Drinking Tea with Monsters

About Drinking Tea with 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 (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Leela Dua

Category

comedy · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

27 Jul 2025

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

58 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   It’s OCD Awareness Week: We’re Aware, We’re Very Aware! + Kelly Clarkson Tried to Buy a $15,000 Robot Bird & It Did Not Go Well

   Kelly Clarkson walked into a Brooklyn magic shop, saw a $15,000 singing robot bird named Molly, and decided she wanted it. The shop said no! Big mistake! Big! Huge! But was it what they said or the way they said it? Clarkson said it had a price tag. The post got 43 million views. Leela and Pri have very specific thoughts about everyone involved, including Molly. And does this have parallels to Ellen DeGeneres' downfall? Ellen DeGeneres announced her retirement from entertainment after her Netflix special, and the comparison writes itself! Or is Kelly Clarkson truly an American Idol? 🎧☕ Then: it's OCD Awareness Week 2026, October 13–19, and October is OCD Awareness Month. Do you know where your OCD is? Leela shares an honest check-in on what it's like to go through an OCD spike, what does it feel like and what she wishes people understood about OCD. Plus the sisters share the OCD resources that have actually helped, the tools they recommend when people ask what to do first. And to close: Pri tells the story of Purceville, the 140 year old ghost with secrets and his seven-year-old bestie. It's spooky season. Pour your tea. You are not alone this OCD Awareness Week. ☕ OCD Resources 🔗 IOCDF OCD Awareness Week: https://iocdf.org/programs/ocdweek/ (https://iocdf.org/programs/ocdweek/) 🔗 NOCD: https://www.nocd.com (https://www.nocd.com/) 🔗 OCD Action (UK): https://www.ocdaction.org.uk (https://www.ocdaction.org.uk/) 🔗 Find a therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ocd (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ocd) 🔗 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 In This Episode 🔗 Art of Play, Brooklyn: https://www.artofplay.com (https://www.artofplay.com/) 🔗 Ellen’s Last Stand...Up Tour (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com (https://www.netflix.com/) 🔗 Ellen and Dakota (https://youtu.be/hG5IdasQS9o) 🔗 4AM Clean Sheets Facial Cleansing Skincare Wipes - Fragrance-Free: https://www.target.com (https://www.target.com/p/4am-clean-sheets-facial-cleansing-skincare-wipes-fragrance-free/-/A-1012055793?preselect=95177136#lnk=sametab) 🔗 Carrie (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0H8R9DQHS?ref=dvm_us_dl_sl_go_t_carr26_mkw_p401-kw2860060-cr2860077-c&mrntrk=go_cmp-24316587546_adg-204553175247_ad-826994343553_kwd-307380390132_dev-c_ext-) (Prime Video) 📱 Instagram: @drinkingteawithmonsters 📧 drinkingteawithmonsters@gmail.com (mailto:drinkingteawithmonsters@gmail.com) OCD Resources IOCDF (https://iocdf.org) Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us) Looking for another cozy listen? 🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-dating-till-youre-married/id1779699408). Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians. Contact Us 📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters (https://www.instagram.com/drinkingteawithmonsters/) 📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com (mailto:drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Guilt & OCD: When Your Brain Convinces You You're the Villain + Iced Coffee at Job Interviews and Leela's Scary Stories from OCD to Ghosts

