Get to know OCD
Each week, host Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD's Chief Clinical Officer, explores all aspects of OCD. The podcast shares inspiring real-life stories from people who have faced OCD and offers practical tips for understanding and managing the condition. It aims to help listeners get to know OCD better.
Episodes
Rainn Wilson and Howie Mandel set the record straight on OCD
Rainn Wilson describes his intrusive thoughts as “a shoe in the dryer”—relentless, loud, and impossible to ignore. Howie Mandel can relate.Both entertainers live with OCD, and while their symptoms show up differently, their stories follow a similar path: from years of confusion before being diagnosed, to the relief of finally having a name for what they were experiencing, to speaking up so others
Rainn Wilson’s OCD kept him trapped in his thoughts. Here’s how he found peace
Being particular is nothing like actually having OCD—and Rainn Wilson would know. The actor famous for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office gets real about his own experience with OCD in this episode of Get to know OCD.Rainn was diagnosed with OCD in his late 50s, during a period of intense stress. It showed up through constant rumination and reassurance-seeking, and persistent doubts about his be
My Intrusive Thoughts Don’t Scare Me Anymore. Is That Bad?
You’ve spent so long being terrified by your intrusive thoughts. Then treatment starts working, the fear fades, and OCD finds a new question to throw at you: If these thoughts don’t bother me anymore, does that mean I actually like them?Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why becoming less afraid of an intrusive thought doesn’t mean you agree with it or are more likely to act on it. It means you’re learn
Should You Give In To OCD On A Bad Day?
Bad OCD days are going to happen. Sometimes the thoughts feel more real, the anxiety is harder to shake, and resisting compulsions suddenly feels a lot harder than it did yesterday. The big question is how you respond when OCD catches you on one of those days.You might think it’s okay to give yourself a pass when OCD is hitting especially hard. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why givin
You Know Your OCD Makes No Sense. So Why Does It Feel So Real?
You know the fear doesn’t make sense. You’ve gone over the facts, reassured yourself, and tried to reason your way out of it — but OCD still leaves you with the same question: “But what if?” When something feels that real, knowing better doesn’t always make the fear disappear.Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why OCD isn’t something you can simply think your way out of. Even when you know you’re safe,
Why Your OCD Keeps Changing Themes
You finally start getting a handle on one OCD fear — and then suddenly it latches onto something completely different. The thoughts may change from contamination to driving, relationships, morality, or something else entirely, but underneath them can be the same deeper fear that OCD keeps finding new ways to target. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why identifying these “core fears” can
I Was A Therapist For 20 Years Before I Truly Understood OCD
Shawn Welty had worked in mental health for nearly 20 years — in schools, community mental health, trauma care, substance abuse, and more. But when he finally received specialized training in OCD and ERP, he started looking at his old work differently. Suddenly, he could recognize symptoms in former clients that he hadn’t known to look for at the time.It was a reminder that years of experience don
I Had Severe OCD. Now I Don’t Fear It At All
Shannon Shy was a Marine Corps officer when OCD became so severe that nearly every waking minute was consumed by obsessions and compulsions. He hid what was happening for years, terrified that admitting he had a mental health problem could cost him his career, until one morning he sat in his car crying and realized he couldn’t live like this anymore.Getting help changed the course of Shannon’s lif
OCD Vs. Autism: How Can You Tell The Difference?
OCD and autism can look surprisingly similar from the outside, especially when it comes to rigid routines and repetitive behaviors. But the reason behind the behavior can be very different: someone with autism may eat the same breakfast every morning because the routine feels comfortable, while someone with OCD may feel they have to do it because something bad could happen if they don’t. In this v
Is It Hoarding… Or OCD?
