Get to know OCD

NOCD

Tune in each week for a deep dive into all things OCD with host Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD's Chief Clinical Officer. We’ll be sharing inspiring real-life stories of people who’ve faced OCD and came out the other side, as well as practical tips for understanding and tackling OCD. We hope you enjoy the podcast and it helps you get to know OCD.

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Yesterday · 5 min
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 be so important to OCD treatment. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sunday · 20 min
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’t automatically make someone an OCD specialist. Now, Shawn gets to approach those same kinds of cases with tools he wishes he’d had years ago, and help people get the specialized treatment he didn’t even know how to provide earlier in his career. If you’re ready to deepen your ERP skills and work somewhere specialized OCD treatment is the focus — not an afterthought — explore joining the team at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/therapist_careers Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 17 · 55 min
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 life. More than 25 years later, he doesn’t need OCD to disappear — he’s reached a point where he no longer fears when it shows up. Shannon joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to share how he got there and what decades of recovery have taught him about taking OCD’s power away. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 13 · 3 min
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 video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains where OCD and autism overlap, how to tell them apart, and why understanding what’s actually driving the behavior matters for getting the right treatment and support. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 11 · 5 min
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 underneath can be completely different. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down that difference and why figuring out what’s really behind the behavior can change the kind of treatment someone needs. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 7 · 7 min
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 gets old: watching someone realize their symptoms have an explanation, that they aren’t the only person experiencing them, and that effective treatment exists. In this video, Dr. McGrath shares what nearly three decades of treating OCD has taught him about the disorder. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 3 · 39 min
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 OCD podcast, Santina joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about how health OCD took over her life, why constant checking never gave her lasting reassurance, plus how she eventually found the right diagnosis and treatment after spending years thinking she was simply dealing with anxiety. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 30 · 5 min
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 video, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how false memory OCD can trick you into distrusting their own memories. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 27 · 6 min
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 become an OCD compulsion, and why learning to sit with the discomfort of not explaining everything can actually be an important part of recovery. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 23 · 8 min
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 McGrath looks at common pieces of advice that aren't helpful for people with OCD. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 20 · 44 min
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 talk herself out of. She simply thought she was “weird” — and kept most of it to herself. It wasn’t until Lynette was 57 that she finally recognized those experiences as OCD. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Lynette joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to look back at how undiagnosed OCD quietly shaped her childhood, relationships, and Hollywood career, why finally understanding her own mind took so much power away from the disorder, and why she wrote her memoir Weird in hopes that someone else might recognize their OCD decades earlier than she did. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 16 · 16 min
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 can become. That experience eventually led Tandy back to school and into a career as a therapist. Years later, while trying to help a client with significant OCD, she saw how limited specialized resources still were and how many people continued to misunderstand the disorder. In this episode of the Get to know NOCD Therapists podcast, Tandy joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about the personal experience that shaped her career and the path that led her into specialized OCD treatment. If you’re ready to deepen your ERP skills and work somewhere specialized OCD treatment is the focus — not an afterthought — explore joining the team at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/therapist_careers Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 13 · 5 min
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 the different ways OCD obsessions can show up and why those experiences can feel so convincing. He also explains how people can get pulled into analyzing a sensation, reacting to an urge, or trying to make sense of an image — and why the real problem often isn’t the obsession itself, but the compulsions that follow it. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 9 · 4 min
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 depersonalization and derealization can show up alongside OCD, and why constantly monitoring those sensations can actually make the disorder stronger. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 7 · 14 min
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 reinforce one of OCD’s most painful fears: What if having the thought means I could actually act on it? Traci Ibrahim has lived with harm OCD for more than 40 years, experienced postpartum OCD after the birth of her third child, and spent decades treating OCD as a therapist. She explains why intrusive thoughts are not intentions or predictions of behavior, and why it is critical not to conflate OCD with the different symptoms and diagnoses discussed in the Clancy case. Traci is here to clear up all the misinformation spreading. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 6 · 33 min
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 the confidence to pursue a master’s degree in psychology and eventually help others facing many of the same fears she once struggled with. Looking back now, there’s one thing she wishes she could tell her teenage self: it won’t always be this way, but you have to be willing to ask for help. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 2 · 5 min
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 someone with OCD and accommodating the disorder. He also shares practical ways loved ones can set healthy boundaries, respond without feeding compulsions, and become part of the recovery process instead of the OCD cycle. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 30 · 4 min
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 shrinking your life, shaping your choices, or stealing your peace—even when everything looks normal from the outside. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 26 · 3 min
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 without falling back into compulsions. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 23 · 5 min
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 doomscrolling can become compulsive avoidance, and how to recognize when screens are helping you relax versus helping OCD stay in control. At NOCD, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD—a treatment that can help you live a fulfilling life. If you’re ready to take your first step, book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT Follow us on social media: https://www.instagram.com/treatmyocd/ https://twitter.com/treatmyocd https://www.tiktok.com/@treatmyocd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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