Get to know OCD

The Cornell Seven sexual assault allegations have dominated headlines, but for some people with OCD, the story is triggering an entirely different kind of fear. What if something happened in my past that I don't remember? What if I hurt someone without realizing it? What if I'm somehow guilty by association?

NOCD therapist and Chief Compliance Officer Traci Ibrahim explains how high-profile allegations can fuel obsessive doubt, especially when OCD latches onto someone's memories, past experiences, or sense of morality. The more someone tries to find certainty about the past, the more confusing those memories can become.

Traci also opens up about her own experiences with OCD and PTSD, the challenges of navigating trauma alongside OCD, and how to recognize when a news story is pulling you into a cycle of rumination and reassurance-seeking.

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

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What happens when you try exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, do everything you're told, and still don't get better? You might be facing your fears without realizing you're also doing things that keep your OCD alive.

Dr. Patrick McGrath is joined by NOCD therapist William Schultz and psychologist Brett Deacon to explore why ERP sometimes falls short. They discuss a patient who couldn't wash her hands during treatment but continued performing mental compulsions, revealing how easily OCD can find another way to maintain its grip.

The conversation also explores why intrusive thoughts feel so real, how reassurance and other safety behaviors interfere with recovery, and why learning to tolerate uncomfortable emotions is such an important part of treatment.

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

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Shanna Chappell was working in private investment research by day and volunteering as a therapist outside of work. She knew which career she wanted to pursue, but getting there wasn't exactly straightforward. In fact, her first attempt to join NOCD didn't work out.

A year later, Shanna applied again. This time, she came more prepared, had more clinical experience under her belt, and got the job. Now she's helping people with OCD through exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy — a specialty she barely learned about in graduate school.

This week on Get to know NOCD therapists, Shanna joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about her unconventional career path, what she learned from the NOCD hiring process, and how specialized training and ongoing support have changed her confidence as a therapist. She also shares what it's really like working remotely at NOCD and her advice for therapists considering making the leap.

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

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Mia Mason spent most of her life worrying that she was secretly a terrible person. What if she hurt someone? What if she did something wrong? What if the thoughts she couldn't escape said something about who she really was? It wasn't until she was 23 that she finally learned those fears had a name: OCD.

Art had always been her escape. So when she finally started getting the right treatment, she began drawing what she was learning in therapy. Those drawings eventually became “Worry's Whispers”, a book about living with OCD. The irony? Publishing it meant facing one of her biggest fears — putting herself out there and risking being misunderstood.

This week on the Get to Know OCD podcast, Mia joins Dr. Patrick McGrath to talk about the thoughts she once kept to herself, why she turned her OCD into a ghost named Worry, and how she's learned to build a bigger life without waiting for the fear to disappear.

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

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Rainn Wilson describes his intrusive thoughts as “a shoe in the dryer”—relentless, loud, and impossible to ignore. Howie Mandel can relate.

Both entertainers live with OCD, and while their symptoms show up differently, their stories follow a similar path: from years of confusion before being diagnosed, to the relief of finally having a name for what they were experiencing, to speaking up so others can find help faster than they did.

In this special episode of Get to know OCD, the two actors sit down with Dr. Patrick McGrath, NOCD's Chief Clinical Officer, to talk about…
• Why OCD feels so real
• How stigma and misunderstandings kept Howie silent for years
• How ERP therapy and medication changed Rainn’s life
• Why being open about OCD matters
• Their advice for anyone who’s struggling

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:
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