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 ruptured 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 nightmare 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 needed
Connect with Alie!
Connect with me!