NOCD Review: Can It Help My OCD?

Approximately 1-2% of adults, worldwide, struggle with OCD.

Did you know that it takes 17 years, on average, for OCD sufferers to receive the “right” treatment? It is true.

High costs, limited time, and/or a shortage of psychotherapists, who are well-versed in OCD can delay the treatment process, leaving thousands of people without OCD help, support, tools, information, and resources. For some people, it can take months or even years to get a proper OCD diagnosis and treatment program that is customized to their specific needs.

NOCD is trying to change this lack of coverage and accessibility by offering ERP therapy, a type of CBT, and the “gold standard” treatment for OCD – and partnering with various health insurances to ensure that it is affordable for all OCD sufferers. The NOCD app also offers live video sessions with a licensed ERP therapist, unlimited support for in-between sessions, effective self-help tools, and a “family-like” OCD community.

Still, wondering what NOCD is and how it could work for you and your “type” of OCD? Well, wonder no more because this article will review the NOCD app and give you the “real deal” on it, so you do not have endless hours scouring the internet for information on this popular app.

The goal of this article is to help you learn as much as you can about NOCD so you can determine if it could and would be beneficial for your condition. NOCD may be just what you have been looking for to help you get a grip on your OCD once and for all!

What is NOCD?

NOCD is an app created for OCD sufferers. The NOCD app offers two types of online OCD treatments for people with OCD.

These two treatments are mindfulness meditation and exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment. Moreover, this app offers expert advice and guidance, weekly tests to assess the severity of the OCD symptoms, a wealth of OCD content within an extensive online library, OCD education and research, and valuable information on OCD (i.e., description, causes, diagnostic criteria, symptoms, types, treatment, and outcomes).

The goal is for you to share the information gleaned from NOCD with your therapists and use the tools provided by NOCD to help you get a better grip on your OCD symptoms.

Where Can I Download the NOCD App?

The NOCD app is available on the Google Play Store and the App Store.

What is NOCD’s Mission?

According to the founder and CEO of NOCD, Stephen Smith, NOCD’s mission is to create a world in which any person in need of help can easily and effectively assess OCD treatment, regardless of their location, economic status, educational background, health, age, sexual orientation, culture, religion, or race, ethnicity, or nationality.

Can NOCD Reduce My OCD Symptoms?

Possibly.

According to the NOCD website, 40% of people who use the app experience a reduction in their depression, anxiety, and OCD symptoms (obsessions and compulsions) 90-120 days after the first use.

Does NOCD Treat All Subtypes of OCD?

Yes, it does.

NOCD therapists are trained on how to help you get control over your OCD symptoms – regardless of your OCD subtype. The goal of NOCD therapists is to create a treatment plan for your type of OCD based on your symptoms and individual needs.

Common OCD subtypes helped by NOCD:

• “Just Right” OCD
• Contamination OCD
• Existential OCD
• False Memory OCD
• Harm OCD
• Hoarding OCD
• Magical Thinking OCD
• POCD
• Pure-O OCD
• Real Events OCD
• Relationship OCD
• Religious Scrupulosity OCD
• Sexual Orientation OCD/SO-OCD
• Somatic OCD
• Suicidal OCD

Is NOCD Effective?

Yes, NOCD is fairly effective for reducing or eliminating OCD symptoms.

According to the NOCD website, OCD sufferers can expect to see an improvement in their OCD symptoms 11-13 hours after beginning the program. According to Stephen Smith, the founder, and CEO of NOCD, this suggests that NOCD is 50% (or more) effective than CBT and other conventional OCD treatments. NOCD has helped 90% of people effectively manage their OCDF symptoms.

Is NOCD Offered in Every Country?

No, it is not offered in every country.

Although it is not available in every country, it is offered in all 50 US states and at least 4 countries (the UK, Australia, and six Canadian providences).

Does NOCD Take My Health Insurance?

It depends.

NOCD works with 1 in 3 health insurances.

Fortunately, NOCD partners with a variety of health insurance plans to ensure that the people, who need OCD treatment can easily receive it at an affordable cost. NOCD offers an “insurance eligibility” database to determine if your health insurance is compatible with NOCD services.

