Get to know OCD

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 tends to “fight back” harder before it starts losing power. In this video, Dr. McGrath explains why this happens so often during 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.

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 breaks down how OCD turns thinking into a compulsion, why rumination feels so convincing in the moment, and the key difference between healthy problem-solving and mentally spiraling.

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.

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 aggressively and why trying to prove to yourself that you’re okay only keeps the cycle alive. He also explains the key difference between OCD and psychotic disorders, and how therapy helps people stop treating every intrusive thought like an emergency that needs to be solved.

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.

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 phobias.

They also share why their work is so rewarding: patients start re-doing things OCD once took away from them, like going back to work, school, relationships, and daily routines. The conversation also covers why virtual ERP can be just as effective as in-person 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.

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 years and years because she genuinely believed it meant something terrible about her. She also shares what it was like spending her teenage years trapped in nonstop fear and mental checking, why the thoughts felt so painfully real, and how finally learning what OCD actually was changed the course of her life.

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.