What's the difference between hoarding and OCD? Imagine two people who both refuse to throw away the same old birthday card. One keeps it because it holds a memory they’re afraid of losing. The other keeps it because OCD tells them something terrible could happen to the person who gave it to them if they throw it away.From the outside, the behavior can look almost identical. But what’s driving it
I’ve Treated OCD For 27 Years. Here’s What I’ve Learned
Dr. Patrick McGrath has been treating OCD for nearly 27 years, and there are still parts of the job that never get easier. He’s watched people suffer for years without the right diagnosis, receive treatment from therapists who don’t truly specialize in OCD, and carry enormous amounts of guilt and shame over symptoms they’re afraid to tell anyone about.But there’s another side of the job that never
I’m A Psychologist And I Still Didn’t Know I Had OCD
Santina Cilento works as a school psychologist, so she knew what OCD was. What she didn’t realize was that she had been living with it herself for years. The rigid rules, the need for certain numbers, the routines she thought were just personality quirks — none of it registered as OCD until the disorder shifted toward her health and became impossible to ignore.In this episode of the Get to Know OC
Why OCD Makes You Question Your Own Memories
A memory feels a little fuzzy, and suddenly OCD wants an answer. Did that really happen? Did you miss something? Did you do something wrong without realizing it? What starts as a small doubt can turn into hours of replaying events, checking old messages or photos, asking other people what they remember, or searching for some kind of proof that finally makes you feel certain. In this educational vi
Why OCD Makes You Feel Like You Have To Confess Everything
OCD can take something as simple as honesty and turn it into a rule: if you don’t say every thought out loud, you’re hiding something. That pressure can make people feel like they have to confess intrusive thoughts, explain every detail, or keep clarifying until someone else finally gives them relief. In this educational video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why that urge to confess can quickly beco
5 Pieces Of Advice That Can Make OCD Worse
"Trust your gut” or “just stop thinking about it” — these might sound like helpful things to tell someone struggling with OCD, but they can actually make things worse. OCD already thrives on doubt, reassurance, and the urge to get rid of uncomfortable thoughts, so advice that pushes someone toward more certainty or more control can end up feeding the disorder instead. In this video, Dr. Patrick Mc
She Worked On Beetlejuice And Jurassic Park And Did Not Know She Had OCD
Lynette Eklund spent decades building creatures and effects for some of Hollywood’s most recognizable movies, including Beetlejuice and Jurassic Park. Behind that career, though, was something she didn’t understand. Since childhood, Lynette had lived with rigid rules, terrifying fears around food, an intense need to avoid failure, and thoughts she knew didn’t make logical sense but could never tal
My OCD Recovery Inspired Me To Become A Therapist
Tandy Cyrus didn’t begin her career in mental health. She spent years working in juvenile probation, helping young people navigate difficult circumstances while slowly realizing she wanted to make a different kind of impact. But after the birth of her daughter, her own life changed. Severe postpartum OCD pushed her into treatment and gave her a firsthand understanding of how consuming the disorder
Thoughts Are NOT The Only Thing Intrusive About OCD
OCD isn't just intrusive thoughts. OCD can also create unwanted experiences that go far beyond thoughts — vivid images, uncomfortable feelings, intense urges, and even physical sensations that can feel incredibly real. And when those experiences seem to go against who you are or what you value, it’s easy to start questioning what they mean about you.In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down t
Why OCD Can Make You Feel Detached From Yourself
Feeling unreal, numb, checked out, or like you’re watching your life from the outside can be terrifying. For some people with OCD, that disconnection becomes another thing to obsess over — checking whether they feel “normal,” questioning whether they’re really present in their own body, and getting pulled even further away from the moment.In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how depersonali
What The Lindsay Clancy Case Gets Wrong About Intrusive Thoughts
As the Lindsay Clancy case continues to receive national attention, references to “intrusive thoughts” have caused understandable fear and confusion for people living with harm OCD, postpartum OCD, and other mental health conditions. For someone already terrified by unwanted thoughts or images of harming a person they love, seeing those same words associated with an unthinkable tragedy can reinfor
I Wish I Asked For Mental Health Help Sooner
Rebecca Voskanian remembers sitting in a high school classroom shaking uncontrollably, heart racing, with no idea why it was happening. For a while, she assumed maybe everyone felt that way and simply didn’t talk about it. This would last for years. It wasn’t until she finally found a therapist that things began to change. Treatment gave Rebecca tools to manage her anxiety, but it also gave her th
The Wrong Way To Support Someone With OCD
When someone you care about has OCD, your instinct is to help. You reassure them, check the locks one more time, answer the same question again, or help them avoid whatever is making them anxious. It feels supportive in the moment — but those well-intentioned actions can quietly strengthen OCD instead of weakening it. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains the difference between supporting so
Can You Really Have High-Functioning OCD?