In general, NOCD accepts the following health insurances:

• CIGNA
• Humana
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP)
• United Healthcare / Optum
• Premera
• Alameda Alliance for Health
• Anthem Blue Cross – Medicaid
• BSC Promise – Care 1st Health Plan Medical-Medicare Advantage
• Beacon Health Options
• Blue Shield of California
• Central California Alliance for Health
• Gold Coast Health Plan
• Health Plan of San Joaquin
• Kaiser – Northern California Region
• Kaiser – Southern California Region
• LA Care Health Plan Medical/Mediconnect
• Orange County Mental Health Plan
• Oscar Health
• Partnership Health Plan of California
• Positive Healthcare
• San Francisco Health Plan
• Western Health Advantage
• Blue Cross Blue Shield – North Carolina
• Student Blue
• Global
• Heritage – Prime/Signature
• Individual Signature
• LifeWise Assurance Co
• Lifewise Health Plan of Washington Preferred
• Lifewise Primary
• Premera
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia
• Blue Cross Blue Shield – South Carolina
• Regence Blue Cross
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Moda Health
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Ohio
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Connecticut
• Highmark
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Florida Blue
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Wisconsin – Commercial
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Tufts Health Plan
• Blue Cross Blue Shield – Massachusetts
• Blue Care Network HMO – Michigan
• Blue Cross Blue Shield – Michigan
• Health Alliance Plan (HAP)
• Priority Health
• Blue Cross Blue Shield – Minnesota

Does NOCD Offer Real Therapists?

Yes, it does.

NOCD has over 200 real therapists, who have received training in ERP therapy, the

“go-to” treatment for OCD. NOCD boasts the top OCD experts, therapists, and researchers in the field. These individuals have created and led some of the world’s premier OCD treatment programs. You can find local ERP therapists here.

Does NOCD Offer Video Sessions with a Therapist?

Yes, it does!

NOCD conducts 20,000+ therapy sessions each month. NOCD’s primary goal is to “quiet” intrusive thoughts, urges, fears, mental images, emotions, etc., so OCD sufferers no longer feel compelled to perform certain actions to ease their stress and anxiety.

How Many People Use NOCD Each Month?

Over 100,000 people use the NOCD app each month. As a result, it is considered the largest OCD community in the world.

Does NOCD Cater to All Demographics?

Yes, it does.

NOCD is available to all people, regardless of age, race/ethnicity, gender, cultural background, or OCD subtype. NOCD therapists are not only available across the US and beyond, but also equipped to treat children, teens, and adults with OCD with objectivity, compassion, and respect.

What Do I Need to Do to Get Started?

All that is needed to get started with NOCD is a simple 15-minute call. You can text or call +1 312-766-6780 to connect with a NOCD representative.

How Much Does NOCD cost?

NOCD services can cost between $50 and $150, per session (on a sliding scale). However, most users can expect to pay $120 for 60-minute sessions or $60 for 30-minute sessions (when out-of-network). Although this feels pricey, it is actually less costly than conventional OCD treatments.

Can I Combine NOCD With Other OCD Treatments?

Yes, you can!

NOCD can be combined with other OCD therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), trauma therapy, grief therapy, couples/marriage counseling, family therapy, group therapy, individual therapy, etc.

NOCD can also be combined with hypnotherapy and hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, online apps, like Impulse Therapy, an OCD treatment program.

Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet, plenty of rest, and regular exercise, along with vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements can also be used with NOCD, although, inform your therapists of any medications (prescription or OTC) and/or herbal supplements, like CBD, that you are taking.

What Do People Say About NOCD? Would They Recommend the App for People Struggling with OCD?

I have included personal reports from people, who have used NOCD and its app for their OCD symptoms because I believe the most accurate reviews come from real-life accounts. Listed below are people, who recommend NOCD and those, who do not. I hope that you will take the information gleaned from these reviews and use it to decide if this online OCD program could be beneficial for your condition.

Recommendations

Listed below are OCD sufferers who recommend NOCD services:

Fiona

“NOCD gave me my life back. I am about 7 or 8 weeks into the 12-week program. The results are incredible if I am honestly assessing where I was when I started versus now. I still have intrusive thoughts and OCD, but it is FAR, FAR more manageable. Instead of engaging in endless compulsions, which derail my whole day, I can now recognize my thoughts, embrace the anxiety, and usually within a few minutes I am back to normal. I am happier, less stressed, and feel more in control of my life.

I would say I have experienced a 60-70% reduction in severity, frequency, and anxiety right now. I think that in another 2 months, I will experience a 90% reduction in my OCD symptoms. Do not get me wrong, it is really hard work and the first few weeks are really scary. But my NOCD has empowered me with the tools and confidence, I need to battle this parasite called OCD.

I have my life back again. So, to me, NOCD is worth every penny. Because of NOCD, OCD plays a smaller role in my life with each passing week. But it is not an overnight thing. It will likely take several months of hard work, but you can legit be a different person on the other side. I cannot thank my NOCD team, including my amazing therapist enough.”

Melissa

“I have been using NOCD for about a month now. I will be honest; I have not been very active on it lately. There has been a lot going on in my life and I have not been doing my OCD tracking and homework. Because of this, I wanted to do a review of the app for those who have never used it. NOCD is designed for people with OCD. There are a few different elements to it – i.e., discussion board, exercise, SOS, and progress-tracking. You can also speak with a therapist through the app.

