Hey everyone, my name is Stephen Smith and I’m the Founder and CEO of NOCD. I also have OCD, which is why I founded the platform. Specifically, I have “intrusive thoughts OCD”- relationship-based, sexual, and religious thoughts that made me at one point question many fundamental elements of my character. Although google searching for answers to my thoughts was my most noticeable compulsion, my compulsions were mainly mental, where I would reassure myself, mentally review past events, pray, and even check my body for different sensations. Since I didn’t suffer with the “standard symptoms”, I ended up getting misdiagnosed 5 times which caused me to get really severe, drop out of school, and become housebound. While housebound, I started searching my thoughts online which led me to realize that I had OCD. Then, when searching for evidence-based OCD treatment, I stumbled upon exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. Although ERP is extremely effective (about 80% of people with OCD see a significant reduction in symptoms after going through treatment), there was only one therapist in my area who specialized in it. She had a 7 month wait list and charged $250 per session- making the care pretty much inaccessible for me. I got lucky though since my mom, who was desperate at the time to see me get better, found money from a family friend to pay for my treatment. She also called the clinician and begged her to get me off the waitlist. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here today. After doing ERP with the provider for 12 weeks, I ended up getting better- so much to the point where I was able to go back to school, finish up my football career (I was a college quarterback) and eventually complete my degree. Because I managed the OCD fears by accepting the uncertainty behind them (a core principle behind response prevention), the anxiety over time went away, and the thoughts decreased in frequency as well as in severity (since they didn’t really matter to me anymore). After that happened, I ended up returning back to normal pretty much- feeling as good as I did before my severe OCD onset. That’s when I started pondering the question, “if OCD is so treatable with a good ERP therapist, then why isn’t treatment more accessible to people going through the condition?” It’s a question I’m sure many of you are currently asking or have asked before. Now to the good news....There is no more need to ask that question. Now inside of NOCD, you can do live, face-to-face therapy sessions with a licensed therapist who specializes in treating OCD using exposure and response prevention (ERP). After signing up, all you need to do is open up your phone or laptop and start the session with the ERP therapist. It’s all video-conferencing. It’s the solution that I always wanted when I was going through treatment, so I hope you can find value in it if you are suffering- especially those who are stuck on the waitlist or who live hours from care. Anyways- if you have questions about doing ERP therapy with a NOCD telehealth provider or with another therapist feel free to ask them here. I will definitely give you the pros and cons. Much love!

No problem. Hope it can help you. My goal is to help people connect to a therapist if they need it, as well as get support when their therapist isn’t around (hence where the community and self help tools were created)

Factzzz saved me tears ?

I’m so so happy to hear we could deliver you such a positive experience! We built NOCD with one intention in mind- to serve the community by helping people with OCD access the most effective treatment for them.

@Peridottttt Saved me too! Literally don’t know where I’d be!!❤️

Yeah I thought I was alone

You are so kind. Thank you for your words. They truly mean a ton. Also, know you can manage OCD, even if it’s robbed you of a ton. The good news is once you manage it and take that step into treatment, you become completely liberated and reach new levels that are better than before

@Advocate4OCD&ERP If I can do anything to help you determined let me know. I’m here.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Someone said that these ads are just money hungry. Idk

@Peridottttt The communications are the farthest thing from money hungry ads. Our team only wants to help people. If you read more about us, you’ll learn we are comprised of people who: A) have OCD B) have family with OCD C) have been treating OCD for decades D) are passionate about transforming access to mental health within the system using technology To be frank- the question we are having is how to get people to know that OCD therapists can be accessed inside of NOCD. We see how much better people are getting, but it feels like a secret to the community. For instance on average, people with OCD are going from extreme severity down to mild to moderate in just 8 weeks. Do you have any recommendations on how we can communicate this?

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Oh my therapist said that he sees a lot of these ads and thought it’s all money hungry, guess there’s two sides

@Peridottttt Strange. Who’s your therapist? Would love to speak with them.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Um he’s in real life not online so.......

