traveling with OCD and Managing Anxiety Away from Home + The Cozy Winter Hibernation List of Things to Read/Watch/Listen To, and The Bells of the Frozen Post Office ]]> Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:35:06 GMT 43:41 698c3f3a43d0a1680b3ddcf4 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/even-disneyland-isnt-disneyland-traveling-with-ocd-the-cozy 698c3f3a43d0a1680b3ddcf4 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb even-disneyland-isnt-disneyland-traveling-with-ocd-the-cozy full 24 Even Disneyland isn't Disneyland when OCD comes with you. Here's how to travel anyway.


This week, Leela and Pri talk openly about the realities of travelling with OCD. Why unfamiliar environments, lost routines, and uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and what practical strategies actually help make trips manageable. Because OCD doesn't respect your itinerary.


Plus: it's January hibernation season, and Leela and Pri have built the ultimate cozy winter list of things to read, watch, and listen to. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Grantchester, Normal Gossip, The Thursday Murder Club. Consider this your soft seasonal reset.


And to close: a chilling, atmospheric winter tale: the story of The Bells of the Frozen Post Office in Minnesota, 1936. Folklore, history, and just enough paranormal to keep things interesting.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Michael Urie

Partners

Good Cop/Bad Cop (Watch on Netflix)

The Beast in Me (Watch on Netflix)

Grantchester (Watch on Netflix)

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

The Thursday Murder Club (Watch on Netflix)

Normal Gossip on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify

Glamorous Trash, Chelsea Devantez on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify

No Dating Till You’re Married by Leela Dua

Hanging Out with Ant and Dec

Take That Documentary (Watch on Netflix)

Cars (Watch on Disney+)

Rooster, The Trailer


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Traveling with OCD: The Power of Radical Acceptance (NOCD)

Five Travel Tips When Traveling with OCD (IOCDF)

Travelling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (The Travel Psychologist)


DTWM

The Bells of the Frozen Post Office (Minnesota, 1936)


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Even Disneyland isn't Disneyland when OCD comes with you. Here's how to travel anyway.


This week, Leela and Pri talk openly about the realities of travelling with OCD. Why unfamiliar environments, lost routines, and uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and what practical strategies actually help make trips manageable. Because OCD doesn't respect your itinerary.


Plus: it's January hibernation season, and Leela and Pri have built the ultimate cozy winter list of things to read, watch, and listen to. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Grantchester, Normal Gossip, The Thursday Murder Club. Consider this your soft seasonal reset.


And to close: a chilling, atmospheric winter tale: the story of The Bells of the Frozen Post Office in Minnesota, 1936. Folklore, history, and just enough paranormal to keep things interesting.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Michael Urie

Partners

Good Cop/Bad Cop (Watch on Netflix)

The Beast in Me (Watch on Netflix)

Grantchester (Watch on Netflix)

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

The Thursday Murder Club (Watch on Netflix)

Normal Gossip on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify

Glamorous Trash, Chelsea Devantez on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify

No Dating Till You’re Married by Leela Dua

Hanging Out with Ant and Dec

Take That Documentary (Watch on Netflix)

Cars (Watch on Disney+)

Rooster, The Trailer


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today

Traveling with OCD: The Power of Radical Acceptance (NOCD)

Five Travel Tips When Traveling with OCD (IOCDF)

Travelling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (The Travel Psychologist)


DTWM

The Bells of the Frozen Post Office (Minnesota, 1936)


Looking for another cozy listen?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Magical Thinking, Manifestation & Tarot: When Do They Become OCD? + Kumail Nanjiani & Ghostly NYE Traditions]]> Wed, 31 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT 1:04:58 6950449dcb029db7576c8188 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/happy-turning-of-the-clocks-manifestations-tarot-and-other-f 6950449dcb029db7576c8188 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb happy-turning-of-the-clocks-manifestations-tarot-and-other-f full 23 Manifestation, tarot, magical thinking: where's the line between spiritual practice and OCD?


As the new year approaches, Leela and Pri explore the fuzzy, fascinating territory where magical thinking meets OCD. When does a ritual become a compulsion? What separates a spiritual practice from an anxiety-driven one? And is time even real? (Spoiler: they decide it might not be.)


Plus: butter discourse (Kerrygold is, objectively, better), and Leela's current comedy obsession: Kumail Nanjiani's new special Night Thoughts, a warm, brilliant watch for anyone who has ever felt anxious about basically everything.


And to close: the whimsical ghosts of New Year's Eve traditions from around the world, because even the supernatural marks the turning of the year.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🥂☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Kerrygold Cheese

Kerrygold Butter

Kumail Nanjiani's New Comedy Special, Night Thoughts (Watch it on Hulu or Disney+)

The Big Sick (Watch it on Prime Video)

No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast

Only Murders in the Building (Watch it on Hulu or Disney+)

Ray Romano


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

The Ghosts of New Year's Eve


Tangent Stuff

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Manifestation, tarot, magical thinking: where's the line between spiritual practice and OCD?


As the new year approaches, Leela and Pri explore the fuzzy, fascinating territory where magical thinking meets OCD. When does a ritual become a compulsion? What separates a spiritual practice from an anxiety-driven one? And is time even real? (Spoiler: they decide it might not be.)


Plus: butter discourse (Kerrygold is, objectively, better), and Leela's current comedy obsession: Kumail Nanjiani's new special Night Thoughts, a warm, brilliant watch for anyone who has ever felt anxious about basically everything.


And to close: the whimsical ghosts of New Year's Eve traditions from around the world, because even the supernatural marks the turning of the year.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🥂☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Kerrygold Cheese

Kerrygold Butter

Kumail Nanjiani's New Comedy Special, Night Thoughts (Watch it on Hulu or Disney+)

The Big Sick (Watch it on Prime Video)

No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast

Only Murders in the Building (Watch it on Hulu or Disney+)

Ray Romano


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

The Ghosts of New Year's Eve


Tangent Stuff

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Is Ego-Dystonic: What That Means & Why It Matters + the Hallmark Christmas Movie Quiz & the Festive Haunting of Raynham Hall]]> Wed, 24 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT 1:08:18 694aa1d3184761c02140c45a true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/hallmark-christmas-movie-quiz-no-news-is-good-news-and-the-a 694aa1d3184761c02140c45a 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb hallmark-christmas-movie-quiz-no-news-is-good-news-and-the-a full 22 OCD is ego-dystonic. Here's what that word means, and why it's actually really important to understand.


This week's cosy holiday episode includes an important reminder buried in the news chat: OCD is ego-dystonic. Meaning the thoughts feel foreign, unwanted, and in direct conflict with who you are and what you value. Understanding this changes everything about how you relate to your OCD.


Plus: the competitive stakes are high as Leela challenges Pri to a Hallmark Christmas movie quiz, real movie or total fabrication? What's on the line? First pick of the 2026 book/movie/TV club. There are also dentist stories involving suspicious levels of laughing gas.


And to close: the annual Christmas haunting of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England, possibly the closest thing to definitive proof that ghosts are real.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🎄☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Hallmark Channel

Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

Pizza Rolls by Totino's

Kerrygold Butter


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Raynham Hall


Tangent Stuff

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD is ego-dystonic. Here's what that word means, and why it's actually really important to understand.


This week's cosy holiday episode includes an important reminder buried in the news chat: OCD is ego-dystonic. Meaning the thoughts feel foreign, unwanted, and in direct conflict with who you are and what you value. Understanding this changes everything about how you relate to your OCD.


Plus: the competitive stakes are high as Leela challenges Pri to a Hallmark Christmas movie quiz, real movie or total fabrication? What's on the line? First pick of the 2026 book/movie/TV club. There are also dentist stories involving suspicious levels of laughing gas.


