Get to know OCD

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 quietly. That cultural silence made it easier for OCD to go unnamed, and harder for her to ask for help.

In this interview, Radha talks about living with OCD for nearly 18 years without understanding what it was, how stigma shaped her beliefs about mental illness, and how those beliefs followed her even after moving to the United States. She shares how OCD showed up in parenting, driving, and daily life — and why speaking openly now feels necessary, especially for people coming from communities where OCD is still something not talked about.

NOCD specializes in exposure and response prevention therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. Want to explore your treatment options? Book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT

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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 changed once OCD was correctly identified. She also shares how living through that experience influenced her path into becoming a NOCD therapist — and how it shapes the way she now helps others facing the same kind of fears.

NOCD specializes in exposure and response prevention therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. Want to explore your treatment options? Book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT

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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 scared her enough to realize she couldn’t manage it on her own anymore.

In this episode, Rachel Immraj shares her OCD journey. She shares how deep OCD pulled her and how she, finally, got help. Rachel also tells us about her new documentary, An Unquiet Mind, that follows multiple people with OCD. She directed it to show others the dark side of OCD, a side that almost swallowed her whole.

NOCD specializes in exposure and response prevention therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. Want to explore your treatment options? Book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT

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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 lessons learned through real experience and treatment.

NOCD specializes in exposure and response prevention therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. Want to explore your treatment options? Book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT

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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 about her show and story. Her OCD fixated on intrusive sexual and taboo thoughts, which have become the backbone of Olivia's comedy show. She shares what it was like to put the most shame-filled parts of her experience on stage, what surprised her about the reaction, and how externalizing the thoughts changed her relationship with them in a way silence never did.

NOCD specializes in exposure and response prevention therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. Want to explore your treatment options? 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.