Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

All right, hey there, and welcome to this edition of the Feel Better Letter.

This is Matt.

Today, I want to talk about the difference I see between people who remain stuck in the loop and those who truly experience transformation and recovery.

More specifically, I want to talk about the hidden factors—things no one really sees—that I believe are the real catalysts that determine which direction someone goes.

You know, it’s actually very hard to get accurate data around things like OCD and anxiety. A lot of studies are skewed one way or another, often with the intention of promoting a certain outcome, intervention, or medication.

Because of that, you’ll hear many people say that OCD is a chronic condition—that you’re just going to have it for the rest of your life.

And if you believe that, then the reality is, that will become your reality. Not because it’s objectively true, but because it’s true for you through your belief system.

On the other hand, if you believe that recovery is possible, that you can recover, you can make that your reality as well. But just telling yourself that—without setting yourself up to actually create that outcome—won’t lead to change either.

Similarly, if you believe that what you need exists only outside of you—meaning you need some secret tip, trick, tool, or piece of information—then you’re not going to create real change either. Because information without implementation is just information.

I’ve seen statistics suggesting that around 50% of people who experience this go on to have persistent symptoms. But I also know that many people never seek help at all. Some don’t believe there’s a problem. Others don’t really want to change.

So it’s difficult to know where that line truly is.

What I do want to talk about is real change and transformation—and what actually separates someone who stays stuck from someone who gets better. Because it’s not what most people think.

Your mind will tell you that others have access to something you don’t, or that they’re special, or that their case isn’t as severe as yours. Your mind will come up with all kinds of explanations.

But the truth is, change comes down to a few basic pillars.

The first is your beliefs.

Beliefs are essentially assumptions—things you assume to be true without ever questioning whether there might be an alternative. For example, if someone believes OCD is chronic, everything they try will be filtered through that belief. They’ll use tools in a way that focuses on managing, coping with, or controlling symptoms.

And when that doesn’t work, it reinforces the belief—because the tool was being used through the wrong lens in the first place.

Your beliefs become your own prison bars. Each belief is like a bar you place around yourself. The more limiting the belief, the smaller your prison becomes—and the smaller your life becomes. These beliefs are often ones you’ve adopted from others or formed through interpretation, without ever questioning them.

Then there’s the way people try to use strategies to get the outcome they want.

This is where many people come from a very narrow perspective. For example, they learn about something like the AAA Response that I teach, and they try to use it to force a specific outcome—rather than using it for what it’s actually designed to do.

That creates its own limitation, because you end up selling yourself short on what’s truly possible. The tool gets misused or misapplied.

One big reason this happens is that many people take a lone-wolf approach. They don’t have a container of support, accountability, or structure to help them implement things correctly.

So what happens is they move from technique to technique, tool to tool, resource to resource, program to program, person to person—thinking they just haven’t found the thing yet.

Then there’s the issue of true commitment to the path.

I often see people react during a flare-up. When things get bad, they start implementing something. But as soon as things calm down, they fall back into old routines—and recreate the loop all over again.

This is why many people experience cycles or episodes. They never actually change the underlying pattern. They just bounce in and out of the same loop.

When someone is truly after transformation, what they’re really doing is shifting their consciousness to a state where this is no longer part of their reality.

Transformation isn’t about getting rid of thoughts or feelings. It’s about shifting into a dominant state of trust and peace.

I don’t identify as someone who has OCD or anxiety. That doesn’t mean I never feel fear or never have thoughts come up. But my dominant experience of life is radically different.

And when you’re living in fear, this can be very hard to understand—because it may be all you’ve ever known. It’s not something you can fully grasp until you experience it firsthand.

So what actually creates that catalyst for change?

It’s a combination of things.

First, it’s the belief system you bring into the process. If you’re carrying limiting or destructive beliefs—often without realizing it—having someone help you identify and shift those beliefs is critical.

Second, it’s conviction. How committed are you to the outcome you want? Or are you simply reacting to what you don’t want?

When you’re reacting to what you don’t want, the moment things calm down, you stop. And then you’re left worrying about whether it’s going to come back. You’re trying to remove a problem instead of moving toward the life you actually want.

And finally, what are you putting in place to support that outcome?

If you believe it’s just about information, you’ll endlessly search online, watch videos, read books, and consume content. The act of consuming can temporarily soothe what you’re experiencing—but it rarely leads to real change. So it just creates more consuming.

After watching people go through this for 10 to 15 years, what I’ve noticed is that those who truly recover eventually let go of what they’ve been trying.

They let go of the pride that says, “I know what I’m doing.” They stop insisting on figuring it out alone. They stop saying, “I know this, I know that.”

Because if you had the result you wanted, you would know.

It’s like saying you know how to swim because you’ve read about it or watched videos—but if you can’t jump in the water and swim, you don’t actually know how to swim.

If you haven’t been able to reach and maintain the state you want, then the truth is—you don’t yet know how to do it. And that’s okay.

But admitting that can be uncomfortable.

Real change requires letting go of pride, letting go of control, and being willing to trust. It means being open to changing whatever needs to be changed to get the result you truly want.

As I move into this year, one of my intentions is to help a certain number of people reach that place.

But you have to be ready.

You have to reach a point where you’re done managing, coping, controlling, and throwing strategies at the problem—only to keep falling back into the same loops while fear quietly runs your life.

Because of that, I’m going to be hosting a free training next week. We’ll be sending emails about it, so keep an eye on your inbox.

In the training, I’ll go much deeper into what I’ve shared here.

If you’re at a point in your life where you’re truly done—and genuinely ready for change—I really encourage you to attend.

I’ve decided to offer this training for free, even though, honestly, what I’ll be teaching could easily be worth a few hundred dollars. I know that sometimes when something is free, it’s assumed to have less value—but if this resonates with you, I encourage you to claim a spot and show up fully.

If you’re here, and you’re truly ready, my goal is to help you move forward.

With that, I’m wishing you a great week and a great day. Keep an eye on your inbox for the registration details, and I’ll talk to you soon.