Someone with OCD can show up to work, keep up with school, maintain relationships, and appear completely fine... while still spending hours trapped in mental compulsions no one else can see. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath questions whether “high-functioning OCD” is even a useful label, explains how it can minimize serious internal distress, and argues that the better question is whether OCD is
An OCD Flare-Up Doesn't Mean You're Not Getting Better
When OCD symptoms suddenly get worse, it's easy to believe you've lost all the progress you've worked so hard to make. But a flare-up doesn't erase your recovery. Stress, major life changes, fatigue, and uncertainty can all make OCD louder without meaning you're back where you started. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why OCD flare-ups are a normal part of recovery and how to respond wi
When Binge-Watching And Doomscrolling Becomes An OCD Compulsion
By itself, "watching one more" episode or scrolling through social media isn't an issue. But if you're using screens to escape your own intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or uncomfortable feelings, that might be a classic OCD safety behavior. The relief feels real — but only until the screen turns off and OCD comes rushing back. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how binge-watching and doomscro
I Wanted To Make A Bigger Impact As A Therapist
Dylan Mckelroy didn't become a therapist just to listen — he wanted to help people make meaningful, lasting change. After working in community mental health, he found himself searching for a more effective way to treat people, especially those struggling with OCD. That search led him to ERP, specialized training, and a completely different approach to therapy than he was accustomed to.In this epis
Emilia Fart Reveals The OCD Behind Her Online Persona
To millions online, Emilia Fart appears fearless, creative, and completely unapologetic. But behind that persona, OCD was quietly dictating her daily life. It influenced her relationships, her creative process, the way she dressed, the objects she carried, and even whether she felt able to leave the house. What looked like confidence on the outside often masked a relentless need for certainty and
Stop Trying To Make Bad Thoughts Go Away
The first instinct after an intrusive thought is usually to get rid of it. You tell yourself it isn't true. You try to prove it wrong. You replay it in your head, search for certainty, or avoid anything that might trigger it again. It feels like you're protecting yourself, but those reactions are often exactly what keeps OCD alive and thriving.In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why some o
Why You Can't Think Your Way Out Of OCD
When you have OCD, thinking can feel like the solution. You replay conversations, analyze your memories, research every possibility, and search for the one answer that will finally bring certainty. But no matter how much time you spend trying to solve it, OCD always comes back with another "what if?" In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why rumination is one of OCD's most common mental comp
The Hidden Behaviors Keeping Your OCD Alive
Most people know that compulsions keep OCD going. What many don't realize is that some of the behaviors feeding OCD are much harder to recognize. Rumination, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, distraction, shame, guilt, and even trying to "fix" your thoughts can all become subtle safety behaviors that strengthen the OCD cycle. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why these hidden habits keep O
Why OCD Therapy Did NOT Work The First Time
Trying therapy for OCD once doesn't always mean you received the right treatment. Many people leave therapy believing it "didn't work," when in reality they were never treated with exposure and response prevention (ERP), the gold-standard therapy for OCD. Instead, they were taught coping strategies that can actually feed OCD instead.In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why OCD therapy somet
Why OCD Says You Can't Live Until You Feel Better
OCD has a way of convincing you that life can wait. If you can just find the right answer, get rid of the anxiety, or finally feel "okay," then you'll be able to relax and enjoy yourself. But that moment never comes. Instead, OCD keeps moving the goalposts, trapping you in an endless cycle of compulsions, reassurance, and waiting to feel better before you start living.In this short video, Dr. Patr
One Month Into OCD Treatment: How I'm Getting My Life Back
After the unexpected death of his brother, Matthew Testa's mind became consumed by health fears, rumination, and an endless search for certainty. Every new "what if?" felt like a problem that had to be solved, but no amount of thinking ever brought lasting relief. Instead, OCD kept finding new questions to ask, trapping him in thought loops that quietly took over more and more of his life.In this
OCD Says You're Not Disturbed Enough With Your Thoughts
Many people with OCD believe that the fact that they're disturbed by an intrusive thought proves they don't want it. But what happens when that fear, panic, or disgust starts to fade? In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why OCD often latches onto your emotional reaction to intrusive thoughts, convincing you that you're not upset enough or that your response must mean something about who yo
The OCD Trap That Feels Like Help
Reassurance feels helpful in the moment. You ask someone if everything is okay, replay a memory to make sure you didn't do anything wrong, Google the same question for the tenth time, or tell yourself that your fear isn't true. The problem? OCD is never satisfied. The relief lasts for a moment, then the doubt comes back — and the cycle starts all over again. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath expl
How OCD Stops You From Enjoying Life
OCD doesn't just create fear — it can also quietly steal your ability to enjoy life. Whether it's replaying conversations, monitoring your feelings, avoiding things you love, or convincing yourself that you don't deserve happiness, OCD has a knack for pulling you out of the present moment. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how OCD interferes with joy.At NOCD, we specialize in exposure an
OCD Almost Ended My Olympic Dream
Making the Olympics had been Ginny Fuchs' dream for years. But as she climbed the ranks of amateur boxing and moved to the Olympic Training Center, another battle was quietly getting worse. OCD was consuming more of her time, disrupting her sleep, and pulling her deeper into compulsions she could no longer control. Eventually, the disorder became so overwhelming that she feared it would derail the
What Makes A Great OCD Therapist?
What does it take to become a great OCD therapist? Our very own NOCD therapists, Barbara Windeknecht and Alexi Pyles, say it's not what you probably think (prior OCD experience). In fact, both came from very different clinical backgrounds with little OCD experience. What mattered more was a willingness to learn, ask questions, stay curious, and keep showing up for members even when the work felt c
How An OCD Diagnosis Changed Tell Williams' Life
Tell Williams thought he was just a worrier. As a child, he believed things had to feel perfectly "even" or something bad would happen to the people he loved. Later came contamination fears, intrusive thoughts, health anxiety, and rituals that slowly began shaping more of his life than he realized. It wasn't until adulthood — after being diagnosed with ADHD, autism, and eventually OCD — that every
What It's Like To Be A NOCD Therapist
Barbara Windeknecht and Alexi Pyles have both worked traditional therapy jobs so they know what the tradeoffs usually look like: commuting, shared offices, rigid schedules, and trying to squeeze the rest of life around the work. At NOCD, they’ve found something different: a fully remote setup where they can see members from home, build schedules that actually fit their lives, and still feel connec
Why OCD Treatment Can Feel Worse Before It Feels Better
A lot of people start ERP expecting immediate relief, so when their anxiety spikes in the beginning, they assume the treatment is failing. But as Dr. Patrick McGrath explains, that discomfort is often a sign that the therapy is actually working. OCD gets used to compulsions, reassurance, avoidance, and safety behaviors keeping fear under control, so when those habits are removed, the disorder tend
How OCD Traps You in Endless Thinking
Rumination can feel productive at first. It can feel like problem-solving, self-awareness, or “figuring things out.” But for people with OCD, there’s a point where thinking stops being helpful and turns into a trap. The same question gets replayed over and over, every answer creates another “what if,” and no amount of analyzing ever brings real relief. In this short video, Dr. Patrick McGrath brea
Why OCD Can Feel Like You're “Losing Your Mind”
One of the scariest OCD spirals can start with a simple thought: what if this isn’t OCD at all? For many people, OCD doesn’t just attack fears around harm or contamination — it can also latch onto the fear of “going crazy,” losing touch with reality, or developing something more serious like psychosis or schizophrenia. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down why OCD targets these fears so a
Why ERP Therapy Works So Well For OCD
ERP therapy is different from what most people imagine. Instead of just talking about fears, it helps people with OCD gradually face the thoughts, situations, and sensations they’ve been avoiding. In this video, NOCD therapists Barbara Windeknecht and Alexi Pyles explain what that looks like in real life — from contamination exposures and “just right” OCD to emetophobia, social anxiety, and phobia
My OCD Made Me Believe I Was A Monster
When Molly was a teenager, a single intrusive thought sent her into years of fear, panic, and silence. What started as one terrifying “what if?” quickly spiraled into constant doubts about who she was, what her thoughts meant, and whether she was secretly a horrible person. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Molly opens up about living with pedophilia OCD — a taboo thought she hid for
OCD Convinces You Compulsions Prevent Harm... They Don't
One of the hardest parts of OCD is that compulsions rarely feel irrational in the moment — they feel responsible. Checking the stove again, replaying a conversation, researching symptoms, repeating a ritual “just in case.” Over time, OCD convinces you that these behaviors are the reason nothing bad has happened yet, which makes stopping them feel reckless, selfish, or even dangerous. In this video
How OCD Makes You Consider Every Worst-Case Scenario
Ciara Parsons thought she was just anxious, overly cautious, or a little superstitious. But underneath all of it was OCD — constantly forcing her to imagine every possible thing that could go wrong and making her feel responsible for preventing it. Whether it was flying on planes, going on tour, becoming a mother, or simply leaving the house, her brain treated every situation like a potential disa