   OCD and guilt are inextricably linked. This week Leela and Pri get into why. Guilt in OCD isn't the same as ordinary guilt. It's the brain convincing you that you are fundamentally responsible for things you didn't do, couldn't have prevented, or that never even happened. This week Leela and Pri unpack the specific way OCD weaponises guilt and how it feels to live in an always guilty mind. But first: Leela has been telling Pri scary stories since they were children. The problem is that Leela always scared herself. We get the lore. Then: the great iced coffee at job interviews debate, is it unprofessional, is it a power move, or is it just a cold drink? Leela and Pri have opinions. And to close: Leela tells the story of Clara, who goes to stay alone in her grandmother's house in the Appalachian mountains. The house is quiet. The night is long. And then someone, or something, comes to visit. Pour your tea. Turn on all the lights. Don't answer the door. ☕ OCD Resources IOCDF (https://iocdf.org) Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us) Looking for another cozy listen? 🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-dating-till-youre-married/id1779699408). Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians. Contact Us 📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters (https://www.instagram.com/drinkingteawithmonsters/) 📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com (mailto:drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   OCD Comorbidities: If OCD isn't the whole picture, what else is going on? + The Last Ditch Lesbian Bar Saga, Musical Encores from the Pop Girlies (Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, Ms. Rachel, Peppa Pig, and Elmo) & the Iron Man of Prague

   What if OCD isn't the only thing your brain is managing? For most people with OCD, it isn't. This week Leela and Pri dive into OCD comorbidities, the conditions that most commonly occur alongside OCD: anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, MCAS, POTS and more. What does it mean to have multiple diagnoses? How do they interact? And why does understanding them change how you approach treatment? But first: your weekly pop culture roundup! The Last Ditch Bar and Arts Venue, a lesbian bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts, dropped its mask mandate this August. The queer community was divided. We unpack the full story. Then: New music and the stories behind it from Taylor Swift's Encore, to collabs from Hilary Duff and Dashboard Confessional and Peppa Pig and Elmo. And Ms. Rachel's first album. Last but not least, we attend the Lauren Graham and Melissa McCarthy reunion to kick off Gilmore Girls season! And to close: Prague, Platnéřská Street, sometime in the 17th century. Jáchym Berka was engaged to be married when he left to defend his country. He came back to rumours that his beloved had been unfaithful. How did that lead him to spend eternity with his father in law? Pour your tea. Put on some Ms. Rachel and don't believe the rumors. And if you're in Prague in 2109, be kind to the man in iron. ☕ LINKS TO STUFF I'm, like, totally obsessed... Elmo and peppa pig: https://youtu.be/tRMGlo9LXZI?si=2eYCMLX8J1cRsQEW Gilmore Girls: Lauren Graham (https://youtu.be/4FiMqh14r3c?si=FKRDK9uzqC3TJfn3) and Melissa McCarthy (https://youtu.be/DNWJwT7kKJc?si=S7EmiLR2EGOSUde7) | Variety Women of Power Ms Rachels new album: https://msrachel.orch.stream Taylor’s Encore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=c0Y4PqvDvqc&ra=m&fbclid=PAVERFWAUkD-NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAmZkaWQWUPI4SxX77B9QMIScV3g-420RZcl_tXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp6AQAHh4Hh1JTl8WQVuPpqK7zS4e4EwYYOLhivqbmaiv2G24Iw54osDJ0hOC_aem_t5IHUkzuDmoUPO5r5xO37A) Hillary Duff 2027 Tour Dates: https://www.hilaryduff.com/live (supporting act varies by date) OCD Co-morbidities The most common comorbidities with OCD (https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/common-fears/the-most-common-comorbidities-with-ocd-what-research-shows) (NOCD) OCD: Related Conditions (https://beyondocd.org/ocd-facts/related-conditions) (Beyond OCD) Spooky Storytime Iron man of Prague (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274707-d25533083-Reviews-Jachym_Berka_Monument_Iron_Man-Prague_Bohemia.html) Philadelphia cream cheese commercial (https://youtu.be/39IZYTC_pvE?si=Zl3KCMXzBYVL4HHO) OCD Resources IOCDF (https://iocdf.org) Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us) Looking for another cozy listen? 🎧 Check out Leela's other podcast, No Dating Till You're Married, an audiobook podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-dating-till-youre-married/id1779699408). Gilmore Girls meets Crazy Rich Asians. Contact Us 📱 IG: @drinkingteawithmonsters (https://www.instagram.com/drinkingteawithmonsters/) 📧 EMAIL: drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com (mailto:drinkingteamwithmosters@gmail.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact Drinking Tea with Monsters

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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