Stay ConnectedTune 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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Brenna Posey always thought she had a good grasp on her OCD, but everything shifted when she started hearing celebrities like Luke Combs, Nikki Glaser, and Ariana Grande open up about their own mental health struggles. Their stories weren’t just relatable — they were eye-opening. Luke talked about being consumed by intrusive thoughts even while performing on stage, Nikki shared how her OCD fed into an eating disorder, and Ariana described rituals that kept her trapped in a cycle. Hearing those raw, honest moments helped Brenna connect dots in her own experience that she hadn’t seen before.
In this video, Brenna reflects on the impact those stories had on her understanding of OCD and why celebrity voices can play a powerful role in breaking stigma. She explains how each of their perspectives helped her realize that OCD isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that even people at the top of their careers are navigating the same exhausting mental loops. Most of all, it reminded her — and now hopefully you — that struggling with OCD doesn’t mean you can’t live a full, meaningful life.
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What happens when your faith — the thing that’s supposed to ground you — becomes the source of constant fear and doubt? For people with OCD, especially those struggling with scrupulosity, that’s exactly what happens. In this episode, therapist Justin Hughes joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about the painful cycle of obsessing over belief, salvation, sin, and certainty. They explore how OCD can make someone question their deepest values, fear damnation, or feel trapped in compulsions that masquerade as “being faithful.”
But this isn’t about losing your religion — it’s about reclaiming it. Justin and Patrick break down how evidence-based treatment like ERP can help you step out of fear without abandoning your beliefs. They share stories from clients and their own lives, explain how therapy can honor faith rather than erase it, and make the case that healing doesn’t require spiritual compromise — it requires clarity, compassion, and the courage to sit with doubt.
Need someone to talk to about your intrusive thoughts? NOCD therapists are specialized to treat OCD themes of all kinds, including scrupulosity. To book a free 15-minute call, visit us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT
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Montana thought he understood OCD — until he got married. His wife, Mackenzie, had been living with obsessive-compulsive disorder since she was a teenager, but it wasn’t until they built a life together that he began to see the full impact. From hidden rituals to overwhelming fear, contamination spirals, and constant anxiety, OCD slowly took over their home. With two young kids, military life, and cross-country moves in the mix, their marriage was pushed to the edge.
In this raw and honest conversation, Mackenzie and Montana share how OCD strained their relationship, reshaped their parenting, and nearly tore their family apart. It wasn’t until everything felt like it was falling apart that therapy — specifically Exposure and Response Prevention — gave them the tools to rebuild. Together, they show what it really looks like to fight OCD as a team and how getting the right help can truly save a relationship and a family.
Want to try ERP therapy like Mackenzie? NOCD offers proven, specialized treatment for OCD. Start your journey by visiting https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
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Uma Chatterjee is a neuroscientist who studies the brain circuitry behind OCD — and she’s also someone who lived with the disorder at its most severe. In this talk, she breaks down the actual biology behind intrusive thoughts and compulsions, from overactive brain regions like the orbitofrontal cortex to the role of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA. She explains how genetics and stress can prime the brain for OCD, why certain thoughts feel so “sticky,” and what’s really happening when the brain misfires and flags harmless ideas as dangerous.
But this isn’t just science for science’s sake — it’s about hope. Uma shares how Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) can actually retrain the brain’s alarm system through neuroplasticity, helping people tolerate anxiety without relying on compulsions. For the most up-to-date science on OCD and its treatment, this video is must watch.
To learn more about science-backed OCD treatment and to find an OCD-specialized therapist, visit us at NOCD: https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
Watch Uma's interview on the Get to know OCD podcast: https://youtu.be/1NaxMoYhXZ4
You can follow Uma’s latest research here: https://umarchatterjee.com/research/
She also hosts her own podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee
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For years, people with OCD have been misdiagnosed, misunderstood, or simply told they have “anxiety.” In this video, Dr. Patrick McGrath breaks down why so many suffer in silence — and how everything can change with the right treatment. From taboo intrusive thoughts to compulsions no one sees, OCD shows up in ways most people don’t recognize. But with proper diagnosis and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, real recovery is possible. If you’ve ever felt stuck, ashamed, or hopeless, this video is for you.
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When Zane Gonzalez lined up for a game-winning field goal on national television, he had no idea millions would be talking about what happened before the ball barely snuck inside the upright to send the Commanders to the NFC Championship. The video went viral not because of the kick itself, but because of Zane’s “strange” pre-kick rituals — fixing his socks, adjusting his helmet, smoothing his hair. What the world saw as quirky or nervous habits were actually deeply ingrained OCD patterns he’s been navigating since childhood.
In this powerful interview, Zane opens up about what it felt like to go viral for something so personal, how he’s learned to perform under pressure while managing OCD, and why he’s done hiding it. From being misunderstood by commentators to finding support in the locker room, he shares the unfiltered story of living with OCD in the spotlight — and how choosing to own that moment is inspiring others to do the same.
If you're struggling with OCD, our NOCD therapists might be able to help. They are specially trained in ERP therapy — the most effective treatment against OCD. To learn about treatment options, book a free 15-minute call at https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
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Brenna Posey didn’t expect a night of binge-watching White Lotus would turn into a lightbulb moment about her mental health. But somewhere between episodes, sleep deprivation, and the familiar pull of “just one more,” she realized she was caught in a pattern that looked a lot like her experience with OCD.
Giving in felt good for a moment — but the next day, she was exhausted, frustrated, and asking herself the same question many people with OCD face: Why do I keep doing what I know makes me feel worse? In this episode, Brenna shares how that moment helped her reframe the OCD cycle, and how doing the opposite — resisting compulsions, sitting with discomfort, and letting the anxiety be there — is what finally gave her freedom.
If you're struggling with OCD, our NOCD therapists might be able to help. They are specially trained in ERP therapy — the most effective treatment against OCD. To learn about treatment options, book a free 15-minute call at https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
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They said she was beyond help. After 29 hospitalizations, no one had any answers. Tracie Ibrahim was just 10 years old when a single question from a doctor spiraled her into nearly a decade of psychiatric holds, misdiagnoses, and overmedication. They labeled her with everything from depression to schizophrenia, but no one stopped to consider the truth behind her thoughts — behind the compulsions, behind the fear.
In this episode of Get to Know OCD, Tracie shares the raw, powerful story of how untreated OCD shaped her childhood, how she eventually uncovered the therapy that finally worked, and how she now uses that same method to help others heal as NOCD's Chief Compliance Officer.
Struggling with OCD? At NOCD, we offer specialized treatment for the disorder. Book a free 15-minute call with one of our experts at https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
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Ally Duncan built a career most people dream about. As a full-time content creator in the food space, she’s known for her intricate cakes, playful tiny baking videos, and a vibrant online presence. What her audience didn’t see, for years, was how much work it took to succeed while quietly managing OCD.
OCD shows up in her kitchen in ways most people wouldn’t notice — counting food coloring drops, checking for perfect symmetry on cupcakes, or feeling the urge to fix every imperfection. It’s exhausting, and it never fully turns off. But Ally’s learned to live with it, work through it, and keep showing up for what she loves.
After years of staying quiet about her mental health, Ally started sharing her story. What she found wasn’t judgment — it was community. That response is what pushed her to keep speaking up. Because if talking about OCD helps even one person feel less alone, it’s worth it, she tells us.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:12 Ally’s background
4:16 How OCD has affected Ally’s life
8:07 Symmetry OCD is present when Ally bakes
10:28 Ally’s therapy experience
12:42 Ally has a phrase to combat OCD
13:47 Being open about OCD struggles
16:11 How Ally’s OCD has changed throughout her life
19:07 How hormones affect Ally’s OCD
21:29 OCD-themed cake?
23:05 Ally’s partner is very supportive
25:29 The difficulties of getting specialized OCD treatment
28:58 Virtual mental healthcare is just as effective as in-person
31:50 Biggest breakthroughs Ally experienced
33:42 Why Ally became an OCD advocate
35:15 How Ally got into baking and content
39:38 OCD flareups happen
42:00 The shock of learning a behavior is a compulsion
44:45 Advice from Ally
Want to try ERP therapy like Ally? NOCD offers proven, specialized treatment for OCD. Start your journey by visiting https://learn.nocd.com/podcast
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For years, Chrissie Hodges lived a double life— on the outside, everything looked fine. But inside, she was battling nonstop intrusive thoughts she didn’t understand and couldn’t share with anyone. Thoughts so taboo and terrifying, she assumed they made her a bad person.
It wasn’t until a suicide attempt and a lucky diagnosis that Chrissie discovered what she’d been living with all along: OCD. In this raw and revealing interview, Chrissie shares the reality of surviving taboo intrusive thoughts, the shame that kept her silent for decades, and the moment she realized she wasn’t alone—and never had been.
If you’ve ever been afraid to talk about what’s really going on in your mind, this conversation will remind you there’s nothing wrong with who you are — and there IS help available.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:17 When Chrissie first noticed she had OCD
7:32 Made-up narratives to justify OCD
9:50 Sexual orientation OCD
14:53 Getting on medication and going to therapy
16:15 Finally discovering pure OCD
18:47 Trying therapy can be scary
22:05 How Chrissie dealt with feelings of shame
26:52 Other taboo-intrusive thoughts
32:53 The exact taboo thoughts Chrissie experienced
38:30 You’re not alone
Need help treating OCD? Our specially-trained therapists can help. Visit https://learn.nocd.com/podcast to book a free 15-minute consultation and explore options most suited for you.
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