Blog | NOCD | The OCD app

The things we tried before we saw an OCD specialist

By Patrick | Treatment | No Comments

Like many of you out there, a few members of the NOCD team have tried a whole bunch of things for obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. Many peopl...

PatrickApril 3, 2019

Tackling OCD in College Athletes

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

In the midst of March Madness, it’s easy to forget that a vast majority of student-athletes aren’t in the spotlight. There are 460,000 of them in t...

PatrickMarch 29, 2019

Why it takes more than exposures

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

We talk a lot about exposure and response prevention around here. Commonly known as ERP, this form of cognitive-behavioral therapy has two main com...

PatrickMarch 1, 2019

NOCD’s MARS Rating

By Phoebe Kranefuss | News, Uncategorized | No Comments

Highlights The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) is a reliable, multidimensional measure for trialling, classifying, and rating mobile health appsMARS...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 27, 2019

Columbia University Medical Center’s Study of NOCD

By Patrick | News, Uncategorized | No Comments

Highlights An independent team of researchers at Columbia University Medical Center is studying the NOCD appThe study seeks to assess the eff...

PatrickFebruary 20, 2019

Introducing NOCD Premium

By Phoebe Kranefuss | News | No Comments

Today, we’re launching NOCD Premium: an in-app, OCD-specific teletherapy service that connects our members with licensed mental health professional...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 18, 2019

When ROCD Tries to Ruin Your Valentine’s Day

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

This week, we're proud to feature a guest post from Dr. Belinda Seiger, PhD, LCSW. Dr. Seiger has substantial training from the world-renowned Chil...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 14, 2019

What’s it like to do residential OCD treatment?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Getting any kind of help for your mental health is a big step. Whether you're just exploring options, immersed in therapy, trying medication, or in...

PatrickFebruary 12, 2019

Four “OCD thoughts” you might have had

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Obsessive-compulsive disorder takes on a lot of forms, but everyone has a few common symptoms according to DSM-5, the diagnostic guide for clinicia...

PatrickFebruary 11, 2019

Staying In: Social Anxiety and OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

A lot of people are shy, and we all fear public embarrassment. Social convention has such a strong pull on us that we all basically do the same stu...

PatrickFebruary 8, 2019

Why is OCD so Often Misdiagnosed?

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Imagine you’re experiencing OCD symptoms for the first time. You know something is wrong because you’re feeling much more anxious than usual and yo...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 6, 2019

Could my child have OCD?

By Patrick | Treatment, Uncategorized | No Comments

Mental health is never simple, but it can be especially complicated in children, who are always changing and developing new patterns in thought and...

PatrickFebruary 5, 2019

Looking for more help?

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Lots of people in our community have been asking great questions about what they can do when treatment doesn't seem to be working. What if my weekl...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 4, 2019

Why Does NOCD Have Sponsored Posts?

By Phoebe Kranefuss | News, Uncategorized | No Comments

OCD treatment has always been a bit of a maze. We know this because many of us at NOCD struggled to navigate the healthcare system for years before...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 4, 2019

Why We’re Partnering With Actify

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Our mission is to help people with OCD feel better by making care more effective, accessible, and connected. To do that, we’re enhancing our mobile...

Phoebe KranefussFebruary 1, 2019

Meet Our Newest Scientific Advisor: Dr. Patrick McGrath

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

At NOCD, we work with experts to develop the most effective self-help tools and push mental health science forward. Our Scientific Advisory Board g...

Phoebe KranefussJanuary 30, 2019

Harm OCD: Can I trust myself?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Please note: this post is an exploration of a common question from our community members. It is not intended to diagnose or give treatment advice. ...

PatrickJanuary 24, 2019

Compulsions and the Misunderstanding of OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

There are few things like the feeling when intense worry lifts. Whatever degree of anxiety you’re feeling– whether your kid still isn't home three ...

PatrickJanuary 23, 2019

Does OCD go away?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

This question– one of the most common in our in-app community– often comes from people who are concerned about their thoughts but aren't yet sure a...

PatrickJanuary 18, 2019

Introducing NOCD on Android!

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

An estimated 2-3% of the US population deals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many of them are, of course, Android users. That’s why releasing N...