First, I am going to talk about the discussion board. The discussion board is a really nice thing to have. Going to an OCD support group has also been helpful for me. I know that it is not possible for a lot of people to seek OCD treatment because of the cost or a lack of access. The good news is that NOCD provides a lot of the same support as OCD therapy sessions. More specifically, it allows you to ask questions and respond to people. So, it provides you with a real sense of community.

Next, I am going to discuss the exercise feature. I have never been super successful with tracking my OCD symptoms, but this feature is super helpful. The exercise feature provides you with an opportunity to document your OCD triggers, thoughts, and behaviors.

The downside is if you document a compulsion, you have to start over. In my ERP therapy, we acknowledge and track compulsions, however, we do not have to start over. So, it can be challenging to get through the exercise and tracking, but I still think this feature is helpful, even though I do not use it much.

SOS provides you with an option to report your obsessions or compulsions. I chose my compulsions. The SOS feature encourages you to write down your compulsions. It also guides you through the compulsion. More specifically, it asks what obsession your compulsion is tied to.

Then, it asks what triggered it based on the hierarchy you created on the app. Then, it asks you to rate your anxiety level. It is easy to use, and allows you to detail what is happening, and how it happened. SOS also allows you to track spikes while allowing you to track your progress. Lastly, it allows you to lock the app.

In my opinion, NOCD is built perfectly. I would recommend NOCD to OCD sufferers and encourage them to check it out, especially if they are just beginning to treat their OCD symptoms. NOCD makes the treatment process less intimidating.”

Jim

“I like NOCD, but I think it depends on the therapist. My NOCD therapist is really good. My insurance does not cover the cost of it, so I am on the payment plan, where I am charged $50/week until it is fully paid off. I have avoided therapy for a long time because of money.

I have a busy schedule, so I like that this OCD treatment is offered online, and I can message my therapist anytime. I ended up choosing NOCD because I was not comfortable with a therapist, who did not have ROCD training. There are not many OCD specialists in my area and the ones that have long waiting lists. I did not want a therapist, who does not specialize in OCD.

ERP therapy is very expensive and I am picky about who I open up to. I looked at many profiles on psychology.com and only found a couple that I thought I would like, but they were out-of-network, and they cost more than NOCD. I looked at my NOCD therapist’s profile and an introduction video, and I immediately felt calm with her.”

Oppositions

Listed below are OCD sufferers who do not recommend NOCD:

Jason

“No, I would not recommend NOCD. I tried two therapists via the NOCD platform and did not either one. Both of the NOCD therapists seemed hostile and indifferent. They made me feel hopeless and useless. They had no compassion for me. I transferred from the first NOCD therapist to the other one, but she was just as bad, if not worse. She had a borderline aggressive attitude towards me, which I did not like.

She would also send me “motivational messages” between sessions, but they were trite and passive-aggressive. For example, she sent me the quote “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” I mean anyone with an ounce of emotional sensitivity would realize that the message would make the recipient feel like a “failure.”

Do not get me wrong I have struggled in life, but I have also achieved a lot in my life. I did not need that message. I also shared with my NOCD therapist that I think I may also be on the autism spectrum, and she was dismissive. I have since been diagnosed with autism. Honestly, my NOCD therapist was an arrogant person, who I would not trust to look after the mental health of a fly, let alone my own mental health. NOCD is useless and expensive.”

Anthony

“NOCD is like getting therapy from Walmart. It is not client-centered like it claims to be. It is, however, very “cookie cutter.” NOCD claims to be trying to improve access to OCD treatment. However, the therapists lack quality training.

In my opinion, NOCD therapists are preoccupied with NOCD requirements, causing them to waste valuable and expensive session time, focusing on homework, instead of treatment, and being “present” with the patient. My NOCD therapist seemed overworked, and could barely remember my symptoms, or what I was working on. Or even who I was! Also, in my humble opinion, the app is poorly designed.

The NOCD app does not allow you to look over the “exposure” you want to do until the timer starts, which defeats the purpose of the timer. Then, it forces you to rate your “exposure” even if you just want a “refresher” of what you will be doing. Basically, it is just poorly organized. The app also resembles a social media site.

Still, the NOCD platform is better organized, than the actual therapy functions. I guess you get what you pay for. I guess it can help some people, but for me, it did not. It left me feeling dissatisfied. I felt like the therapists were out-of-touch with my experience.”

Veronica

“I was out-of-network for NOCD, so I paid the full $123, per session, and planned to file out-of-network claims with my insurance company. Long story short, I stopped seeing the NOCD therapist because he was 10+ minutes late for our first two sessions and never made up the time.

I called NOCD to ask about my out-of-pocket costs since the app is supposed to be free. Apparently, however, you still have to pay for the chat feature. To make matters worse, the NOCD therapist completely ignored my messages in the chat feature and would reply with blog posts. