In this episode of the Just Listen mental health podcast, host Juliette Sivertsen speaks with nutritionist Francesca Eldridge about living with and recovering from obsessive compulsive disorder, and how to support a partner with OCD.

To an outsider, Francesca’s excessive cleaning rituals at the height of her distress could have been interpreted as someone who had an intense phobia of dirt.

The 39-year-old has lived most of her life with metaphysical contamination OCD.

But as Francesca explains in this podcast, her OCD was an anxiety-driven response that wasn’t about a fear of dirt or germs, but a feeling of mental contamination.

Juliette also speaks with Francesca’s ex-husband Glenn, to hear the lessons he learnt from being a support person.

Funded by the Mental Health Foundation of NZ, Like Minds Like Mine, supported by NZME.

You can follow host Juliette Sivertsen on social media through her Twitter at @j_sivertsen