And to close: the annual Christmas haunting of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England, possibly the closest thing to definitive proof that ghosts are real.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🎄☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Hallmark Channel

Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

Pizza Rolls by Totino's

Kerrygold Butter


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

Psychology Today


DTWM

Raynham Hall


Tangent Stuff

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Anxiety vs. Anxious OCD: Understanding the Overlap + We're Celebrating Emo Christmas & the Dramatic Ghosts of Drury Lane]]> Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:36:02 GMT 56:13 694279822ddaba3da18674bc true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/emo-christmas-understanding-anxiety-vs-anxious-ocd-and-other 694279822ddaba3da18674bc 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb emo-christmas-understanding-anxiety-vs-anxious-ocd-and-other full 21 Anxiety and anxious OCD are related, but they're not the same thing. We break down the differences and how we manage both.


This week, Leela and Pri dig into the overlap between anxiety and anxious OCD: where they intersect, where they diverge, and what their own experiences have taught them about telling the difference. An honest, personal conversation about living with both.


Plus: the emo music revival is real and it restarted with "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade. From Under the Cork Tree to A Holiday From Real, Leela and Pri are fully back in their eyeliner-heavy era, and they have absolutely no regrets. (Also: Pri has a controversial take that Cars is basically a Hallmark movie. Discuss.)


And to close: the iconic Drury Lane Theatre in London, where the ghosts apparently have very strong feelings about the performances.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Emo music (now and again!). From Under the Cork Tree to a Holiday From Real, we're re-listening to it all!

The song that restarted it all...Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade

Check out @gravette.angela for more emo throwback inspiration!


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)


DTWM

Drury Lane Theater (London, UK)


Tangent Stuff

Pri thinks Cars is like a Hallmark movie. Do you agree?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

A Biltmore Christmas (Watch it on the Hallmark channel)


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Anxiety and anxious OCD are related, but they're not the same thing. We break down the differences and how we manage both.


This week, Leela and Pri dig into the overlap between anxiety and anxious OCD: where they intersect, where they diverge, and what their own experiences have taught them about telling the difference. An honest, personal conversation about living with both.


Plus: the emo music revival is real and it restarted with "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade. From Under the Cork Tree to A Holiday From Real, Leela and Pri are fully back in their eyeliner-heavy era, and they have absolutely no regrets. (Also: Pri has a controversial take that Cars is basically a Hallmark movie. Discuss.)


And to close: the iconic Drury Lane Theatre in London, where the ghosts apparently have very strong feelings about the performances.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Emo music (now and again!). From Under the Cork Tree to a Holiday From Real, we're re-listening to it all!

The song that restarted it all...Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade

Check out @gravette.angela for more emo throwback inspiration!


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)


DTWM

Drury Lane Theater (London, UK)


Tangent Stuff

Pri thinks Cars is like a Hallmark movie. Do you agree?

Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.

A Biltmore Christmas (Watch it on the Hallmark channel)


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Subtypes Deep Dive: Religion, Postpartum & More + Holiday Fights, Pies, Aliens & the Macy's Ghosts That Never Left]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:15:07 GMT 1:16:36 69399c8c34867e026d381ba2 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/holiday-fights-pies-and-aliens-a-deep-dive-into-ocd-subtypes 69399c8c34867e026d381ba2 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb holiday-fights-pies-and-aliens-a-deep-dive-into-ocd-subtypes full 20 Scrupulosity OCD, religious OCD, and navigating OCD through motherhood and the postpartum period. Expert answers to your questions.


In part two of the conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor Mary Rogers Kirby, Leela and Pri dig into the Q&A follow-up to their OCD subtypes discussion. They cover religious OCD, scrupulosity, and the specific challenges of navigating OCD during motherhood and the postpartum period.


Plus: family feuds, delicious pies, a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon, and Pri makes an accusation that could drive the sisters apart forever. (Spoiler: it involves Resident Aliens and viewing choices.)


And to close: a visit to Macy's at Herald Square, 34th Street, where the Thanksgiving theme extends to some very loyal former employees who never quite left.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Resident Aliens (Watch it on Peacock, Hulu, or Netflix)

Do watch: Hart of Dixie (on Amazon Prime)

Don’t watch: Virgin River (on Netflix)

Mom’s Apple Pie Company (Virginia)

Follow: @WhatNavEats On IG and TikTok


OCD

Mary Rogers Kirby (Psychology Today)

Creating Solutions


DTWM

Macys, Herald Square, NYC


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Scrupulosity OCD, religious OCD, and navigating OCD through motherhood and the postpartum period. Expert answers to your questions.


In part two of the conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor Mary Rogers Kirby, Leela and Pri dig into the Q&A follow-up to their OCD subtypes discussion. They cover religious OCD, scrupulosity, and the specific challenges of navigating OCD during motherhood and the postpartum period.


Plus: family feuds, delicious pies, a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon, and Pri makes an accusation that could drive the sisters apart forever. (Spoiler: it involves Resident Aliens and viewing choices.)


And to close: a visit to Macy's at Herald Square, 34th Street, where the Thanksgiving theme extends to some very loyal former employees who never quite left.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Resident Aliens (Watch it on Peacock, Hulu, or Netflix)

Do watch: Hart of Dixie (on Amazon Prime)

Don’t watch: Virgin River (on Netflix)

Mom’s Apple Pie Company (Virginia)

Follow: @WhatNavEats On IG and TikTok


OCD

Mary Rogers Kirby (Psychology Today)

Creating Solutions


DTWM

Macys, Herald Square, NYC


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Subtypes Deep Dive with Therapist Mary Rogers Kirby + The Curious Relationship Of Britney Spears and George W. Bush & the Productive Ghosts of Eureka Springs]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:01:50 GMT 1:00:17 692ffc7ef99ade22794b86df true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-curious-relationship-between-britney-spears-and-george-w 692ffc7ef99ade22794b86df 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-curious-relationship-between-britney-spears-and-george-w full 19 From contamination OCD to relationship OCD to religious scrupulosity, a proper deep dive into OCD subtypes with an expert.


This week, Leela and Pri sit down with Mary Rogers Kirby of Creating Solutions, a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in anxiety, OCD, and trauma. Mary Rogers takes them through the full spectrum of OCD subtypes, including the well-known varieties like contamination and checking, and the lesser-known themes like relationship OCD (ROCD) and religious scrupulosity, with clarity and compassion.


But first: what is the connection between Britney Spears and George W. Bush? It involves Karl Rove. Get comfortable, because it's a whole journey.


And to close: Pri visits the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, famously one of the most haunted hotels in America, where the ghosts are surprisingly productive.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Happy Birthday Britney Spears!


OCD

Mary Rogers Kirby (Psychology Today)

Creating Solutions


DTWM

Crescent Moon Hotel, Eureka Springs


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> From contamination OCD to relationship OCD to religious scrupulosity, a proper deep dive into OCD subtypes with an expert.


This week, Leela and Pri sit down with Mary Rogers Kirby of Creating Solutions, a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in anxiety, OCD, and trauma. Mary Rogers takes them through the full spectrum of OCD subtypes, including the well-known varieties like contamination and checking, and the lesser-known themes like relationship OCD (ROCD) and religious scrupulosity, with clarity and compassion.


But first: what is the connection between Britney Spears and George W. Bush? It involves Karl Rove. Get comfortable, because it's a whole journey.


And to close: Pri visits the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, famously one of the most haunted hotels in America, where the ghosts are surprisingly productive.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Happy Birthday Britney Spears!