@Advocate4OCD&ERP I said I have ocd and he tried out this app and noticed these ads alot

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Umm I think your not understand what I’m saying but thanks for trying. I’m saying that my therapist I’m seeing is not an online therapist I have to physically walk to their office and we talk 1on1 like face to face like humans to humans

@NOCD Advocate - Stephen Smith Thank you so much, Stephen. I greatly appreciate it.

Thank you very much for your commitment to the fight against OCD, Terrie. It is much appreciated.

Any plans to offer access to therapy is the UK Terrie? This would be great!

@brainfog Hi brain fog, I know we are trying to open up in many different locations. My hope is to have a clinician in every area to get those OCD suffers the help they need. I will work oh getting a list and post it but stay hopeful I think my creator has big plans!

@NOCD Therapist - Terrie B. Thanks! That would be wonderful!

Did you have to scrolled for 5 secs down to get here?

This app has been incredibly helpful and it’s great to no longer feel alone.

Even if you don’t have insurance, you still could be elligible for treatment under some plans. For free, you could schedule a 15 min call with our team who could help you understand which options are available for you.

@NOCD Advocate - Stephen Smith Where can I schedule a call?

It would be $100 a week for 8 weeks. On average with our protocol (a relatively new service), people who enter into our treatment are seeing a 40% reduction in OCD severity by the end of the 8 weeks. We use the DOCS assessment to show the reduction.

Dude that’s hella worth it, $100 and you get it for 8 weeks

@Sms-NOCD Wow! I’ve been working with my psychologist, who specializes in ocd, for 3 years. We are just now making progress because I am finally doing ERP with him. For the longest time I just talked and talked to him. He is great (and even helping me out since where he works doesn’t accept my insurance) and I really am making progress now...but after reading your story and the 8 weeks offer I’m wondering if I could be seeing someone else that would help me recover faster!???

@Peridottttt I think he meant 800. Like 100 every week. That's what I thought it meant.

@isssss93 Yes 100 dollars every week for 8 weeks so 800 total

The reality is ROCD is an extremely common subtype of OCD. If you see a licensed therapist with specialty training in OCD and ERP, I can almost guarantee you that they will have treated many people with ROCD prior to you. I can help you connect to one. What state do you live in?

@Sms-NOCD That would be amazing. I live in Illinois (about three hours south of Chicago)

@Sms-NOCD Could you help connect me with one in VA?

@Anneisirhc Ok so you have a few options: 1) if you want to drive to Chicago, you can see Dr.Patrick McGrath or Dr. Karen Cassidy in person. They are both great and nationally recognized OCD experts. Both will know how to treat ROCD well. 2) if you don’t want to drive but you still want to see an ROCD specialist in Chicago, Taylor Newendorp can see you via NOCD. He can do live video therapy sessions with you, and if you hit the Therapist button in the NOCD app, you could schedule a free 15 min phone call to learn more about working with Taylor. Hope this helps..

@phillipians48 Definitely. Where in VA do you live?

@Sms-NOCD I’m in Lynchburg for college so just during the school year!

@Sms-NOCD Thank you so much!!

@Sms-NOCD Do you by chance know of any in the Peoria or Bloomington/Normal area?

@Anneisirhc There aren’t any in that area, unfortunately. To see an OCD specialist, your options are to drive to Chicago or to do telehealth. You also could drive to St. Louis (not sure how far that is)

@phillipians48 The closest effective options are all located in Richmond, after just now doing some research. Here is a guy I know who I hear is really good: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/obsessive-compulsive-ocd/va/richmond/432943?sid=5dda848a09bec&ref=2&tr=ResultsName What I would do is contact someone in a Richmond like the guy I shared (who says in their profile they treat OCD using ERP) and ask if you could do HIPAA compliant video sessions with them over zoom conferencing.

Are you looking for face to face in person, or face to face online?