I Got Better From OCD... Now I Help Others Do the Same
For a long time, OCD made life feel overwhelming and exhausting until Cody Fournier finally found a type of treatment that actually worked. What started as his own search for relief turned into something much bigger. After experiencing firsthand what it’s like to come out the other side, he realized he wanted to help other people do the same. In this video, Cody shares how his journey with OCD led
OCD Told Me I Was in Control (I Wasn't)
Kerry Osborn believed her OCD was helping her — giving her a sense of control in situations that felt uncertain and overwhelming. What started after a traumatic experience slowly turned into a system of rules, rituals, and “if I do this, then nothing bad will happen” thinking that took over more and more of her life. It didn’t feel irrational at the time. It felt necessary.In this episode, Kerry s
Why Your OCD Spikes Out of Nowhere
OCD flare-ups can feel random, like something just flipped overnight, but when you look closer, there’s usually a build-up. A stressful week, bad sleep, a life change, even something small that threw off your routine. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath walks through the patterns behind those spikes and why OCD tends to show up strongest when your system is already under pressure. At NOCD, we speci
I Had OCD, Now I Treat It Every Day
Alyssa Lentz had enough of OCD interfering with her life personally so she never imagined treating it professionally. Like many therapists, her early training barely scratched the surface of what it actually takes to treat OCD effectively. But after pursuing specialized training and surrounding herself with others doing the same work, everything started to click.In this episode, Alyssa shares what
You Might Be Doing OCD Compulsions Without Realizing It
You might think OCD compulsions are easy to spot — things like checking, washing, or repeating actions. But many compulsions happen entirely in your head, making them much harder to recognize. From mentally reviewing conversations to trying to “cancel out” bad thoughts or reassure yourself that everything is okay, these invisible habits can quietly keep OCD going without you even realizing it. In
How OCD Takes Your Time And Your Life
OCD doesn’t just affect how you think, it can take over how you spend your time. What starts as a few minutes of checking, cleaning, or mental reassurance can quickly turn into hours lost every single day. Add that up every day for years, and you start to realize — OCD isn’t just taking your time, it’s taking your life. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down why OCD's time-consuming patter
Why OCD Can Make “Bad Energy” Feel Contagious
Contamination OCD is NOT just about germs. It can also show up as something far less obvious — like “bad energy,” negative emotions, or even traits you don’t want being transferred from one person or place to another. It's what we call emotional contamination. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how this form of OCD works, why it can make everyday situations feel unsafe, and how that sense
How I Went From Not Knowing OCD to Treating It Every Day
When Alessandra Rizzotti first started her therapy career, OCD was barely covered in her training — just a brief mention, without much depth or real guidance on how to treat it. Like many therapists, she had experience with approaches like CBT and DBT, but didn’t truly understand how OCD works or how often it gets missed, misdiagnosed, or treated the wrong way.In this episode, Alessandra shares ho
Committing To Overcome OCD Is The Hard Part
William Schultz knew what he was supposed to do to treat his OCD — and still couldn’t do it. He understood ERP, understood the logic behind it, and understood that avoiding his fears was keeping the cycle going. But... every time it came down to actually facing those fears, William would back down. For years. Until he realized OCD wasn’t going anywhere on its own.In this episode, William walks thr
Is It Cleanliness… or OCD?
