Stephen Smith’s journey from rock bottom to getting his life back—and starting NOCD

October is OCD Awareness Month at NOCD, a time when we spotlight our goal of ending the mental health crisis within the OCD community. Our motivation is fueled by lived experience—including that of Stephen Smith, our CEO and co-founder. During college, Stephen went from being an award-winning quarterback and thriving student to being housebound within six months. Misdiagnosed and untreated OCD brought his life to a grinding halt. When Stephen finally found exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, he saw significant reductions in his OCD’s severity within a few months. But the process of accessing this care was so broken that he became determined to fix it, and started NOCD. Over the past decade, we've transformed the way evidence-based ERP therapy is delivered, conducting millions of OCD-specialty therapy sessions and providing access to always-on support. Every step of the way, we've been guided by the lived experience of the OCD community. As OCD Awareness Month comes to a close, Stephen is sharing photos and reflections from his most difficult years to remind others that OCD doesn’t always look visible, that hope is out there, and that recovery is possible with the right, evidence-based treatment. Read Stephen’s full story and see more photos here: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/from-college-quarterback-to-housebound-in-6-months/