Obsessive compulsive disorder - OCD treatment and therapy from NOCD

Living with OCD

We're creating resources to help people learn about OCD in the many ways it impacts their own lives—not just what it looks like on paper. You can search our resources to determine when your intrusive thoughts may be related to OCD.

7 min read
Living with someone with OCD: How to help and support them

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be debilitating—for the person who has it, of course, but even for others who are close to them. You might be at a

By Elle Warren

Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD

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7 min read
Filmmaker Dillon Tucker talks Pure O—a film about the truth of OCD

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Dillon Tucker’s struggle will be a familiar one: He went to talk therapy when he started experiencing

By Elle Warren

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13 min read
12 signs you’re overwhelmed and how to find relief

Feeling chronically overwhelmed is like standing in the middle of a storm. The swirling mass of tasks, emotions, and responsibilities feel intense—like

By Patrick McGrath, PhD

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14 min read
11 healthy mental health habits to calm your mind

Self-care is about more than treating yourself to a spa day or extra dessert—although those can be great options to have in your back pocket. 

By Patrick McGrath, PhD

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11 min read
Benefits of deep breathing exercises + 8 exercises to get started

Managing stress is an important part of living well with OCD. Deep breathing exercises offer a simple and effective stress management tool that can help

By Patrick McGrath, PhD

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12 min read
The mind-body link: How does physical health affect mental health? 

Holistic health includes more than what you see on the surface. Mental health and physical health are deeply intertwined. The well-being of one can

By Patrick McGrath, PhD

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8 min read
OCD and Eating Disorders: Understanding the Relationship

When you think about your relationship with food, you might have certain preferences or behaviors that lead you to wonder, “What’s really going on here?”

By Jenna Demmer

Reviewed by Hilary Stein, MSW, LCSW

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9 min read
Can OCD affect your sex life?

The short answer is: Yes. But stick with us because there’s a lot you should know about the connection between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the

By Elle Warren

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6 min read
The right OCD therapist changed Noelle Lepore’s life—So she became one herself

You could always spot Noelle Lepore in her high school cafeteria. She was the girl who wouldn't eat until all her prayers were done. She would have loved

By David Berreby

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6 min read
Worried about giving your kids OCD? What research and experts say

Lately, there’s been some pretty controversial chatter on social media about whether people with OCD should choose a partner without mental health issues

By Tia Wilson

Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD

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23 min read
Journey Through the Maze: A Personal Account of Living with OCD

Life is a narrative, a story. That's how each of us perceives existence. We envisage ourselves as the protagonist, casting the psychological and metaphysical challenges we face into archetypal roles that humanity has been using since time immemorial. In our lives, we all have entities and individuals we perceive as allies, mentors, or shadows. We're all engaged in the same hero's journey, each with our unique story to share. The journey I've shared with you today details my struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and highlights key experiences that have provided me with precious learning opportunities.

By Sina Tadayon

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17 min read
Learning to live with OCD

You are not alone. Millions of people just like you struggle with the same condition. OCD is vicious and unrelenting, targeting everything you love and care about. But you can do more than just survive with OCD: you can thrive. There are so many wonderful therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists ready to help you, and with consistent effort and a long-term approach, you can implement life changes that will get you back on the right track.

By Anonymous

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9 min read
Freedom from OCD is possible

I used to think that having OCD meant that I was weak. But now, that has changed. I know how strong I am. Through seeking help I learned that I am resilient. I know and understand myself so much better now. OCD really forced me to figure out who I am and what I value. I have a renewed vision of what is strength and what is weakness now. I am far more compassionate and empathetic. I no longer feel the need to put on a mask and pretend to be okay. I have been in the depths of despair and darkness. And I have survived. I have even thrived.

By Jeanine Talento

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6 min read
Take care of Michael

Over time the theme of my OCD and its spikes changed, from relationship to existential OCD but they’ve all had one major feature, uncertainty. Not knowing the outcome of some event, whether I am with the right person, or whether I’m even okay.

By Michael Correy

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8 min read
Fighting for a better me

I would encourage anyone and everyone who isn’t aware of just how serious of a condition OCD can be, to educate themselves on this. This is a real disorder and a debilitating one for so many people. Be open to what others with lived OCD experience have to say about this. It may be difficult to understand or to put yourself in their shoes, but that's okay. What they need is your support, just knowing you are there for them and care enough about them to be there for them can mean a world of difference. 

By Benjamin Ellis

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9 min read
Blanket statements

I wish I could say that at age 24, I was cured, that I never experienced distress from my OCD again. The truth is more complex and compelling. My OCD has taken many different forms throughout my life-whether it is that I am with the wrong person, or if I am making a terrible mistake at work, and everything in between. But my life has become so much more expansive since I received help for my OCD. Though I still get caught in compulsions and rituals and safety behaviors, I don't stay stuck as long. I still see a therapist at NOCD to help me through all the ways that my OCD has shifted over the years. Most importantly, my OCD has not kept me from living a beautiful life. I met and married an amazing man. I reconnected to art, writing, and advocating for people with OCD like myself. I don't let OCD and fear dictate my life.

By Anonymous

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24 min read
The fear of failure

The key to reducing the power of these thoughts is not to run away from them, not to push them away, and not even to challenge them. It turns out that the most effective way we’ve found to deal with it so far is to simply sit with The Thoughts, and let them say their piece. Almost as if you were dealing with a child having a little temper tantrum, you just let all of the terrible, anxiety-inducing thoughts rage as they will, until they tire themselves out. While under guided supervision, you are exposed to a situation that triggers intrusive thoughts, and throughout you must self-assess your anxiety levels. What are you feeling as your brain presents upsetting ideas to you? Be honest with yourself, and track how you feel as you continue. Eventually, though it may take quite a while, you’ll notice the anxiety will start to decrease. A quiet observation of the situation will lead you to a calmer state. Give no response except for acknowledgment of what you are going through. You, in a sense, build up a tolerance to the anxiety The Thoughts provoke. Eventually, they become nothing more than what they always truly were, even if they had once felt like something so much worse. Just thoughts.

By Dylan AP Davis

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6 min read
Let in the light

OCD was a result of my reaction to thoughts that were abhorrent to me. Unfortunately, trying to force them out of my head only meant I thought about them more. With my therapist’s help, I started to practice exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP). It was crazy how quickly my intrusive thoughts receded — I got to a point where I could remain calm and completely ignore these thoughts, even laugh at their absurdity, instead of being frightened by them. 

By Emily W.

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9 min read
How OCD tried to come between me and my family

OCD no longer controls my life, my behaviors, and my family. OCD doesn’t have a crippling grip on my life any longer. I learned that I likely had OCD most of my life.Recovery is a process. It isn’t as though the OCD is suddenly gone, but I am recognizing it more. I am not allowing it to be in control. My advice to anyone suffering from this is to get help right away, don’t put it off. Face it head-on as hard as it is. Don’t give up, keep pushing forward. You will be so happy that you get treatment. There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ recovery or treatment. When I have bumps in the road, I get back into therapy and get a quick refresher. You are never all the way back to zero, you cannot unlearn all of the tools you have been taught. You don’t lose progress. 

By Manny D.

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10 min read
What if it could turn out better than you ever imagined? 

I was once tormented by OCDs “What ifs” and left in a state of panic, despair, and ruin, wondering if I would ever get my life back again. While I am not here to say that your life will always be sunshine and rainbows, I will tell you that with hard work and perseverance, you can live a completely healthy, and normal life.

By Ben

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