Washing your hands, cleaning your home, and being mindful about germs — all of that can be good hygiene. But at what point does it cross the line into being OCD? It's not always clear, and OCD feeds off that thin line. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down how to tell the difference between normal hygiene and compulsive behaviors driven by fear. He explains why OCD often pushes people to
The Science Behind Hair Pulling, Skin Picking, and Other Repetitive Behaviors
Hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting — these aren’t just “bad habits.” They’re known as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), and for many people, they feel nearly impossible to stop. But it is possible, and there’s actually research to prove it. Dr. Jamie Feusner and Clare Beatty have studied BFRB, and they’re here to break down what the science shows. They explain why these behaviors dev
THE IMPOSSIBLE LINE: John Green on Why You Can't Logic Away OCD Fear
Have you ever had a fear that felt completely real, even when you knew it most likely wasn’t? John Green has. In this video, John shares how OCD fears can blur the line between thoughts and reality, and why no amount of reassurance ever feels like enough. He opens up about the constant checking and excessive googling that once consumed hours of his day, and why trying to “logic away” his fear neve
How To Actually Get Better From OCD
Most people think OCD treatment is just about exposure, but... that’s only part of the story. The real change happens when you stop doing the compulsions and safety behaviors that keep you stuck. In this episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath shares practical ways to approach therapy differently — fromwhat it means to sit with discomfort without trying to fix it to how your response in those moments is what
How OCD Takes Over The Whole Family
OCD doesn’t just affect one person, it can quietly take over an entire household. What starts as small accommodations to reduce anxiety can turn into daily routines shaped around OCD, pulling parents and family members into cycles of reassurance, avoidance, and accommodation that keep the disorder in full control.In this episode, Marni Jacob, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating OCD
Why I Hid My OCD In The Military Out Of Fear
Cody Fournier was serving in the military when OCD began to consume his thoughts. The taboo thoughts were intense and confusing, but what scared him just as much was the idea of anyone finding out. In that environment, where strength and reliability matter so much, he worried that admitting what he was going through could change how people saw him — or even threaten the career he had worked hard f
John Green answers the internet's biggest OCD questions
Author and YouTuber John Green sits down with Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD’s Chief Clinical Officer, to answer the internet’s most-asked questions about OCD, including:• How do you ask for help when your intrusive thoughts feel too shameful to talk about?• Why do intrusive thoughts feel so real?• What’s the most important thing someone with OCD should know?...and more.John also shares how OCD treatme
How The Right OCD Treatment Can Rewire Your Brain
Did you know the correct kind of OCD treatment doesn’t just change how you feel, it can actually change how your brain responds to fear. Yes, it's true and in this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains why. This isn’t meant to be a science lesson, but rather a simple explanation of what’s happening in the brain when someone begins effective OCD treatment like exposure and response prevention therapy
My OCD Was Happening Entirely in My Head
Lauren Rosen’s OCD didn’t always look like the compulsions people expect. Much of it was happening entirely in her mind. For years, she found herself trapped in endless mental loops — replaying conversations, questioning her thoughts, and trying to “figure out” whether something meant she had done something wrong. Because these compulsions were invisible, it took a long time to recognize that the
How We Train World-Class OCD Therapists To Help You
Most therapists graduate with little to no formal training in OCD — and almost none in exposure and response prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment. That gap matters. People with OCD often spend 14 to 17 years in the wrong kind of therapy before getting effective care.In this episode, we walk through exactly how NOCD trains clinicians to become true OCD specialists. Joining us are NOCD's ow
The “What If” OCD Thought That Took Over My Life
It started with a simple moment. Lunch. A new romantic relationship. Feeling good about the future. Then a thought slipped in: what if I have an STD and just don’t know it? That’s how OCD entered Will Schultz’s life. What began as one intrusive question quickly spiraled into fears of HIV, contaminated needles, rabies, and eventually a deep distrust of his own memory and senses.On this episode of t
John Green, a Doctor and a CEO Get Real About Mental Health
Author John Green couldn’t write. NOCD Co-founder and CEO Stephen Smith could barely leave his house. Both were suffering from OCD without proper treatment. In fact, 95% of Americans with OCD aren’t receiving the most effective treatment.In this interview with Dr. Patrick McGrath, John and Stephen explain how real OCD goes far beyond the stereotypes about neatness or organization, and the conseque
The Film That Captures How OCD Really Looks