OCD

Mary Rogers Kirby (Psychology Today)

Creating Solutions


DTWM

Crescent Moon Hotel, Eureka Springs


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA['Tis the Season: OCD During the Holidays: Triggers, Tools & Survival Guide + Cozy Christmas Watchlist & the Winchester Mystery House]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT 1:04:10 6926877be85b4ee0f9fb8076 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/tis-the-season-what-were-watching-spending-the-holidays-with 6926877be85b4ee0f9fb8076 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb tis-the-season-what-were-watching-spending-the-holidays-with full 18 The holiday season is beautiful, chaotic, and genuinely hard if you live with OCD. Let's build a toolkit.


This week, Leela and Pri get real about what it's like to navigate OCD during the holidays. The triggers that spike, why this time of year can feel especially overwhelming, and the practical strategies that help you find peace amid the festive chaos.


Plus: the holiday movie watchlist. From unlikely Christmas classics like The Godfather to new favourites like Christmas Karma, Leela and Pri share what's getting them into the spirit this season.


And to close: a chilling atmospheric tale about the Winchester Mystery House, with its endless staircases to nowhere, secret rooms, and decidedly haunted history.


Happy holidays from Drinking Tea with Monsters! ☕🎄


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Merchants of Joy (Amazon Prime)

Godfather (available to watch for free on Pluto, Tubi ; with subscription on Paramount+, Hulu, and Roku)

Goodfellas (available to rent)

A Bronx Tale (available with subscription on Amazon Prime, Roku, YouTube, AMC+)

Christmas karma trailer


OCD

IOCDF

NOCD

How can you deal with OCD during the holidays? (NOCD)

How To Manage Holiday Season Stress (NOCD)

How to Embrace Joy while Managing OCD This Holiday Season (NOCD)


DTWM

Winchester Mystery House


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The holiday season is beautiful, chaotic, and genuinely hard if you live with OCD. Let's build a toolkit.


This week, Leela and Pri get real about what it's like to navigate OCD during the holidays. The triggers that spike, why this time of year can feel especially overwhelming, and the practical strategies that help you find peace amid the festive chaos.


Plus: the holiday movie watchlist. From unlikely Christmas classics like The Godfather to new favourites like Christmas Karma, Leela and Pri share what's getting them into the spirit this season.


And to close: a chilling atmospheric tale about the Winchester Mystery House, with its endless staircases to nowhere, secret rooms, and decidedly haunted history.


Happy holidays from Drinking Tea with Monsters! ☕🎄


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Merchants of Joy (Amazon Prime)

Godfather (available to watch for free on Pluto, Tubi ; with subscription on Paramount+, Hulu, and Roku)

Goodfellas (available to rent)

A Bronx Tale (available with subscription on Amazon Prime, Roku, YouTube, AMC+)

Christmas karma trailer


OCD

IOCDF

NOCD

How can you deal with OCD during the holidays? (NOCD)

How To Manage Holiday Season Stress (NOCD)

How to Embrace Joy while Managing OCD This Holiday Season (NOCD)


DTWM

Winchester Mystery House


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Magical Thinking OCD Explained + OCD Gamechangers, Single Life & The Mystery of Gadsby's Tavern]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT 45:33 691d6729295fc6e848f69ac5 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/single-people-portions-magical-thinking-ocd-explained-and-th 691d6729295fc6e848f69ac5 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb single-people-portions-magical-thinking-ocd-explained-and-th full 17 Magical thinking OCD: it's not cute witchy whimsy. Here's what it actually is.


Magical thinking OCD involves illogical but overwhelming beliefs, the sense that your thoughts or actions can influence unrelated events, or that something terrible will happen if you don't perform a specific ritual. This week, Leela shares her experience with it, how it overlaps with other OCD subtypes, and what's helped her manage it.


Plus: Leela performs at an open mic hosted by OCD Gamechangers and reflects on why supportive community spaces matter so much in the healing journey.

Also: an honest conversation about single life and why the world feels designed for couples.


And to close: Pri uncovers the eerie tale of Room 8 at Gadsby's Tavern, a ghost story with deep roots in American history.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

OCD Gamechangers


OCD

IOCDF

NOCD

Magical Thinking OCD (NOCD)

Don't forget about Authentic Connections Counseling webinar on November 20th. Sign up for free today! https://forms.gle/8z25C62ZEhXd6XJE9


DTWM

Gadsby's Tavern


Tangent Stuff

Video about the Universe


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Magical thinking OCD: it's not cute witchy whimsy. Here's what it actually is.


Magical thinking OCD involves illogical but overwhelming beliefs, the sense that your thoughts or actions can influence unrelated events, or that something terrible will happen if you don't perform a specific ritual. This week, Leela shares her experience with it, how it overlaps with other OCD subtypes, and what's helped her manage it.


Plus: Leela performs at an open mic hosted by OCD Gamechangers and reflects on why supportive community spaces matter so much in the healing journey.

Also: an honest conversation about single life and why the world feels designed for couples.


And to close: Pri uncovers the eerie tale of Room 8 at Gadsby's Tavern, a ghost story with deep roots in American history.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

OCD Gamechangers


OCD

IOCDF

NOCD

Magical Thinking OCD (NOCD)

Don't forget about Authentic Connections Counseling webinar on November 20th. Sign up for free today! https://forms.gle/8z25C62ZEhXd6XJE9


DTWM

Gadsby's Tavern


Tangent Stuff

Video about the Universe


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[The OCD Cycle Explained with Therapist April Grant + Ms. Rachel & a Haunting in 1920s Paris]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:05:51 GMT 56:04 69143fe0a17ebcde88dfb6bf true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/just-a-couple-of-ms-rachel-stans-the-ocd-cycle-triggers-and 69143fe0a17ebcde88dfb6bf 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb just-a-couple-of-ms-rachel-stans-the-ocd-cycle-triggers-and full 16 The OCD cycle: what it is, what triggers it, and, crucially, how to interrupt it.


This week, Leela and Pri are joined by special guest April Grant, Resident Counselor at Authentic Connections Counseling and Founder of True North Therapy, specializing in ADHD and OCD. April walks them through the OCD cycle in fullL: the obsession, the anxiety, the compulsion, the temporary relief, and why the cycle keeps spinning. She shares thoughtful strategies for responding in both the short and long term.


Plus: the one and only Ms. Rachel. Beloved children's entertainer, advocate, all-around beacon of positivity. Leela and Pri are fully, unironically obsessed.


And to close: Leela whisks everyone away to Paris, summer of 1925, for a haunting tale of The Lonely Musician.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Ms. Rachel

You can find Ms. Rachel for grown up videos on socials:



OCD

April Grant

Authentic Connections Counseling (Ashburn, VA) - check out their monthly free webinars

Search for a therapist at Psychology Today


DTWM

The Lonely Musician


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The OCD cycle: what it is, what triggers it, and, crucially, how to interrupt it.


This week, Leela and Pri are joined by special guest April Grant, Resident Counselor at Authentic Connections Counseling and Founder of True North Therapy, specializing in ADHD and OCD. April walks them through the OCD cycle in fullL: the obsession, the anxiety, the compulsion, the temporary relief, and why the cycle keeps spinning. She shares thoughtful strategies for responding in both the short and long term.


Plus: the one and only Ms. Rachel. Beloved children's entertainer, advocate, all-around beacon of positivity. Leela and Pri are fully, unironically obsessed.


And to close: Leela whisks everyone away to Paris, summer of 1925, for a haunting tale of The Lonely Musician.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Ms. Rachel

You can find Ms. Rachel for grown up videos on socials:



OCD

April Grant

Authentic Connections Counseling (Ashburn, VA) - check out their monthly free webinars

Search for a therapist at Psychology Today


DTWM

The Lonely Musician


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Hidden OCD Compulsions: The Mental Rituals Nobody Can See + the Avril Lavigne Conspiracy & the Ghosts of Himeji Castle]]> Wed, 05 Nov 2025 23:16:55 GMT 1:10:41 690bdae7317c91fd9a9da3a8 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/did-avril-lavigne-die-in-2003-hidden-compulsions-in-ocd-and 690bdae7317c91fd9a9da3a8 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb did-avril-lavigne-die-in-2003-hidden-compulsions-in-ocd-and full 15 The most exhausting OCD compulsions are the ones no one can see. Here's what they look like.