Second this comment since I'm also living in Houston

@Ania85 If you schedule a free informational call, we can help you find a therapist. Whether it’s a NOCD therapist or otherwise

Thank you blueberries! Thank you for joining us and for being such a positive person in the community. How are you doing?

Thanks amazing of you as a partner that understands ocd and not pressure her that it’s her fault. I wish my mom was like that then I would feel safe talking to her about anything like if I had a bad day at school.

Try here or iocdf they have a registry

Glad to have u here

The creator Stephen Smith posts often and struggles with OCD. We are all here to help ?

@NOCD Therapist - Terrie B. Why can’t a ocd therapist be in San Francisco?

Less than your rent

They will say they specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). They also would have gone through the BTTI training, or they would have gone through the NOCD network training. If they don’t do ERP with their patients, be very cautious! Don’t be afraid to interview your therapist

@NOCD Advocate - Stephen Smith Hey, is it offensive that I asked my therapist what qualifications she has in OCD? She seemed to get offended with me afterwards, but I knew she couldn’t help me because her practice didn’t specialise in OCD.

Very common fear. I’d be cautious of doing any treatment that isn’t face-to-face with an OCD therapist who specializes in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy and maybe also acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). Now the question is “what deems face-to -face?” Doing face-to-face therapy online would mean it’s just like an in-office session but there is a screen in front of you (so you aren’t physically with the therapist, but you can see the therapist, their facial expressions, etc) Data show face-to-face video therapy is just as effective as face-to-face in person. Face-to-face therapy that’s in-person will allow you to see the therapist, shake their hand, etc. If I was in your shoes (based on my past experience and learnings growing NOCD), I would focus solely on trying to first find an OCD therapist who specializes in ERP and maybe also ACT. If there isn’t one in your area, I would try to find one virtually. NOCD does offer a network of ERP therapists who deliver care virtually, but if our therapists don’t match what you are looking for, I’d be happy to connect you to others not apart of NOCD who are also really good. Hope my answer helps..

Thank you for joining the community!

@Sms-NOCD I want to go anasizi camp therapy

@Peridottttt What is that? Never heard of it before

@Sms-NOCD Please if you have time, search it up, it helps a lot of kids learn a lot about life... tell me what you think ?

@Peridottttt I searched it up. I wouldn’t mind going tbh bc I’m 17

@leilaa You liked what they provide? They change lives and a clearer mindset and boost in self esteem

@Peridottttt Yeah i liked what they provide

Definitely. If you email me (stephen@nocdhelp.com), I’ll connect you to our intake team who can help get you a formal diagnostic assessment

Will be within 1 year

@Sms-NOCD How about San Francisco?

@Peridottttt We are live there today.. if you want to learn more we do free 15 min calls

@Sms-NOCD I want to learn more....

@Peridottttt Ok hit the therapist button and it leads to scheduling a 15 min free call

How r u?

If you need extra help, schedule a 15 min call with our care team and they will help you learn about not only our therapists but also about other resources in your area too

Sure what state do you live in?

@Sms-NOCD I’m in California can you help me?

Thanks so much for reaching out. When seeing a therapist, it’s extremely important to properly vet them, or ask someone for help in vetting them (like those from the IOCDF). What I would recommend is to get a comprehensive diagnostic assessment and then to get referred to someone who specializes in delivering outpatient ERP or to a higher form of care (I.e like UCLA’s program) . NOCD could help with the diagnostic assessment part. If you email Gerald@nocdhelp.com and say you want to get a diagnostic assessment scheduled, we could do that for you. You’d only have the pay same amount as insurance copay. After the diagnostic, we could better understand your needs and present treatment options for you.

@Sms-NOCD Thank you! Will do

@pineapplebreads Did Gerald respond to you?

