FORWARD , Episode 103 "Sweet Tea" Most people think OCD means being neat and particular. It doesn't. In this episode, host CJ Monaghan sits down with Kennedy , a singer-songwriter from Kansas City, now based in Nashville, performing under the name Judo Blue , and Dr. Amy Mariaskin, licensed clinical psychologist and founding director of the Nashville OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center. Kennedy performs two original songs live in the studio. The first, "Sweet Tea," opens with one of the most vulnerable moments the Forward room has seen so far , the story of a night where passive suicidal ideation became active, a breakdown behind the wheel, and the conversation with his wife that changed everything. The second, "Dr. Goose," is a co-written coming-of-age song about nostalgia, self-doubt, and the slow work of finding your footing. Between the songs, Amy dismantles the most common OCD misconception , that it's about being tidy or particular , and replaces it with something far more accurate: sticky, unwanted intrusive thoughts that loop and compound, and the exhausting mental rituals people use to manage them. Kennedy describes his own experience with Pure O OCD, the paralysing perfectionism it brings to his creative process, and the counterintuitive strategy that finally got him unstuck. This conversation covers the relationship between OCD and creativity, why waiting until you feel ready means you'll never act, what relationship OCD actually looks like, and why early diagnosis matters more than most people realise. Amy also shares her own story , symptoms starting at age six or seven, diagnosis at 24, mid-session with her first OCD client. It's honest, funny, and at times genuinely moving. Exactly what this room is for. --- RESOURCES MENTIONED Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center: ocdnashville.com | @ocdnashville International OCD Foundation: iocdf.org Relationship OCD resource: rocd.net Book: Thriving in Relationships When You Have OCD by Dr. Amy Mariaskin ABOUT THE SHOW Forward is a Nashville-based podcast at the intersection of music and mental health. Each episode, a singer-songwriter performs an original song live in the studio, then sits alongside a mental health clinician or advocate for a conversation about what the song reveals. Forward is hosted by CJ Monaghan , songwriter, music industry insider, and someone navigating his own mental health journey. GUESTS THIS EPISODE Kennedy (Judo Blue) , Singer-songwriter , @judo.blue on all platforms Dr. Amy Mariaskin , Founding Director, Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center , ocdnashville.com New episodes monthly. Follow Forward on Instagram @forward.show Send us Fan Mail