PatrickJanuary 17, 2019

Experts talk about how to get the best OCD treatment

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

When you're dealing with something difficult or painful– OCD is both– it's natural to seek the best solutions. That's why we're sharing a few of ou...

PatrickJanuary 12, 2019

Is it Relationship OCD or a Bad Relationship?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Ah, relationships. Everyone’s talking about them– as we always have. And these discussions have expanded far beyond the intimate relationships we– ...

PatrickJanuary 10, 2019

What people with OCD really obsess about, according to a 2018 study

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

This is an exciting update on OCD research conducted by Dr. Jamie Feusner (Chief Medical Officer of NOCD, Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, Director...

PatrickDecember 22, 2018

How can you deal with OCD during the holidays?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

We’re already in the midst of the holiday season, and although these celebrations can bring lots of joy, family and friends introduce lots of new v...

PatrickDecember 20, 2018

Ten Times OCD Was Treated Like a Joke But We Weren’t Laughing

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

1. Obsessive Christmas Disorder There are a lot of reasons to love Christmas: spending time with family, drinking hot chocolate, making cookies, an...

Phoebe KranefussDecember 19, 2018

Guest Post by M Johnson: I Handled Things as They Came

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

We're excited to share a guest post by M Johnson, and grateful for this generous retelling of a difficult story. It's about the many paths our thou...

PatrickDecember 14, 2018

Is there a cure for OCD?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Plenty of people claim to know the cure for obsessive-compulsive disorder. With a quick search you’ll find stories about yoga, diets, and supplemen...

PatrickDecember 13, 2018

Can you tell your therapist everything?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Because the intrusive and unwanted thoughts, images, urges, and feelings that characterize OCD are often disturbing, it can be very difficult to te...

PatrickDecember 11, 2018

Where can I find a good online OCD test?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

There are hundreds of OCD tests and “OCD quizzes” online. Some aim to help people self-diagnose; others turn obsessive-compulsive disorder into a j...

PatrickDecember 7, 2018

Guest Post: Lotus on OCD, Emetophobia, and Recovery

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today we’re really lucky to share this excellent guest post from Lotus, who volunteered through one of our Instagram stories. She discusses OCD and...

PatrickDecember 6, 2018

Can OCD be treated without medication?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Yes, to give a simple answer. Although lots of people find medication (usually serotonin reuptake inhibitors or clomipramine) helpful in making the...

PatrickDecember 4, 2018

Learning to Drum: How I Used ERP to Feel Better

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

In the summer before fourth grade, one of my friends got a drum set. I’d go over and see it sitting there, shiny and red, imagining myself learning...

PatrickNovember 7, 2018

What exactly is exposure and response prevention (ERP)?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

You might’ve noticed that exposure and response prevention, or ERP, is the most commonly recommended form of therapy for obsessive-compulsive disor...

PatrickOctober 30, 2018

Announcing Our New Partnership with Actify!

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

A New Partner NOCD and Actify Neurotherapies are partnering to make more treatment options available to more people who need them. Actify is a lead...

Phoebe KranefussOctober 15, 2018

How we’re always learning: NOCD’s Scientific Advisors

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

It’s OCD Awareness Week and we’re celebrating the robust community of OCD clinicians, researchers, and advocates that we get to be part of each day...

PatrickOctober 12, 2018

Asking an OCD Expert: Jamie Feusner

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today we asked our community members and newsletter subscribers to send in questions for Dr. Jamie Feusner, one of the world's top OCD experts. Our...

PatrickOctober 12, 2018

How does coffee affect mental health?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Coffee is the most commonly consumed drink in the United States. In 2015, Americans spent $ billion on coffee. 64% of Americans over 18 said they’d...

PatrickOctober 4, 2018

Big Announcement: We’re Launching the nocd Network!

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you have OCD, you probably already know how persistent and debilitating obsessions and compulsions can be. From disturbing intrusive thoughts an...

Phoebe KranefussOctober 2, 2018

Ten reasons to try therapy

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

1) Therapy is usually effective People who haven’t tried therapy often imagine it as a loose (and kind of pointless) conversation about all the thi...

PatrickSeptember 14, 2018

Poster for The OCD Summit webinar series

Announcing The OCD Summit with Stuart Ralph

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today we're bringing you a special announcement about an event with Stuart Ralph, creator and host of The OCD Stories podcast. Stu is tireless in h...

