42. Hell on Earth: Surviving a Cult Exile, OCD, ADHD & Life-Threatening Illnesses with Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW cover art

42. Hell on Earth: Surviving a Cult Exile, OCD, ADHD & Life-Threatening Illnesses with Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW

42. Hell on Earth: Surviving a Cult Exile, OCD, ADHD & Life-Threatening Illnesses with Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW

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 On episode 42, I sit down with my dear friend, Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW—a therapist, advocate, & survivor whose life reads like an impossible novel: childhood autoimmune disease, undiagnosed OCD & ADHD, a high-control evangelical cult, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, near-death medical crises, & eventually, a 38/40 Y-BOCS spiral that forced her into residential ERP. That would be more than enough for most lifetimes—yet in 2022, she suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm that turned her worst health-OCD fears into terrifying reality. In this raw, unfiltered, & morbidly hilarious conversation, Alie tells the truth about what it's like to live inside a brain that won’t stop screaming—& how she finally found peace, purpose, & power on the other side.Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW, is a specialist in the treatment of OCD & anxiety-related disorders based in Denver, Colorado. She holds an MSW, has worked across all levels of care—IOP, PHP, residential, & inpatient, & is deeply committed to neurodivergent-affirming care, particularly for individuals with ADHD & Autism. Alie also specializes in supporting parents, families, adolescents, & young adults as they navigate complex mental health challenges. Through her own lived experience of severe OCD & advocacy, Alie brings both professional expertise & a deeply personal understanding to her work.Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):(00:00:00) Introduction & welcome to Alie!(00:06:20) Who is Alie? Cackling loudly, caring deeply, and keeping it real(00:17:10) Little Alie: Ontario winters, early-onset autoimmune illness, & toddler OCD traits(00:21:00) School refusal, character shaming, and the fallout of mislabeling neurodivergence(00:27:30) Baby carrot fingers, Harm OCD, robot-Dad obsessions, & mental compulsions in silence(00:31:35) Health OCD, bent-knee lip-syncing, & OCD invisibility in high school(00:38:00) How a youth-ministry cult fulfilled every OCD need for certainty & hyperresponsiblity(00:45:00) Age 15 inpatient psych stay, OCD diagnosis, depression & suicidality, & being incorrectly treated with hypnosis(01:00:00) Alternative high school pivot & graduating early(01:10:00) Evangelical college, gallstone crash, and inpatient hell at 17(01:17:00) Harm OCD meets ministry work: “swerve the car” & looping thoughts(01:27:00) Excommunicated: blacklisted as “dangerous,” unraveling in isolation(01:35:00) Youth residential jobs, MSW training, and surviving without treatment(01:42:00) COVID collapse: health OCD, full agoraphobia, extreme OCD, & being unable to eat or drink(01:49:00) Finally accessing evidence-based OCD treatment, residential treatment saving her life, becoming an OCD specialist(02:05:09) Near-fatal brain aneurysm: when your worst health obsession becomes reality, and how OCD treatment saved her life(02:10:49) Launching OCD & Anxiety Colorado, neurodivergent-affirming family-inclusive IOPs, & creating the resources that she once neededConnect with Alie!WebsiteInstagram: @Alie.Garza, @OCDAnxietyColoradoLinkedIn: Alie, OAPEmail: alie@ocdanxietycolorado.com⁠⁠⁠Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me!My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

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