This week, Leela and Pri explore the hidden side of OCD. The invisible mental compulsions that are just as powerful (and draining) as the ones you can observe. Ruminating, reviewing, reassurance-seeking, avoidance. The rituals that happen entirely inside your head, and why they're so hard to stop.


Plus: did Avril Lavigne actually die in 2003 and get replaced by a look-alike called Melissa? Leela and Pri go deep on one of pop culture's wildest conspiracy theories, compare it to similar mysteries surrounding Paul McCartney and Elvis, and debate the entire pop-punk legacy while they're at it.


And to close: a visit to Himeji Castle, perched on Mount Himeyama in Japan, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a genuinely chilling history.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


Tangent Stuff

Stay at home daughter: @daphnimarina

Kerrygold: Still the best cheese

Authentic Connections

The relationship between OCD and ADHD: Are they connected?


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Avril Esta Morta


OCD

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

OCD Mental Compulsions: When OCD is hidden (NOCD)


DTWM

Himeji Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The most exhausting OCD compulsions are the ones no one can see. Here's what they look like.


This week, Leela and Pri explore the hidden side of OCD. The invisible mental compulsions that are just as powerful (and draining) as the ones you can observe. Ruminating, reviewing, reassurance-seeking, avoidance. The rituals that happen entirely inside your head, and why they're so hard to stop.


Plus: did Avril Lavigne actually die in 2003 and get replaced by a look-alike called Melissa? Leela and Pri go deep on one of pop culture's wildest conspiracy theories, compare it to similar mysteries surrounding Paul McCartney and Elvis, and debate the entire pop-punk legacy while they're at it.


And to close: a visit to Himeji Castle, perched on Mount Himeyama in Japan, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a genuinely chilling history.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


Tangent Stuff

Stay at home daughter: @daphnimarina

Kerrygold: Still the best cheese

Authentic Connections

The relationship between OCD and ADHD: Are they connected?


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Avril Esta Morta


OCD

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

OCD Mental Compulsions: When OCD is hidden (NOCD)


DTWM

Himeji Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Living with OCD, Told Through Fairytales: Our Halloween Special with The Carterhaugh School + Folklore That Will Actually Scare You Living with OCD, Told Through Fairytales: Our Halloween Special with The Carterhaugh School + Folklore That Will Actually Scare You Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT 1:14:49 6901545c91e8d679a0985dc4 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-halloween-episode-everybody-scream-nobody-wants-this-and 6901545c91e8d679a0985dc4 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-halloween-episode-everybody-scream-nobody-wants-this-and full 14 A Halloween special with folklorists, a rom-com obsession, and one guest's honest account of growing up with OCD.


This week Leela and Pri welcome special guests Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman, folklorists and co-founders of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic. Brittany shares her lived experience of growing up with OCD, what triggered the onset, how she got help, and the tools she uses to manage it every day. Sara reflects on supporting her, and both talk about building a business that plays to their individual strengths.


Plus: Florence and the Machine's Everybody Scream, the Netflix rom-com Nobody Wants This starring Adam Brody and Kristin Bell, and the full Hallmark Halloween breakdown.


And to close: Sara and Brittany treat us to a fairytale to be truly afraid of: The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn About Fear.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🎃


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Everybody Scream by Florence and the Machine - out October 31, pre-order now!

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Haul Out the Halloween (Hallmark)


OCD

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)


DTWM

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Pre-order Fairylore by Brittany Warman and Sara Cleto

Socials: IG: @carterhaugh.school | Pinterest: @carterhaughschool | YT: @carterhaughschool | FB: @carterhaughschool


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A Halloween special with folklorists, a rom-com obsession, and one guest's honest account of growing up with OCD.


This week Leela and Pri welcome special guests Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman, folklorists and co-founders of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic. Brittany shares her lived experience of growing up with OCD, what triggered the onset, how she got help, and the tools she uses to manage it every day. Sara reflects on supporting her, and both talk about building a business that plays to their individual strengths.


Plus: Florence and the Machine's Everybody Scream, the Netflix rom-com Nobody Wants This starring Adam Brody and Kristin Bell, and the full Hallmark Halloween breakdown.


And to close: Sara and Brittany treat us to a fairytale to be truly afraid of: The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn About Fear.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. 🎃


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Everybody Scream by Florence and the Machine - out October 31, pre-order now!

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Haul Out the Halloween (Hallmark)


OCD

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)


DTWM

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic

Pre-order Fairylore by Brittany Warman and Sara Cleto

Socials: IG: @carterhaugh.school | Pinterest: @carterhaughschool | YT: @carterhaughschool | FB: @carterhaughschool


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[How to Support Someone with OCD: What Helps, What Hurts & What Never to Say + Brett Goldstein & Belcourt Castle]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2025 07:13:00 GMT 1:21:50 68f88065b24744dd483bcca6 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/we-love-roy-kent-how-to-support-someone-with-ocd-and-the-thr 68f88065b24744dd483bcca6 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb we-love-roy-kent-how-to-support-someone-with-ocd-and-the-thr full 13 If someone you love has OCD, this episode is for you, and for them.


This week, Pri shares her personal experience supporting Leela through OCD. What's actually helped? What should you never say? Why do you have to protect your own mental health as a supporter, too? And how do you help someone in a flare without accidentally making it worse?


Plus: the Roy Kent spiral is real. Pri goes deep on Brett Goldstein: Ted Lasso, Shrinking, All of You, and his early work SuperBob (celebrating its 10th anniversary). We have no notes.


And to close: Leela tells the ghostly tale of Belcourt Castle in Rhode Island, its opulent Gilded Age roots, its haunted antiques, and the question everyone wants answered: can secondhand treasures carry spirits?


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...Brett Goldstein and all of his works

Superbob (Amazon, Roku, & Tubi)

All of You (Apple TV)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

Shrinking (Apple TV)


OCD

If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Call or text 988 or start a chat online  to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Living with someone with OCD: How to help and support them (NOCD)

Living With Someone Who Has OCD. Guidelines for Family Members (IOCDF)

Families: “What Can I Do to Help?” (IOCDF)

Helping someone with OCD (MindUK)


DTWM

Belcourt Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> If someone you love has OCD, this episode is for you, and for them.


This week, Pri shares her personal experience supporting Leela through OCD. What's actually helped? What should you never say? Why do you have to protect your own mental health as a supporter, too? And how do you help someone in a flare without accidentally making it worse?


Plus: the Roy Kent spiral is real. Pri goes deep on Brett Goldstein: Ted Lasso, Shrinking, All of You, and his early work SuperBob (celebrating its 10th anniversary). We have no notes.


And to close: Leela tells the ghostly tale of Belcourt Castle in Rhode Island, its opulent Gilded Age roots, its haunted antiques, and the question everyone wants answered: can secondhand treasures carry spirits?


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...Brett Goldstein and all of his works

Superbob (Amazon, Roku, & Tubi)

All of You (Apple TV)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV)

Shrinking (Apple TV)


OCD

If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, consider using the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Call or text 988 or start a chat online  to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Living with someone with OCD: How to help and support them (NOCD)

Living With Someone Who Has OCD. Guidelines for Family Members (IOCDF)

Families: “What Can I Do to Help?” (IOCDF)

Helping someone with OCD (MindUK)


DTWM

Belcourt Castle


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Myths Debunked: "I'm So OCD" & Other Things to Stop Saying + Late Night Comedy & the Fox Sisters]]> Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:03:49 GMT 53:42 68ef47555fb0875a11de3d9a true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/ocd-myths-debunked-spirit-talk-fox-sisters-late-night 68ef47555fb0875a11de3d9a 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb ocd-myths-debunked-spirit-talk-fox-sisters-late-night full 12 "You probably like your OCD though, right?" No. Let's fix that, and a few other myths while we're here.


