When the Mind Won’t Stop Checking: OCD and Mental Compulsions Artwork

Hidden in Plain Sight - ADHD, ASD, and OCD - The Often Missed Diagnoses Driving Overthinking, People Pleasing, Perfectionism, Self-Doubt, and Burnout

Let's see if this fits for you. You’re overwhelmed and tired, mentally, emotionally, maybe even physically. You overthink everything, feel like you're never doing enough, and constantly worry about what others think. You're often stuck in cycles of procrastination, perfectionism, or people-pleasing. Social situations can feel draining, and even rest doesn’t feel restful.

You’re the one who holds it together. You care deeply and try so hard to be good and helpful, while quietly unraveling inside. You get things done, but you never feel done. You never feel rested. You never feel right.

You find yourself endlessly scrolling, withdrawing from others, or struggling to feel motivated. If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. You’ve just been hidden in plain sight.

Hidden in Plain Sight is a podcast for people-pleasing, perfectionistic, over-giving women who can't seem to find relief. Hosted by psychologist Dr. Lauren Schaefer, this show explores the often-missed diagnoses behind lifelong anxiety, burnout, and shame in women who’ve spent years masking often-missed diagnoses that are often labeled as "just anxiety." This is a podcast for the women who’ve been called too sensitive, too anxious, too intense, or too much, when really, they’ve just been misunderstood.

We’ll talk about the perfectionism you've developed to hide your ADHD. Obsessive-compulsive personality traits that were mistaken for a “strong work ethic.” Autism that’s camouflaged by emotional intelligence, people pleasing, and hypervigilant masking.

Here you’ll find language for your exhaustion, compassion for your coping, and a mirror that finally reflects the truth: You were never too much. You were just unseen. This is a place to unmask, unravel, and understand the real reasons it’s always felt harder than it looked.

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Hidden in Plain Sight - ADHD, ASD, and OCD - The Often Missed Diagnoses Driving Overthinking, People Pleasing, Perfectionism, Self-Doubt, and Burnout

When the Mind Won’t Stop Checking: OCD and Mental Compulsions

October 16, 2025 • Dr. Lauren Schaefer • Season 1 • Episode 4

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In this episode, Dr. Lauren Schaefer unpacks the often invisible or overlooked side of OCD, mental compulsions. While many people associate OCD with visible rituals or checking behaviors, for others the compulsions happen largely in the mind: replaying conversations, analyzing motives, or mentally reviewing to find certainty and relief.

Lauren explores how these silent loops can disguise themselves as problem-solving or “just being thorough,” yet quietly maintain anxiety and self-doubt. She explains how to begin noticing when a thought becomes a compulsion, how reassurance-seeking reinforces the fear cycle, and what healing looks like when you learn to let the uncertainty stay.

Gentle, relatable, and deeply validating, this episode is for anyone who feels trapped in their thoughts and ready to start reclaiming their mental space.

Relevant Links:

Non-Engagement Responses https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/how-do-i-stop-thinking-about-this-what-to-do-when-youre-stuck-playing-mental-ping-pong/ and this

https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/effective-ways-you-can-respond-to-unwanted-thoughts

International OCD Foundation: How to find the right therapist. https://iocdf.org/ocd-finding-help/how-to-find-the-right-therapist/

Read more on Lauren’s Substack: https://substack.com/@hiddeninplainsightpodcast

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With warmth,

Dr. Lauren Schaefer