PatrickSeptember 5, 2018

An Update on Android!

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Last week, we released the beta version of nOCD for Android which was greeted with lots of enthusiasm and great questions. We know you’ve been pati...

Phoebe KranefussSeptember 5, 2018

How to Plan for OCD Recovery: Part Two

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

This is a continuation of our first post about making an OCD treatment plan. If you haven't read that one yet, be sure to start there. Otherwise, r...

PatrickAugust 31, 2018

Planning to Get Better: Part One

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Once you’ve done the hard work of finding a therapist, figuring out the financial stuff, and securing an appointment, you already know that treatin...

PatrickAugust 30, 2018

OCD Isn’t About Handwashing! And Other Questions from Users

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

This week, we're answering questions from our users via Instagram (@treatmyocd). We received tons of great suggestions: people wanted more about di...

Phoebe KranefussAugust 9, 2018

A New OCD Study Adding To Your Current Treatment

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Let’s say, for a moment, that you’ve just realized you might need some help feeling okay on a daily basis. You might still have some reservations a...

PatrickAugust 2, 2018

Helping Someone on Their OCD Journey

By Alexandria Zaobidny | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you know of someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, you might feel helpless and frustrated at times, as though there is no...

Alexandria ZaobidnyJuly 31, 2018

OCD and Social Media

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Most of us use social media at least once a day: in the US, 90% of young people and 65% of adults are regular users. And many of those users, inclu...

Phoebe KranefussJuly 25, 2018

The Latest OCD Research: An Interview with Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez is a foremost expert on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and conducts cutting-edge research aimed at improving our underst...

PatrickJuly 13, 2018

nOCD: Finding a Cure for OCD Within 15 Years

By Stephen Smith | Uncategorized | No Comments

The digital wave that has disrupted countless industries around the world for the better still hasn’t come crashing down on mental healthcare– whic...

Stephen SmithJuly 6, 2018

When OCD Isn’t Your Only Diagnosis

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you deal with OCD on a day-to-day basis, you probably already know that obsessive thinking can really get in the way. At nOCD, many of us have e...

Phoebe KranefussJune 28, 2018

Harris Goldberg talks OCD in Hollywood

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

If you’ve laughed out loud during Master of Disguise or Without a Paddle, you might not think to associate director, writer, and producer Harris Go...

Phoebe KranefussJune 25, 2018

Introducing nOCD’s Group Feature

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

As we’ve always said at nOCD, one of the most important elements of recovery from any struggle with mental health is having a community of people w...

PatrickJune 21, 2018

ERP and Value-Based Living

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

OCD can be a little bit like a new puppy. It follows you everywhere, it requires tons of attention, and when you say “no,” it seems instead to hear...

Phoebe KranefussJune 15, 2018

Holistic Approaches to Mitigating OCD

By Phoebe Kranefuss | Uncategorized | No Comments

Ever missed out on something because your OCD decided it was in charge for the moment, hour, or even the whole day? Yeah, us too. In fact, m...

Phoebe KranefussJune 12, 2018

Asking an Expert: Dr. Wayne Goodman

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Am I eligible to participate in this study? Please see this page on our website to learn more about eligibility and sign up today. If you ask someo...

PatrickMay 29, 2018

Reassurance: How it prevents recovery

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Reassurance (noun): the action of removing someone’s doubts or fears; a statement or comment that removes someone’s doubts or fears. What is reassu...

PatrickMay 25, 2018

A new model for OCD treatment

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today we’re glad to share this article by Stephen Smith, Founder and CEO of nOCD. Note: We've changed this person's name to John to protect his pri...

PatrickMay 24, 2018

A Difficult City: Living with OCD in NYC

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

As summer 2016 came to an end, the comedy writer Mike Sacks penned a lifestyle piece for the New York Times detailing what it’s like to live with o...

PatrickMay 22, 2018

Answering your questions about nOCD and Biohaven’s OCD trial

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

For this post, we relayed five of the nOCD community's most common questions about Biohaven's ongoing clinical trial for OCD to their team in New H...

