Get to know OCD

Most people don’t think twice about breathing, blinking, or swallowing food — your body just does it automatically. But for some, OCD turns those simple functions into constant obsessions. This is called sensorimotor OCD, a subtype where your mind gets stuck on bodily sensations like swallowing, breathing, or even heartbeats. Instead of passing thoughts, these sensations become overwhelming, leadi...

Deep brain stimulation is one of the most advanced treatments for severe OCD. It involves implanting tiny electrodes into specific brain circuits and delivering continuous, low-level electrical pulses that interrupt faulty signals driving obsessions and compulsions. This therapy isn’t a first-line option — it’s reserved for people who haven’t responded to other treatments — but for some, it can dr...

OCD loves to make promises it can’t keep. It tells you that if you just pray one more time, wash one more time, or check one more time, you’ll finally feel certain — but that moment never comes. In this video, Patrick breaks down how OCD feeds on the lie of “enough,” why compulsions never truly satisfy, and what it takes to step out of the cycle and stop chasing the impossible standard your brain...

Michael Twohig has spent years studying what happens when people try to fight their thoughts — and why that battle almost always makes things worse. As a psychologist, researcher, and leading expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), he’s worked with countless people who felt trapped by their own minds, stuck in loops of overthinking, doubt, and mental exhaustion. In this conversation, he...

Renee Zukin spent much of her life trying to silence fear — avoiding risk, obsessing over safety, and doing everything possible to feel in control. It worked just well enough to keep going, but never well enough to feel free. In this interview, she opens up about how fear shaped where she lived, how she ate, how she parented, and how long it kept her from getting the right help. What changed wasn’...

Is OCD seasonal? Not exactly — but it can FEEL that way. In this episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath explains how OCD often ramps up during high-stress times like the holidays, not because of the calendar, but because stress weakens your ability to resist compulsions. Watch as Patrick debunks this common OCD myth! Here at NOCD, we specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, the most effective...

Most therapists don’t get formal training in how to treat OCD. In fact, many graduate programs barely mention it at all. That leads to years of misdiagnosis, missed symptoms, and patients getting the wrong kind of help. The result? People with OCD are left suffering longer than they should — even in the care of well-meaning professionals. That’s why Elizabeth DuPont Spencer and Kimberly Morrow dec...

One year ago, the Get to know OCD podcast launched with a simple goal: share real stories from people living with OCD. What happened next was bigger than anyone expected. Each week, guests opened up about their darkest moments, their breakthroughs, and the messy middle in between. In this special anniversary episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath reflects on the moments that stayed with us, the common threa...

The Not Alone project began with a simple, powerful idea: send handwritten letters to people struggling with OCD to remind them they’re not alone. Founded by Molly Fishback and Morgan Rondinelli, the project has grown into a movement — one that’s now reached thousands and was recently honored with the Hero Award at the 2025 IOCDF Conference. In this episode, they share how Not Alone started, the i...

Megan spent most of her life thinking something was just wrong with her. She was six years old when the compulsions started — counting, checking, rituals she didn’t understand — all fueled by the fear that if she didn’t do them, something terrible would happen. It wasn’t until she was 19 that she finally realized what it all was: OCD. In this episode of the Get to know OCD podcast, Megan shares wh...

For years, movies and TV shaped how people understood OCD — and for a long time, the portrayals got it ALL wrong. In this video, therapist Dr. Patrick McGrath sits down to watch some of the most well-known OCD scenes on screen. What he finds is a mix of half-truths, stereotypes, and the occasional glimpse of what real OCD actually feels like. Join Dr. McGrath on this watch-along featuring actors l...

Eva Gutowski spent most of her life thinking something was just... off. She had intense fears (including of ketchup), strict rules in her head, and thoughts that wouldn’t leave her alone — but no one ever mentioned OCD. Not doctors, not teachers, not even friends. So she kept smiling, kept working, kept growing her social media channels to millions of followers, all while OCD quietly shaped everyt...