Think OCD is just being super neat? Think again. This week, Leela and Pri tackle the most common OCD misconceptions head-on:

  • "I'm so OCD"
  • "You probably like your OCD though, right?"
  • "Why can't you just stop thinking about it?"

They also walk through how to open up a conversation about OCD with your support network, the words that help, and the ones that really don't.


Plus: a deep dive into the world of late night comedy, the careers, the scandals, and the recent cancellations of Colbert, Kimmel, Conan. And yes, they get real about Fallon.


And to close: Pri shares the eerie true story of the Fox Sisters, the 19th century mediums who helped ignite the Spiritualism movement. Frauds, or genuinely tuned into something else?


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

IOCDF on Instagram

Sign-up for the webinar on ADHD, OCD, and Anxiety by Authentic Connections Counseling on October 17th


DTWM

The Fox Sisters


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> "You probably like your OCD though, right?" No. Let's fix that, and a few other myths while we're here.


Think OCD is just being super neat? Think again. This week, Leela and Pri tackle the most common OCD misconceptions head-on:

  • "I'm so OCD"
  • "You probably like your OCD though, right?"
  • "Why can't you just stop thinking about it?"

They also walk through how to open up a conversation about OCD with your support network, the words that help, and the ones that really don't.


Plus: a deep dive into the world of late night comedy, the careers, the scandals, and the recent cancellations of Colbert, Kimmel, Conan. And yes, they get real about Fallon.


And to close: Pri shares the eerie true story of the Fox Sisters, the 19th century mediums who helped ignite the Spiritualism movement. Frauds, or genuinely tuned into something else?


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

IOCDF on Instagram

Sign-up for the webinar on ADHD, OCD, and Anxiety by Authentic Connections Counseling on October 17th


DTWM

The Fox Sisters


Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Community & Why It Matters + Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl & the Gothic Origins of Strawberry Hill House]]> Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT 1:00:05 68e601a3de9a2a62c47a2712 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl-review-ocd-community-wi 68e601a3de9a2a62c47a2712 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl-review-ocd-community-wi full 11 Living with OCD can feel isolating. Community changes that. Here's why it matters and how to find it.


This week, Leela and Pri talk about the power of OCD community: why connection is essential to the healing journey, how the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) is building it through events like One Million Steps for OCD, and how you can get involved.


Plus: Leela and Pri give their very necessary, very delayed hot takes on Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl. Are they the last people on Earth to share their thoughts? Probably. Are the takes still hot? Absolutely.


And to close: a gothic detour to Strawberry Hill House in England, the whimsical castle that inspired The Castle of Otranto and gave birth to gothic literature as we know it.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Lauren Graham's Walk of Fame Ceremony.

The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

One Million Steps for OCD


Tangent

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic! 

Profs and Pints


DTWM

Strawberry Hill House

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole



Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Living with OCD can feel isolating. Community changes that. Here's why it matters and how to find it.


This week, Leela and Pri talk about the power of OCD community: why connection is essential to the healing journey, how the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) is building it through events like One Million Steps for OCD, and how you can get involved.


Plus: Leela and Pri give their very necessary, very delayed hot takes on Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl. Are they the last people on Earth to share their thoughts? Probably. Are the takes still hot? Absolutely.


And to close: a gothic detour to Strawberry Hill House in England, the whimsical castle that inspired The Castle of Otranto and gave birth to gothic literature as we know it.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Lauren Graham's Walk of Fame Ceremony.

The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift


OCD

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

One Million Steps for OCD


Tangent

The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic! 

Profs and Pints


DTWM

Strawberry Hill House

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole



Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Compulsions Explained: Tools That Actually Help + Witchy Fall Reads & the Haunted White House]]> Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT 58:16 68dcac3909b1c365e4a89c0f true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/witchy-fall-reads-ocd-compulsions-and-the-haunted-history-of 68dcac3909b1c365e4a89c0f 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb witchy-fall-reads-ocd-compulsions-and-the-haunted-history-of full 10 OCD compulsions: what they are, why they feel impossible to resist, and the tools that help reduce their grip.


This week, Leela shares her experience with OCD compulsions, the rituals, the loops, the exhaustion, and the specific strategies that have helped her manage and reduce their intensity over time.


Plus: it's fall reading season and Leela and Pri have the perfect witchy, magical list to get you through it. Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, cozy, enchanting, and absolutely the right energy for autumn.


And to close: a spooky trip to the White House to uncover the eerie history of its most famous ghostly residents, and the celebrities who've reportedly encountered them.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


P.S. — join the DTWM team for the IOCDF One Million Steps for OCD Walk!


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Fall books

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alex Dumas (Goodreads)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Goodreads)

The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Goodreads)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna


OCD

NOCD

IOCDF


Tangent

You’re Got Mail (IMDb)

When Harry Met Sally (IMDb)

Everything We Know About the ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel (Rolling Stone)


Things we're excited for

Hacks HBO

All of You Apple TV

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman


Join us for the One Million Steps for OCD Walk.

DTWM Team page


DTWM

The ghosts of The White House



Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD compulsions: what they are, why they feel impossible to resist, and the tools that help reduce their grip.


This week, Leela shares her experience with OCD compulsions, the rituals, the loops, the exhaustion, and the specific strategies that have helped her manage and reduce their intensity over time.


Plus: it's fall reading season and Leela and Pri have the perfect witchy, magical list to get you through it. Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, cozy, enchanting, and absolutely the right energy for autumn.


And to close: a spooky trip to the White House to uncover the eerie history of its most famous ghostly residents, and the celebrities who've reportedly encountered them.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


P.S. — join the DTWM team for the IOCDF One Million Steps for OCD Walk!


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Fall books

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alex Dumas (Goodreads)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Goodreads)

The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Goodreads)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna


OCD

NOCD

IOCDF


Tangent

You’re Got Mail (IMDb)

When Harry Met Sally (IMDb)

Everything We Know About the ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel (Rolling Stone)


Things we're excited for

Hacks HBO

All of You Apple TV

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman


Join us for the One Million Steps for OCD Walk.

DTWM Team page


DTWM

The ghosts of The White House



Contact Us

IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Flare-Ups: What Triggers Them & How to Manage + Only Murders in the Building & the Lazy Ghosts of Scotney Castle]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT 1:06:04 68d37722704fa58404ca8397 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/old-hollywood-friendships-how-to-deal-with-an-ocd-flai 68d37722704fa58404ca8397 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb old-hollywood-friendships-how-to-deal-with-an-ocd-flai full 9 OCD flare-ups happen. Here's what triggers them, what makes them worse, and what you can actually do.


This week, Leela and Pri dive deep into OCD flares, the sudden intensifications that feel like everything is getting worse at once. What sets them off? What accidentally fuels them? And what are some strategies to get through them without completely losing it?


Plus: Leela is obsessed with the old Hollywood friendships she loves most, the love language of teasing, and Only Murders in the Building Season 5. There are also fall TV, book, and podcast recommendations, cross-cultural identities, and Punjabi music going mainstream in America.