PatrickMay 18, 2018

Learn About OCD On Our New Website

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

It doesn’t take long to realize that there’s a ton of misunderstanding about mental health. Across the internet, people misrepresent other people’s...

PatrickMay 11, 2018

Avoidance, Anxiety, and OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

It was another cold night in Chicago- a bit like saying it was another sandy day at the beach- but it was also St. Patrick's Day, and I felt a bit ...

PatrickMay 4, 2018

Infographic: A New Clinical Trial for OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

For more information, fill out this form.

PatrickMay 3, 2018

How to choose a therapist or psychiatrist

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

1. Lay out a few treatment goals for yourself Maybe you’ve spent the past few years really nervous about trying therapy, or sure that you don’t nee...

PatrickApril 11, 2018

Building a genuine life with OCD: Expert tips from Dr. Marisa Mazza

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

We’re featuring a series of eye-opening op-eds by clinicians and researchers who are enthusiastic about sharing what they’ve learned through years ...

PatrickApril 5, 2018

nOCD is Partnering with Biohaven on their Clinical Trial for OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Am I eligible to participate in this study? Please see this page on our website to learn more about eligibility and sign up today. At nOCD, we all ...

PatrickMarch 28, 2018

Riley’s Week: Helping Others in Need

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

This week we’re partnering with Riley’s Wish, a foundation started by Margaret Sisson after her son Riley– who struggled with OCD and a substance u...

PatrickMarch 28, 2018

Glutamate: Why it might matter for our mental health

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

The human brain is the most complicated object in the known universe. The exact number is up for debate, but scientists believe there are something...

PatrickMarch 21, 2018

Why OCD recovery isn’t about fighting

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Having obsessive-compulsive disorder can be pretty tough. For some people, it becomes so severe that it can shut down their lives completely. So it...

PatrickMarch 13, 2018

Asking an OCD Researcher: Dr. Blair Simpson at Columbia University

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Learning about new research– and the hardworking people making it happen– is one of our favorite things at nOCD. It’s easy to get bogged down in th...

PatrickMarch 9, 2018

Reading for recovery: Books that help us understand mental health better

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

1. The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon You might think calling your book “an atlas of depression” is a bad case of exaggeration, but with his huge ...

PatrickMarch 8, 2018

The OCD research that makes me hopeful

By Stephen Smith | Uncategorized | No Comments

It was a cold winter day in early 2015, and I remember sitting in a dimly lit coffee shop in Liuyang, China researching medications that might impr...

Stephen SmithMarch 1, 2018

Eight mental health myths that make us feel worse

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Sorry, it’s just that Shakespeare is the only author I could think of.You would hope that all this confusion in the news over what’s true would sta...

PatrickFebruary 28, 2018

The Inflexible Mind: Three Ways To Get Freedom Back From OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry One of the cruelest things about obsessive-compulsive diso...

PatrickFebruary 23, 2018

A Pretty Spectacular View: Keeping OCD in Perspective

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

A guest blog post by Cara Rothenberg Today we’re lucky to share this story from Cara Rothenberg, who writes film scripts, articles, personal essays...

PatrickFebruary 21, 2018

Getting Support From Those Who Really Understand: A Post by Chrissie Hodges

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

As we at nOCD have explained in a few of our recent posts, we’re always interested in getting more voices on our blog. So today we’re very excited ...

PatrickFebruary 15, 2018

Getting Unstuck: How to Help a Child with OCD

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Why parenting a child with OCD feels counterintuitive — When exposures are more harmful than helpful — On the benefit of getting professionals invo...

PatrickFebruary 13, 2018

Big News at nOCD!

By Stephen Smith | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today is a great day! When the new year began we set ourselves the important goal of keeping the nOCD community updated on major events. So now I b...

Stephen SmithFebruary 9, 2018

How to Tell a Therapist Your Scariest Thoughts

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

running car off the road insulting strangers hurting strangers fatally pushing a friend jumping in front of train/car causing a public scene stabbi...

PatrickFebruary 2, 2018

The Latest at nOCD: Android Update

By Stephen Smith | Uncategorized | No Comments

Because I know how it feels to have OCD, it tears me apart every time I have to tell someone that the Android version isn’t ready. So today I’d lik...

