Get to know OCD

Welcome to 2025! With a new year comes new opportunities to take charge of your mental health. In this video, Brenna Posey — a NOCD team member who’s also faced her own OCD journey — shares five essential tips to help you start 2025 on the right foot. From understanding intrusive thoughts to embracing discomfort, Brenna offers actionable advice based on her experience with ERP therapy. This year,...

Kick off 2025 with an empowering episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast featuring Katie Horwitch—author, mindset coach, founder of Women Against Negative Talk (WANT), and OCD advocate. Katie has faced the grip of negative self-talk firsthand and transformed her experience into a mission: to help others reshape how they speak to themselves, about others, and the world around them. Katie calls negat...

Make 2025 the year you take control of your OCD with insights from Brenna Posey, a NOCD team member. Brenna brings a unique perspective as both an expert in OCD care and someone who has personally experienced and managed her own OCD. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Brenna dives into the questions many are asking as they consider treatment in the new year. Take 10 minutes of your ti...

How far have we come in understanding OCD? We’ve made incredible strides, but there’s still so much to uncover. On this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Pittenger, a leading researcher whose lab at Yale University is pioneering groundbreaking studies into the science of OCD. From genetics to psilocybin to cutting-edge brain scans, Dr. Pittenger breaks down th...

OCD doesn’t stay the same throughout your life — it changes, evolves, and adapts to new stressors and stages of life. In this episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down how OCD can manifest from childhood to adulthood, highlighting common themes like contamination fears, existential worries, and intrusive thoughts. Learn how OCD shifts across your lifespan, why it thrives on stress, and most importa...

On this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Patrick McGrath sits down with Jonny Say, a London-based therapist whose personal experience with OCD spans over 30 years. From childhood panic attacks to intrusive thoughts and existential struggles, Jonny shares how these challenges shaped his journey to becoming a therapist and advocate. Now part of the Integrative Center for OCD Therapy, Jonny di...

What is OCD recovery avoidance? It’s not about refusing treatment on purpose — it’s about patterns of behavior that unintentionally keep someone from getting better. Whether it’s denying there’s a problem, minimizing the severity, or avoiding effective therapy, recovery avoidance can leave individuals and families feeling stuck and overwhelmed. In this episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath sits down with h...

The holidays can be magical, but for those with OCD, they can also be stressful. In this special episode, Dr. Patrick McGrath cuts through the holiday cliches to tackle real challenges — like navigating germ anxiety at family gatherings or dodging well-meaning but triggering comments from relatives. Whether it’s setting boundaries around alcohol or learning how to say “no” without guilt, Patrick s...

In this episode of Get to Know OCD, we dive deep into the complexities of scrupulosity, a form of OCD that intertwines with one’s values, morals, or religious beliefs. Featuring Dr. Jed Siev, a licensed clinical psychologist and faculty member at Swarthmore College, this discussion sheds light on how OCD latches onto the things we care about most — faith, morality, or even our natural desire to be...

Howie Mandel and Marc Summers both carved out long-standing careers for themselves in the limelight and on TV screens. But behind the laughter and success lies a shared struggle with OCD — a challenge they faced during a time when the disorder was deeply misunderstood in Hollywood. For Marc, misinformation about OCD cost him a high-profile hosting job, while Howie quietly battled the fear that his...

Living in the face of uncertainty is no small feat — especially when navigating life with a chronic condition or OCD. Dr. Ashley Smith, a psychologist and author of The Way I See It: A Psychologist’s Guide to a Happier Life , knows this journey intimately. In this episode of Get to Know OCD , she shares how she turned her own uncertain experience with vision loss into a powerful lesson in resilien...

The holidays can be a time of joy, but they’re also a stressor — perfect conditions for OCD to flare up. From intrusive thoughts to compulsions promising false relief, the Christmas season can feel overwhelming. In this video, we dive into practical strategies for managing OCD during the holidays, including setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and facing triggers with confidence. Join us as...

