Naomi Sharon Knows Relationship OCD Is Real

In this episode of If You Knew Better, Amber Grimes sits down with singer-songwriter Naomi Sharon for a vulnerable conversation about childhood trauma, anxiety, rumination, and how unresolved experiences can follow us into adult relationships. Naomi sets the tone by opening up about her mental health journey [00:00] and explains how anxiety can turn into cycles of overthinking and rumination [00:53]. She traces many of those patterns back to her parents’ difficult divorce when she was 12 and the relationship triggers that developed from it [03:11], including fears around secrets, hidden truths, and a desire for radical honesty that can become its own emotional loop [04:49]. Naomi discusses building a greater tolerance for emotional discomfort instead of constantly searching for immediate peace [08:09], discovering relationship OCD and recognizing herself in its patterns [09:41], and learning how safety, self-awareness, and healthier coping mechanisms can interrupt behaviors rooted in childhood survival [13:31]. She also reflects on gratitude and transforming pain into art [20:16], balancing mental health with the demands of her music career [23:28], and how her parents’ divorce continues to shape her private life and family relationships [26:29], including hearing her brother’s perspective and confronting the absence of her father [27:00].

The conversation deepens as Naomi explores therapy and the process of finally meeting the younger version of herself who carried responsibilities far beyond her years [30:25]. She discusses learning to let difficult feelings exist without immediately trying to fix them [30:52], reparenting and comforting her inner child [31:26], and what she would tell her 12-year-old self today [33:07], leading to an emotional breakthrough symbolized by a powerful teddy bear story that Amber shares [33:41] and the release that comes from allowing herself to cry [37:25]. Amber and Naomi also explore choosing partners who create emotional safety, understanding different love languages [40:47], and the importance of centering yourself as you enter a new stage of adulthood [45:09]. Amber reframes ego as something that can be adjusted [46:34], reflects on discovering who she is when she's truly alone [49:22], and considers what real love looks like when two people continue changing and growing [52:38]. She closes by discussing the freedom of sharing her authentic self [54:05] and reflecting on a healing journey built around self-compassion, emotional honesty, and learning to give herself the safety she once searched for in others [55:36].