Stephen SmithJanuary 24, 2018

Love, Poetry, and Team Sports: How to Build Community and Deal with OCD

By Joseph Antonellis | Uncategorized | No Comments

How community makes unbearable things better It’s hard to find a silver lining for the most difficult things in life. I remember earlier this year,...

Joseph AntonellisJanuary 12, 2018

Review– Unstuck: An OCD Kids Movie

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

In an effort to bring attention away from misinformed memes and joke posts toward those rare good things being made about OCD, we’re starting a new...

PatrickJanuary 11, 2018

Depression and OCD: Why Many People Have Both

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

In a way, it seems like anxiety and depression should be opposites: one makes you way too revved up about things, and the other leaves you complete...

PatrickDecember 29, 2017

Mindfulness Practices for OCD: 5 Reasons They‘ll Help You Feel Better

By Joseph Antonellis | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today’s story is written by Joe Antonellis, a student-athlete at Pomona College in California. Joe has the kind of enthusiasm about writing that ma...

Joseph AntonellisDecember 22, 2017

First Steps Toward OCD Recovery: What’s Going On With These Thoughts?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

When I was in junior high school, one of my best friends lived across the street. He always had the latest video games, his parents were more easyg...

PatrickDecember 20, 2017

Defusion and OCD: Useful techniques that are easy to try

By Ryan Vidrine, MD | Uncategorized | No Comments

We’re launching a series of op-ed pieces by clinicians and researchers who are enthusiastic about sharing what they’ve learned through years of wor...

Ryan Vidrine, MDDecember 12, 2017

OCD Around The World: An Infographic

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Because it’s daunting enough just to understand the state of mental health in your own country (or even your town), we often lose sight of the fact...

PatrickDecember 6, 2017

Why is OCD so misunderstood?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Don’t like marker lines left over on the whiteboard when someone erases it? Need to have your books in a certain order on your bookshelf? Never rea...

PatrickDecember 6, 2017

Before Bed: An Unwanted Date with OCD

By Joseph Antonellis | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today’s story is written by Joe Antonellis, a student-athlete at Pomona College in California. Joe has the kind of enthusiasm about writing that ma...

Joseph AntonellisDecember 1, 2017

Infographic: OCD at Work

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Have you ever wondered how to help coworkers or employees with OCD? Felt hopeless watching people perform compulsions or hide their symptoms in the...

PatrickNovember 29, 2017

How did nOCD come to be?

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Whether you’ve been following us on social media for a while, found out about the nOCD app from a friend, or just stumbled across our blog, you mig...

PatrickNovember 28, 2017

Infographic: OCD and comorbid conditions

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Bonus GIF:

PatrickNovember 22, 2017

The latest in OCD research

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

What causes OCD, and how can we treat it? Even though an estimated 70% of people with OCD find them helpful according to the IOCDF, both medication...

PatrickNovember 20, 2017

Let’s Break Barriers Together: A Personal Story of OCD Recovery

By Joseph Antonellis | Uncategorized | No Comments

Today’s story is written by Joe Antonellis, a student-athlete at Pomona College in California. Joe has the kind of enthusiasm about writing that ma...

Joseph AntonellisNovember 19, 2017

If You Build It: Learning UX/UI Design From Scratch

By Stephen Smith | Uncategorized | No Comments

When I was in middle school, I regrettably had little appreciation for my mom’s cooking efforts. I would come home from school every day anticipati...

Stephen SmithNovember 16, 2017

When you’re just the way you are… and when you might benefit from treatment

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

We hear from lots of people who aren’t sure whether or not they really need treatment. They ask questions like: Isn’t this just how I am? Does it r...

PatrickNovember 14, 2017

Good things from around the internet

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Everyone knows there’s a lot of nonsense on the internet. Unfortunately, topics like OCD and mood disorders are particularly prone to internet nons...

PatrickNovember 10, 2017

Where OCD jokes go wrong

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

OCD: it’s difficult to think of an acronym– or a condition– more prone to parody. There was the infamous Target sweater incident, and there’s even ...

PatrickNovember 7, 2017

Introducing the nOCD Blog

By Patrick | Uncategorized | No Comments

Hello! This is Bob checking in from nOCD. Welcome to our blog. We’re planning to provide the basics, the more advanced stuff, and the very latest r...

PatrickNovember 6, 2017