And to close: a visit to the impressively lazy ghosts of Scotney Castle, who've been haunting the place for centuries with minimal effort.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


TV

Only Murders in the Building is back for Season 5 on Disney+/Hulu

High Potential on Hulu

The Paper is available on Peacock

Wednesday is out now on Netflix


PODCASTS

Off Menu

Films to Be Buried With


BOOKS

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes


OCD

Resources used for this episode:





Drinking Tea with Monsters

Scotney Castle


Tangent Stuff

Karan Aujla and One Republic


Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD flare-ups happen. Here's what triggers them, what makes them worse, and what you can actually do.


This week, Leela and Pri dive deep into OCD flares, the sudden intensifications that feel like everything is getting worse at once. What sets them off? What accidentally fuels them? And what are some strategies to get through them without completely losing it?


Plus: Leela is obsessed with the old Hollywood friendships she loves most, the love language of teasing, and Only Murders in the Building Season 5. There are also fall TV, book, and podcast recommendations, cross-cultural identities, and Punjabi music going mainstream in America.


And to close: a visit to the impressively lazy ghosts of Scotney Castle, who've been haunting the place for centuries with minimal effort.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


TV

Only Murders in the Building is back for Season 5 on Disney+/Hulu

High Potential on Hulu

The Paper is available on Peacock

Wednesday is out now on Netflix


PODCASTS

Off Menu

Films to Be Buried With


BOOKS

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes


OCD

Resources used for this episode:





Drinking Tea with Monsters

Scotney Castle


Tangent Stuff

Karan Aujla and One Republic


Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & Social Media: The Double-Edged Scroll + Fall Cozy Season & Flying Potatoes in Norway]]> Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:33:00 GMT 49:27 68ca31d5dc62f0e1d6d2f02c true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/apple-pie-for-breakfast-ocd-and-social-media-and-flying-pota 68ca31d5dc62f0e1d6d2f02c 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb apple-pie-for-breakfast-ocd-and-social-media-and-flying-pota full 8 Social media can be a resource for OCD, and a trap. Sometimes on the same day.


This week, Leela and Pri take a close look at the plusses and pitfalls of social media when you live with OCD: from the mental health knowledge-sharing communities that genuinely help, to the triggers that sneak up on you, to the compulsive doomscroll that steals hours from your life. TikTok, we see you.


But first: it's fall, and Pri has a cozy recipe she's been enjoying that's basically apple pie for breakfast. Pumpkin spice lattes. The Gilmore Girls Emmys moment. We're ready.


And to close: Leela takes us to a haunted grocery store in a tiny village in a Norwegian forest. The ghosts there have a surprisingly active social life.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Apple Pie Oatmeal recipe

The Kerrygold cheese we like

The oats we like


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

How Social Media Can Trigger OCD and 3 Ways To Respond (A NOCD resource)

The Intricate (and New) Link Between OCD and Social Media (Northlake Behavioral Health System)

Brick for your phone


Drinking Tea with Monsters

A haunted grocery store in Norway


Tangent Stuff

The Dish Podcast

Good Hang Podcast with Amy Poehler

Gilmore Girls reunion at the Emmys




Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Social media can be a resource for OCD, and a trap. Sometimes on the same day.


This week, Leela and Pri take a close look at the plusses and pitfalls of social media when you live with OCD: from the mental health knowledge-sharing communities that genuinely help, to the triggers that sneak up on you, to the compulsive doomscroll that steals hours from your life. TikTok, we see you.


But first: it's fall, and Pri has a cozy recipe she's been enjoying that's basically apple pie for breakfast. Pumpkin spice lattes. The Gilmore Girls Emmys moment. We're ready.


And to close: Leela takes us to a haunted grocery store in a tiny village in a Norwegian forest. The ghosts there have a surprisingly active social life.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...


Apple Pie Oatmeal recipe

The Kerrygold cheese we like

The oats we like


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

How Social Media Can Trigger OCD and 3 Ways To Respond (A NOCD resource)

The Intricate (and New) Link Between OCD and Social Media (Northlake Behavioral Health System)

Brick for your phone


Drinking Tea with Monsters

A haunted grocery store in Norway


Tangent Stuff

The Dish Podcast

Good Hang Podcast with Amy Poehler

Gilmore Girls reunion at the Emmys




Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Celebrity OCD Stories & Calming Techniques + Jonathan Taylor Thomas's Return & a Haunted Fort in Rajasthan]]> Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT 1:10:30 68c0a6810e15f0d45536c66a true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-return-of-jonathan-taylor-thomas-celebrity-ocd-stories 68c0a6810e15f0d45536c66a 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-return-of-jonathan-taylor-thomas-celebrity-ocd-stories full 7 OCD doesn't have to be the defining part of your story. Here's proof, featuring some famous company.


This week, Leela takes a hopeful look at OCD, sharing a calming exercise that has genuinely helped reduce anxiety in panic moments, and exploring the stories of

celebrities who have thrived despite living with debilitating OCD themes. What triggered their symptoms? What helped?


Plus: 90s heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas is back! Leela and Pri dive into the Home Improvement reunion, Tim Allen's career, and a controversial take on the sitcom. There's also a detour into the fever dream that was American Gladiators.


And to close: Pri tells the story of Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India, so haunted it's actually illegal to visit at night.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Home Improvement - the reunion

Watch Home Improvement on Disney+ and Netflix

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Watch Shifting Gears on Disney+ and ABC


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Watch My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Apple TV

NOCD therapy resource


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Rajasthan 

Bhanghar Fort


Tangent Stuff

Watch American Gladiator on Amazon Prime or Roku

Watch Muscles & Mayhem, An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators on Netflix

Brick for your phone



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD doesn't have to be the defining part of your story. Here's proof, featuring some famous company.


This week, Leela takes a hopeful look at OCD, sharing a calming exercise that has genuinely helped reduce anxiety in panic moments, and exploring the stories of

celebrities who have thrived despite living with debilitating OCD themes. What triggered their symptoms? What helped?


Plus: 90s heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas is back! Leela and Pri dive into the Home Improvement reunion, Tim Allen's career, and a controversial take on the sitcom. There's also a detour into the fever dream that was American Gladiators.


And to close: Pri tells the story of Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India, so haunted it's actually illegal to visit at night.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Home Improvement - the reunion

Watch Home Improvement on Disney+ and Netflix

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Watch Shifting Gears on Disney+ and ABC


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Watch My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Apple TV

NOCD therapy resource


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Rajasthan 

Bhanghar Fort


Tangent Stuff

Watch American Gladiator on Amazon Prime or Roku

Watch Muscles & Mayhem, An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators on Netflix

Brick for your phone



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & Therapy: Our Honest Journey + The Dish Podcast & a French Ghost Love Triangle]]> Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT 49:03 68b50d6fe9dcbdcab9f1fa10 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-dish-therapy-journeys-french-love-triangle 68b50d6fe9dcbdcab9f1fa10 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-dish-therapy-journeys-french-love-triangle full 6 Therapy for OCD: the challenges, the breakthroughs, and why we're sticking with it.


This week, Leela and Pri get real about their therapy journeys. The hard parts, the helpful parts, and the reason they've both kept going even when it's been difficult. What's worked, what hasn't, and what they wish they'd known at the start.


But first: Pri is deep in The Dish, a foodie podcast from the very posh British grocery store Waitrose, and it's her current favourite comfort listen. There's also a waffle-vs-pancake debate that we need your help to settle!


And to close: Leela shares the haunting of Château de Brissac in France, and why French love is, apparently, forever.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Dish Podcast


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

NOCD therapy resource

The Chutney Life List of South Asian Therapists 


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Chateau de Brissac


Tangent Stuff

Waffle (and pancake) recipe from Ambitious Kitchen



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Therapy for OCD: the challenges, the breakthroughs, and why we're sticking with it.


This week, Leela and Pri get real about their therapy journeys. The hard parts, the helpful parts, and the reason they've both kept going even when it's been difficult. What's worked, what hasn't, and what they wish they'd known at the start.