Sam Sabawi joins the Get to Know OCD podcast to talk about his short film, For All I Know. The film centers on OCD. Its title reflects the kind of intrusive uncertainty that defines the disorder — the constant “for all I know…” spiral that turns ordinary thoughts into imagined catastrophes. While developing the film, Sam consulted with NOCD's Dr. Patrick McGrath, who even makes a cameo in the fil
What I Wish I Knew Before Treating OCD
In this episode, Sonya talks about what shifted when she chose to work in a place where OCD isn’t treated as an afterthought. She reflects on what she wishes she had understood earlier about exposure and response prevention (ERP), supervision, and the subtle ways therapists can accidentally reinforce the very cycle they’re trying to break.If you’re ready to deepen your ERP skills and work somewher
The real story behind NOCD: Make-or-break moments & the mission that drives us
One year, Stephen Smith was the starting quarterback at his college. The next year, he was completely housebound, debilitated by a condition he didn't even have a name for yet.In this powerful episode of the Get to know OCD podcast, NOCD Co-founder and CEO Stephen Smith sits down with Dr. Patrick McGrath to share the story behind NOCD—from its founding through its journey to becoming the world's l
OCD or Anxiety? John Green And A Clinical Expert Explain
John Green knows how easy it can be to confuse anxiety and OCD—and how that confusion can keep people stuck. His own OCD symptoms were labeled and treated as generalized anxiety disorder for years, preventing him from getting the specialized care that he desperately needed. Now, he’s passionate about helping others understand the difference so they can get the right help sooner.In this video, John
How I Stopped Fearing My Darkest OCD Thoughts
During the 18 years she went without a proper diagnosis, Alison Dotson lived inside a "horror film" of her own mind. She was suffering from Pure O — a form of OCD dominated by mental compulsions rather than visible physical ones. Her mind was filled with graphic, intrusive images and "dark thoughts" that stood in direct opposition to her values. Because her symptoms didn't fit the stereotypical ha
Nothing Was Ever “Just Right” For Alex Anele's OCD
Alex Anele has been creating makeup videos online for more than a decade, building an audience of over a million people along the way. Behind the scenes, her lifelong OCD made almost everything feel unfinished and never quite “right.” Tasks dragged on. Social plans fell away. Even success didn’t bring relief, because OCD kept telling her she wasn’t doing enough — or being enough.Alex joins the Get
John Green: The Thoughts I Was Too Scared to Share
Everyone has intrusive thoughts. With OCD, the difference is that they tend to escalate from 0 to 100 in an instant. Author John Green compares it to a snowstorm: three flakes, then four—then suddenly you're in a complete whiteout where nothing else exists.In this video, John opens up about how intrusive thoughts feel for him, and how OCD’s fear and dread used to drown out everything—even the peop
What It’s Like To Have OCD In A Culture That Doesn’t Talk About It
Radha Bage grew up in India, a culture where mental health wasn’t discussed openly — not at home, not in the community, and not as something you sought help for. When OCD began to take hold in her adult life, especially after becoming a mother, she didn’t recognize it as a disorder. She assumed the fear, checking, and responsibility she felt were personal failures or something she needed to endure
OCD Made My Own Thoughts Feel Unsafe
Faith Hilmer was terrified of driving — not because of an accident, but because of a thought. What if I have a seizure? What if I lose control? Those questions stemmed from her harm OCD that paralyzed her with fear throughout her life beyond just driving.Faith joins us on the Get to Know OCD podcast to talk about how those fears went unrecognized for years, why they felt so real, and what finally
My OCD hit a breaking point on a Netflix set. This is what happened next.
OCD hijacked Rachel's life. Perfectionism and obsessive thinking had always been a part of her life, but a new relationship gave OCD something to latch onto — and it escalated fast. Her thoughts spiraled, her sense of control collapsed, and the disorder began dictating every decision. What followed was a sudden exit from her job on a Netflix set, a stay in a psychiatric facility, and thoughts that
4 Simple OCD Tips For 2026
As 2026 begins, NOCD therapist Tracie Ibrahim offers up a few small but meaningful shifts that can make living with OCD feel more manageable. Instead of chasing quick fixes or “perfect” routines, these four tips are about changing how you respond when OCD shows up — how you relate to uncertainty, urges, and the pressure to do things just right. They’re simple on the surface, but each one reflects
She Made A Comedy Show Out Of Her OCD Journey
Olivia didn’t set out to make a comedy show about her OCD struggles. The idea came from noticing how much power her thoughts still had when they stayed unspoken. In her head, they felt heavy, urgent, and authoritative. Saying the thoughts out loud, in front of an audience, stripped them of the authority they’d long held over her life.Olivia joins us on the Get to know OCD podcast to tell us all ab
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Effective Weight Loss for Moms | High protein, Strength Training, Lose Weight, Meal Planning, Fat Loss, Healthy Habits
The Human-Animal Connection - Pet Life Radio Original
Infinite Health with Dr. Arasi Maran
The Daily
World News Tonight with David Muir
English Vocabulary Help