Have you considered ERP with medication

@Sms-NOCD Hi steven Used to talk to you on facebook but havent had one for a while I am doing medicine and ERP but i dont do ERP enough to see results bc of finances and distance But also all the meds ive taken which over my life since 18 so now im 29 ive had to have tried over 30 meds for ocd and also different combinations and all make me gain weight and only help a little my current theme is the most severe ivehad so i have to take xanax to make it through work but eventually my body becomes tolerant to the highest dose and then im back to square one so i just feel helpless in this battle i thought some day i could be a success story like friends that have had even worse occupations w my theme but im having a very rough time

@chickadee43 Thank you very much for sharing your story. If you want to do ERP therapy with us in an affordable way, we can help you do it with live video-conferencing with our provider Ted. He specializes in OCD and gets a lot of people better. It’s only about $50 per week, the amount of a copay for insurance. If you want to learn more, can you email info@nocdhelp.com and ask to do a free 15 min info session to learn more? Honestly whether it’s helping you inside NOCD or referring you to someone else we trust, we’d love to help you.

It’s usually due to the complexity of their situation (other external factors). There are other forms of treatment available too when that happens that often are very effective.

Triciaaa- we could cover your ERP treatment and charge you just a copay, like your insurance would do. I’d love for you to have the opportunity to see a therapist with specialty training in OCD and ERP. My email is stephen@nocdhelp.com . Please feel free to send me a note if you’d like to learn more about this

@Sms-NOCD How are you feeling Stephen? Are you happier?

@Peridottttt I couldn’t be happier, honestly. Right now, the stress in my life is all healthy stress (if that makes sense), primarily related to growing NOCD, planning my wedding, and keeping up with my new puppy.

@Sms-NOCD Yassss I hope to have a healthy mind one day, still working on it tho. I’m not sure if I’m able to afford or see a ocd therapist near me. Have a long healthy marriage ?

@Peridottttt Where do you live?

This is my blood family.... smh ?‍♀️ better then my real family in real life. I wish I can meet all of you, we probably will understand each other

@Peridottttt Definitely, my blood family finds it difficult to understand me and help me

@Jax Where did you do residential?

@Sms-NOCD At Reasons Eating Disorder Center in California. Their primary focus is eating disorders however, they are extremely helpful with co-occurring disorders. We participated in ERP weekly and if we had OCD, we worked on related exposures as well

Ya just go to the therapy option in the app and schedule a 15 min call to connect with our intake team. You can access an OCD therapist directly inside of NOCD and do therapy with them. It’s $50 per week.

I’m very religious, but when I prayed to make the thoughts stop, I was doing so compulsively. I think praying to get better and finding ERP as a result was an answered prayer.. if that makes sense

You have to be above 18 currently, but next year, you can be any age

@Sms-NOCD Do you know of any good therapists who handle ocd and dissociation

@Sms-NOCD Im so sorry to be a bother but I am not well and I feel it bluntly

We have three providers who are licensed to treat people in the Houston area, and they provide treatment via live video-conferencing sessions ($50 per week currently for the holidays). There are other good ones in Houston who you can see in person face to face, and they charge about $200 per session. It all depends how much you want to pay and your preference for how you want to access ERP from a licensed mental health provider who specializes in OCD (in person or online).

@Sms-NOCD $200? Are you kidding me?

@Peridottttt Yes they know ERP for OCD works so they charge a lot

@Sms-NOCD What if I’m broke? And can’t afford it. Does that mean my life will be stuck will ocd?

@Peridottttt How much could you afford? What health insurance do you have?

@Sms-NOCD I’m a kid and I have north east medical services, what other options?

Same

It’s fifty dollars a week, you receive weekly video sessions and daily messaging support between your sessions. The sessions are 90 minutes and then become shorter when you get better at doing ERP. The program is 8 weeks. Afterwards you’ll have a good understanding of ERP and you’ll likely be able to do it on your own. If you’d like to continue working with the therapist after 8 weeks, it’s only 25 dollars a week.

Try this! https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-self-directed-erp/

It helps to list out your obsessions by the ones that cause you mild anxiety, middle anxiety, and really tough anxiety. Then go toward that anxiety by imaging your mild anxiety coming true. Then increase until your brain basically gets tired of it. Expose yourself to the thing you're most afraid of, gradually, 1-2 hours a week. I've done this for HOCD and for Contamination OCD and have had great success.