Mental health doesn’t just affect the person who has it — it affects their partner too. In this conversation, therapist Eli Weinstein talks about the quiet tradeoffs couples make when OCD or other mental health disorders enters the relationship. The missed moments. The unspoken resentment. The blurred line between supporting someone and losing yourself. He shares what happens when partners become...

For years, Shala Nicely looked like she had it all together, but in reality? Her mind was consumed with obsessive thoughts and nonstop mental rituals. Because her compulsions weren’t visible, no one — not even Shala herself — realized she was suffering from OCD. In this interview, Shala shares how mental compulsions made it easy to hide her struggles but impossible to feel peace. She opens up abou...

Manifesting. Cleanses. The Law of Attraction. Jaclyn Steinmann tried it all, believing that if she could just control her thoughts — keep them positive and “high vibration” — she could finally quiet the chaos in her mind. But the more she chased perfect thinking, the worse her OCD got. In this interview, Jaclyn shares how popular self-help and spiritual practices didn’t just fail to help — they fe...

Ever find yourself re-checking, redoing, or repeating things until they feel just right — but they never actually do? You're not alone. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down the “just right” subtype of OCD: why it’s so exhausting, how it traps you in endless loops, and what it takes to break free. If you’re stuck in the cycle of doing things over and over until they feel “just right,” you...

Paige Pradko looked like she had it all together — working a corporate gig in Chicago, high-achieving, and smiling through the stress. However, she was secretly battling relentless anxiety. It all came crashing down during a panic attack that sent her to the ER — the moment everything unraveled, and finally, started to make sense. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Paige shares how th...

For years, Tracie Ibrahim treated OCD professionally — but even she was stunned by how often groinal response came up in sessions. Not just with one theme, but across the board: harm OCD, sexual orientation OCD, taboo thoughts. And every time, it came with the same crushing question from clients — “Does this mean I want it?” In this episode, Tracie unpacks the mind-body disconnect at the heart of...

Jon Hershfield is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in the treatment of OCD. In this episode, he joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to discuss his experiences as a clinician, his work as an author, and the importance of mindfulness in helping people manage their lives. If you're struggling with OCD, our NOCD therapists might be able to help. They are specially trained in ERP therapy...

Alix Behar remembers the day everything almost collapsed. OCD had taken over her relationship, flooding her with intrusive thoughts, compulsive confessions, and endless reassurance-seeking. One morning, a single text nearly ended it all — her boyfriend said he couldn’t take it anymore. It felt like OCD was winning, again. But that breaking point became the start of something new. In this powerful...

Margaret Sisson knew something was wrong when her son Riley came home from camp in a panic she'd never seen before. He started throwing up every morning before school. He checked doorknobs until they broke. She went from expert to expert, trusting professionals who missed the signs. Years passed. The OCD got worse. And when Riley discovered that drinking made the thoughts stop, a second struggle b...

Tracie Ibrahim knows firsthand how OCD can quietly wreck a person’s day. In college, reading meant going forward, then backward, then forward again — just to feel “right.” As a mom, grocery trips were derailed by terrifying, intrusive thoughts. At work, simple emails turned into obsessive loops of rewriting and rereading. In this video, she shares what untreated OCD did to her focus, her routines,...

Jaclyn Steinmann spent decades chasing purity, clarity, and healing through retreats, cleanses, and spiritual rituals. But underneath it all was OCD — cleverly disguised as a spiritual quest. What she thought was a journey toward enlightenment was actually a series of compulsions driven by fear, doubt, and the desperate need for certainty. It took years before she realized that the path she was on...

OCD is one of the most misrepresented conditions in mental health. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down how everyday language, media portrayals, and even well-meaning comments create confusion and minimize the reality of what people with OCD actually go through. This isn’t about nitpicking — it’s about the real harm that comes from myths that are spread in mass. Need help treating OCD? O...

After decades in the field, these two veteran therapists have seen it all — the stigma, the broken insurance policies, and the slow grind toward change. But now, they say, something real is happening. Mental health is finally being recognized for what it is: essential care. And the system is starting to reflect that — from better insurance parity to easier access through virtual platforms. In this...