But first: Pri is deep in The Dish, a foodie podcast from the very posh British grocery store Waitrose, and it's her current favourite comfort listen. There's also a waffle-vs-pancake debate that we need your help to settle!


And to close: Leela shares the haunting of Château de Brissac in France, and why French love is, apparently, forever.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Dish Podcast


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/

NOCD therapy resource

The Chutney Life List of South Asian Therapists 


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Chateau de Brissac


Tangent Stuff

Waffle (and pancake) recipe from Ambitious Kitchen



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD & Uncertainty: The Phoebe Buffay Theory of Discomfort + the Garth Brooks Serial Killer Theory & Mrs. Bagsby's Haunting]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2025 08:04:00 GMT 1:05:09 68ae874d73bf5b629894c11f true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/is-garth-brooks-a-serial-killer-the-phoebe-buffay-theory-of 68ae874d73bf5b629894c11f 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb is-garth-brooks-a-serial-killer-the-phoebe-buffay-theory-of full 5 Uncertainty is OCD's fuel. So how do you stop feeding it?


This week, Leela unpacks uncertainty and discomfort, two of OCD's most powerful tools, and shares how she experiences and navigates them day to day. Enter: the Phoebe Buffay theory of OCD.


But first: does Garth Brooks have a secret? Leela and Pri investigate the viral theory (and discover what comedian Tom Segura has to do with it). Plus: the social media algorithm is doing something to all of us, and we have thoughts.


Congratulations to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on their engagement! 💍


And to close: Pri tells the story of the haunting Mrs. Bagsby of the Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn in Staunton, Virginia, atmospheric, unsettling, and completely worth staying for.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Chris Gaines on YouTube

Tom Segura's Podcast, Your Mom's House

Monk Episode referencing Garth Brooks: Season 3 Episode 6: Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf (via IMDB)


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn


Tangent Stuff

New Heights, the Taylor Swift episode

Pre-order The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift, out October 3

The Taylor Swift engagement announcement (on Instagram)

Prince Harry's Spare (via Amazon)

The Powers Twins (via the AP)



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Uncertainty is OCD's fuel. So how do you stop feeding it?


This week, Leela unpacks uncertainty and discomfort, two of OCD's most powerful tools, and shares how she experiences and navigates them day to day. Enter: the Phoebe Buffay theory of OCD.


But first: does Garth Brooks have a secret? Leela and Pri investigate the viral theory (and discover what comedian Tom Segura has to do with it). Plus: the social media algorithm is doing something to all of us, and we have thoughts.


Congratulations to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on their engagement! 💍


And to close: Pri tells the story of the haunting Mrs. Bagsby of the Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn in Staunton, Virginia, atmospheric, unsettling, and completely worth staying for.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Chris Gaines on YouTube

Tom Segura's Podcast, Your Mom's House

Monk Episode referencing Garth Brooks: Season 3 Episode 6: Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf (via IMDB)


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/


Drinking Tea with Monsters

Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant and Inn


Tangent Stuff

New Heights, the Taylor Swift episode

Pre-order The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift, out October 3

The Taylor Swift engagement announcement (on Instagram)

Prince Harry's Spare (via Amazon)

The Powers Twins (via the AP)



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Subtypes Explained: Contamination, Harm & False Memory + The Thursday Murder Club & The Comedy Store Hauntings]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:15:00 GMT 1:18:54 68a571bc73bf5b6298d5b8c2 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-thursday-murder-club-ocd-loves-a-theme-and-tales-of-the 68a571bc73bf5b6298d5b8c2 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-thursday-murder-club-ocd-loves-a-theme-and-tales-of-the full 4 OCD isn't one thing. There are themes and knowing yours changes everything.


This week, Leela walks through the major OCD subtypes, from contamination and germs to harm and responsibility to false memory, sharing her own thematic experiences and what it actually feels like to live inside each one.


Plus: Pri is obsessed with the upcoming Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan starrer The Thursday Murder Club, based on Richard Osman's beloved book series, coming to Netflix August 28th. A conversation about cozy mysteries, aging millennials, and a Brett Goldstein podcast tangent that was absolutely unavoidable.


And to close: Leela tells the story of the hauntings at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, California, a building with a genuinely dark history behind its famous laughs.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix, available August 28th.

The Thursday Murder Club Book series.


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/#obsessions.


Drinking Tea with Monsters

The Comedy Store, LA

Hollywood Haunted by Laurie Jacobson


Tangent Stuff

Listen to Films to be Buried With with Brett Goldstein wherever you get your podcasts

Pre-order The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift, out October 3



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> OCD isn't one thing. There are themes and knowing yours changes everything.


This week, Leela walks through the major OCD subtypes, from contamination and germs to harm and responsibility to false memory, sharing her own thematic experiences and what it actually feels like to live inside each one.


Plus: Pri is obsessed with the upcoming Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan starrer The Thursday Murder Club, based on Richard Osman's beloved book series, coming to Netflix August 28th. A conversation about cozy mysteries, aging millennials, and a Brett Goldstein podcast tangent that was absolutely unavoidable.


And to close: Leela tells the story of the hauntings at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, California, a building with a genuinely dark history behind its famous laughs.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix, available August 28th.

The Thursday Murder Club Book series.


OCD

To learn more about OCD and the various common subtypes, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/#obsessions.


Drinking Tea with Monsters

The Comedy Store, LA

Hollywood Haunted by Laurie Jacobson


Tangent Stuff

Listen to Films to be Buried With with Brett Goldstein wherever you get your podcasts

Pre-order The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift, out October 3



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD Healing Journey: Why Recovery Isn't Linear + Millennial Reboots ft. Dawson's Creek & the Silent Twins]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:44:00 GMT 1:03:08 689a23ed880401ed57a4aa6e true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/joey-pacey-and-millenial-nostalgia-the-healing-journey-and-t 689a23ed880401ed57a4aa6e 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb joey-pacey-and-millenial-nostalgia-the-healing-journey-and-t full 3 The healing journey with OCD is non-linear, and often harder than anyone tells you it will be.


This week Leela and Pri dig into the OCD healing journey: why recovery doesn't follow a straight line, what to actually expect, and how to keep going when the path keeps changing.


Plus: the millennial era reboot is fully upon us. The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek, Freakier Friday. Leela and Pri run through every comeback they're excited about. (And, look, we know Taylor Swift and New Heights dropped today. We're excited about that too. We'll still be here tomorrow.)


And to close: Pri shares the haunting, true tale of June and Jennifer Gibbons, the Silent Twins, whose story is stranger than any haunting.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕



LINKS TO STUFF


General Stuff



I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Millennial nostalgia and the return of:


  • Freakier Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, in theater August 8
  • The Devil Wears Prada 2 - in production, expected 2026
  • The Princess Diaries 3 - in production, expected 2026
  • Happy Hours, written and directed by Katie Holmes, starring Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson
  • The Backstreet Boys residency in Las Vegas
  • Watch Too Much on Netflix


OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/.


Drinking Tea with Monsters

The Silent Twins movie (2022) available on Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Fandango.



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The healing journey with OCD is non-linear, and often harder than anyone tells you it will be.


This week Leela and Pri dig into the OCD healing journey: why recovery doesn't follow a straight line, what to actually expect, and how to keep going when the path keeps changing.


Plus: the millennial era reboot is fully upon us. The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek, Freakier Friday. Leela and Pri run through every comeback they're excited about. (And, look, we know Taylor Swift and New Heights dropped today. We're excited about that too. We'll still be here tomorrow.)


And to close: Pri shares the haunting, true tale of June and Jennifer Gibbons, the Silent Twins, whose story is stranger than any haunting.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕



LINKS TO STUFF


General Stuff



I'm, like, totally obsessed with...