@Ania85 THANK YOU

@queenbee Of course! Good luck. And don't feel discouraged if you're not feeling better immediately. It takes time to heal

What state do you live in? You could get a comprehensive diagnostic assessment directly through NOCD.

Hi Derby, thanks for your note. To answer your question: A) I have heard of them and have heard good things! B) If you live in a small town, the reality is you will need to drive probably hours to see an ERP-trained therapist. There also will be a cash-pay dynamic to it.

@Sms-NOCD In terms of face-to-face video vs face-to-face in person, the clinical outcomes are often the same. In some cases they can actually be better, since your therapist can go with you more easily to triggering places (which they can’t do in an office setting). I’d strongly urge you to read up on the research before completely ruling out trying online therapy, especially if your goal is to get better

@Sms-NOCD Is it bad to see a therapist and a ocd therapist at the same time?

Is is sus if there promoting their app?

@Peridottttt It seems like he’s promoting it in other posts acting like he used the app. I’m sure the therapy is good just doesnt feel genuine

@lulu23 You mean the ads here?

@Peridottttt I’m probably just confused about the whole thing lol. I just noticed he replied to my posts saying how this app changed his life but if he was the founder it seems strange that he waited to get help from an app he created. Maybe I’m wrong idk lol I’m really confused at the moment.

@lulu23 Ya I use the app that I created because I have OCD. Now my OCD is managed. I basically aggregated everything you need to get better in one place so you can access an effective ERP therapist, get support, access the community- whatever you need. We’ve grown very quickly because everything we do is all extremely evidence-based. Personally, my goal was to create something that I wish I had in treatment and something that I know I can always turn to if my OCD flares up in the future.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP I use everything we offer, knowing the source. We have some of the top OCD clinicians in the world working on our team. We have too product team members and data scientists to ensure we have an unreal experience that is clinically effective. Hope that answers your questions.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Everything I say too can be validated.. just look it up online.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP And why do I market the service? Because I know what it’s like to suffer without help. I know what it’s like to get misdiagnosed, and I know how much better people are getting by seeing our therapists. It makes me literally want to shout it out from the mountaintops each day. If one person each day can hear the message, try ERP therapy via NOCD, and get better that is a MAJOR win for me.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Thank you for the clarity didn’t mean to cause a problem I was just confused by the whole thing. Thank you for this app it has helped me tremendously over the last few months.

@lulu23 As you know with ocd a disorder of overthinking I have a problem with finding what’s authentic or not and it’s something I’m working on. Less judgement. Ive been practicing bad habits for 20+ years. I’m going through the worst times with my ocd as many of us on the app are and I realize I probably came off as rude but I didn’t mean to. I hope to contact therapy through this app soon As I have a therapist with no ocd experience really.

@lulu23 Lulu thank you for your thoughtful reply. Know that I’m hear to help you in any way that I can. The 20 years of suffering doesn’t have to represent the future, and I think with the right support it won’t. Really appreciate you for being a part of this community. We are all fortunate to have you here.

@Advocate4OCD&ERP Thank you these words mean a lot right now to me. I feel so lonely in a home full of people that love me because of so many reasons that they don’t understand. And I can’t blame them. the community you created is sometimes my only escape. I appreciate you for that.

@lulu23 Lulu what I recommend is you set your sights on where you want to be in twenty years from now. Then, to get there, find a good therapist and use the community. Happiness is possible. After conquering OCD, life gets sooo much better. That’s why life with the right support system is key.

OCD can be managed. I never thought it would be possible when I was suffering, but once I truly was able to accept my fears and just let them happen I got better. I have flare ups about once every 9-12 months, and when those flare ups occur, I just apply the response prevention (acceptance) and the flare up ends.

I am working on getting licensed there now. It will be a few more weeks but I am coming to you!

Everyone’s been asking for locations their in, they should just make a list