Scrupulosity, or religious OCD, twists faith into fear, trapping individuals in relentless cycles of guilt, shame, and self-doubt. Intrusive thoughts like “am I a sinner?” or “did I commit an unforgivable act?” fuel compulsions — endless prayers, confessions, or mental checks — that only tighten OCD’s grip. In this episode, Dr. Ted Witzig — a psychologist and ordained minister — joins us to unpack...

How does OCD impact your relationships with friends, family, or romantic partners? In this episode of Get to Know OCD, Dr. Amy Mariaskin joins us to unpack the ways OCD can infiltrate relationships, from creating distance to amplifying shame. Drawing from her book Thriving in Relationships When You Have OCD, she offers insights, practical tools, and a message of hope for anyone living with OCD or...

Parenting is hard enough without OCD steering the ship. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath dives into perinatal and postpartum OCD, breaking down what it is, who it affects (hint: it’s not just moms), and how it can disrupt your life. From intrusive fears to compulsive behaviors, OCD has a way of turning the joys of parenthood into constant anxiety. But here’s the good news: help is available. Dr....

In this special Thanksgiving Day episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, the tables turn as Dr. Patrick McGrath takes the spotlight — but not as the interviewer. Tia Wilson steps in to ask the questions, giving listeners a rare glimpse into Patrick’s personal and professional journey. For the next 45 minutes, Patrick opens up about his early struggles with childhood anxiety, the rejections that ul...

Liz Trondsen doesn’t have OCD, but her son, Chris, does — and as is often the case, the disorder didn’t just affect him; it rippled through the entire family. Liz shares her deeply personal story in this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, opening up about the moment her son’s struggles nearly claimed his life and how that single event became a turning point for their entire family. Liz talks...

Supporting someone with OCD can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t fully understand their experience. In this episode of Get to know OCD, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down the complexities of OCD and shares practical tips for starting meaningful conversations — whether you’re living with OCD or supporting someone who is. You'll walk away from this talk with insights to foster understand...

When intrusive thoughts took over his life, Jesse Katches felt isolated, hopeless, and afraid to share his struggles — even with his roommate. Fast-forward to today, and Jesse has transformed his pain into purpose as a mental health advocate reaching millions online. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Dr. Patrick McGrath sits down with Jesse to discuss his journey through anxiety and...

Dr. Patrick McGrath and Michelle Massi bring 45 years of combined experience to this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, where they get into the state of OCD treatment today. You’ll discover why failure can pave the way for progress, how feeding compulsions derails recovery, and why leaning into discomfort is key to reclaiming your life. Packed with practical wisdom and candid insights, this c...

OCD in children isn’t always easy to spot — it can appear as perfectionism, relentless checking rituals, or overwhelming fears about safety. Without the right support, it can quietly take over not only the child’s life but the entire household. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath dives into the subtle yet disruptive ways OCD manifests in kids. He breaks down the telltale signs and offers advice for...

Dating in the modern age feels hard enough — add anxiety and OCD, and it can feel overwhelming. Dating coach Sabrina Zohar knows the struggle firsthand, living with anxiety. In this episode of Get to Know OCD, Sabrina shares her insights on navigating the dating world with these unique challenges. With her signature candor, Sabrina unpacks the reality of dating apps, the art of bringing up mental...

Ever feel like health worries are taking over? Like every ache or pain needs immediate attention? If so, this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast is for you. Today, we’re joined by Josh Spitalnick and Michael Stier, co-authors of The Complete Guide To Overcoming Health Anxiety. Josh and Michael break down the difference between real medical symptoms and the “what if” thoughts that health anxiet...

We get OCD-related questions all the time — in our comment section, emails, webinars, in-person therapy, and more. In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath answers real questions he most often gets. He covers everything from ERP to dream states, and everything inbetween. Have more OCD-related questions? Check out our content library for more answers to our most-frequently-asked questions: https://learn....

OCD representation in movies, shows, and media often misses the mark, pairing misinformation with laugh tracks and stereotypes. These portrayals often stick, leading to widespread misunderstandings and even misdiagnoses of this complex disorder. In this episode of the Get to Know OCD podcast, Patrick sits down with therapist Nathan Peterson, who has over a decade of experience treating OCD and anx...