Millennial nostalgia and the return of:


  • Freakier Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, in theater August 8
  • The Devil Wears Prada 2 - in production, expected 2026
  • The Princess Diaries 3 - in production, expected 2026
  • Happy Hours, written and directed by Katie Holmes, starring Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson
  • The Backstreet Boys residency in Las Vegas
  • Watch Too Much on Netflix


OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/.


Drinking Tea with Monsters

The Silent Twins movie (2022) available on Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Fandango.



Contact Us

INSTAGRAM: @drinkingteawithmonsters

EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[What Is OCD? Breaking Down Obsessions, Compulsions & Ruminations + the Most Haunted Town in England]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:45:00 GMT 54:20 68846f66e0a86cc3ab38cf82 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/calming-influencers-breaking-down-ocd-and-the-most-haunted-t 68846f66e0a86cc3ab38cf82 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb calming-influencers-breaking-down-ocd-and-the-most-haunted-t full 2 Obsessions. Compulsions. Ruminations. Let's actually talk about what those words mean.


This week, Leela and Pri break down OCD with help from mental health expert Omar Bazza. What exactly is OCD? How do obsessions work? What's a compulsion, and what's rumination? Leela shares her lived experience navigating all three.


But first: the cosy, calming corner of TikTok and Instagram. The influencers making social media feel less like a doom scroll and more like a warm hug, Leela and Pri share who they follow and how to curate your own peaceful feed.


And to close: Leela once visited the most haunted pub in the most haunted town in England. You'll want to hear what happened.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm like totally obsessed with...

You can find the influencers and works mentioned in today's episode at the following handles and links:

@kelsewhatelse on Instagram

@thechutneylife on Instagram

@whatgreatgrandmaate on Instagram

@mealssheeats on Instagram

@blakespopnook on TikTok

@thecontouredlibrarian on TikTok

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker



OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/.


To get in touch with Omar Bazza find him on Twitter @bazzapower or email him at obazza3@gmail.com.



Drinking Tea with Monsters

Visit The Black Horse in Pluckley, Kent (if they let you).



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Obsessions. Compulsions. Ruminations. Let's actually talk about what those words mean.


This week, Leela and Pri break down OCD with help from mental health expert Omar Bazza. What exactly is OCD? How do obsessions work? What's a compulsion, and what's rumination? Leela shares her lived experience navigating all three.


But first: the cosy, calming corner of TikTok and Instagram. The influencers making social media feel less like a doom scroll and more like a warm hug, Leela and Pri share who they follow and how to curate your own peaceful feed.


And to close: Leela once visited the most haunted pub in the most haunted town in England. You'll want to hear what happened.


Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm like totally obsessed with...

You can find the influencers and works mentioned in today's episode at the following handles and links:

@kelsewhatelse on Instagram

@thechutneylife on Instagram

@whatgreatgrandmaate on Instagram

@mealssheeats on Instagram

@blakespopnook on TikTok

@thecontouredlibrarian on TikTok

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker



OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/.


To get in touch with Omar Bazza find him on Twitter @bazzapower or email him at obazza3@gmail.com.



Drinking Tea with Monsters

Visit The Black Horse in Pluckley, Kent (if they let you).



Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Anxious OCD: Leela's Personal Story + the Gilmore Girls Revival & A Haunted Camping Trip]]> Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:03:11 GMT 53:48 6883e87fe0a86cc3ab1efda8 true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/the-return-of-gilmore-girls-ocd-rears-its-ugly-head-and-othe 6883e87fe0a86cc3ab1efda8 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb the-return-of-gilmore-girls-ocd-rears-its-ugly-head-and-othe full 1 What's it like to live with OCD for years before actually finding out it's OCD?


Welcome to Drinking Tea with Monsters! In our very first episode, Leela shares her journey with anxious OCD, the early signs, what it feels like inside her brain, and the strategies that have helped her manage it. If you've ever wondered what OCD is really like beyond the stereotypes, this is the place to start.


Plus: the Gilmore Girls revival! When it's coming back, who's returning, who's coming to Friday Night Dinner, and the question everyone needs answered: who is the father of Rory's baby?


And to close: Pri shares a terrifying tale about the time she almost went camping, and the ghosts she met along the way.


Get cosy, grab a blanket and a hot drink. Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm like totally obsessed with...

You can watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or the Hallmark Channel.


OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/


Drinking Tea with Monsters

To book a stay or learn more about the haunted cottage, follow the links below.

Airbnb: https://abnb.me/WMYWWETm7xb

Cottage Tour: https://youtu.be/ysyQ0hAyEPE


Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What's it like to live with OCD for years before actually finding out it's OCD?


Welcome to Drinking Tea with Monsters! In our very first episode, Leela shares her journey with anxious OCD, the early signs, what it feels like inside her brain, and the strategies that have helped her manage it. If you've ever wondered what OCD is really like beyond the stereotypes, this is the place to start.


Plus: the Gilmore Girls revival! When it's coming back, who's returning, who's coming to Friday Night Dinner, and the question everyone needs answered: who is the father of Rory's baby?


And to close: Pri shares a terrifying tale about the time she almost went camping, and the ghosts she met along the way.


Get cosy, grab a blanket and a hot drink. Here's hoping your tea is hot and your monsters are chill. ☕


LINKS TO STUFF


I'm like totally obsessed with...

You can watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or the Hallmark Channel.


OCD

To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/


Drinking Tea with Monsters

To book a stay or learn more about the haunted cottage, follow the links below.

Airbnb: https://abnb.me/WMYWWETm7xb

Cottage Tour: https://youtu.be/ysyQ0hAyEPE


Music

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/fernweh-goldfish/crooked-old-shrew

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/fairytales

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[OCD, Ghosts & Pop Culture: Welcome to Drinking Tea with Monsters]]> Sun, 27 Jul 2025 15:55:47 GMT 1:48 6883e2e53781311f914f099e true https://shows.acast.com/drinking-tea-with-monsters/episodes/drinking-tea-with-monsters-trailer 6883e2e53781311f914f099e 680ba1c856dd1f1d17e4d5fb drinking-tea-with-monsters-trailer trailer What if your anxiety support podcast also had ghost stories and pop culture? Welcome to Drinking Tea with Monsters.


Each week, Leela and Pri unpack living with OCD and anxiety, the obsessions, the compulsions, the bits nobody talks about.


But OCD is heavy, so they talk about some fun stuff too: every episode starts with something they're completely obsessed with, from pop culture to trends to whatever they're reading, watching, or listening to. Then they unpack one facet of OCD. And they close every episode by Drinking Tea with Monsters, by telling a spooky story about a supernatural occurrence, because nothing gets us out of our anxious brains quite like a good haunting.


So, to recap: pop culture, OCD, ghosts.


Cosy, candid, and occasionally chilling. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Grab a blanket and a hot drink. We've been expecting you.

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> What if your anxiety support podcast also had ghost stories and pop culture? Welcome to Drinking Tea with Monsters.


Each week, Leela and Pri unpack living with OCD and anxiety, the obsessions, the compulsions, the bits nobody talks about.


But OCD is heavy, so they talk about some fun stuff too: every episode starts with something they're completely obsessed with, from pop culture to trends to whatever they're reading, watching, or listening to. Then they unpack one facet of OCD. And they close every episode by Drinking Tea with Monsters, by telling a spooky story about a supernatural occurrence, because nothing gets us out of our anxious brains quite like a good haunting.


So, to recap: pop culture, OCD, ghosts.


Cosy, candid, and occasionally chilling. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Grab a blanket and a hot drink. We've been expecting you.

OCD Resources

IOCDF

Psychology Today


Looking for another cozy listen?

🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast. Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians.


Contact Us

📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters

📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>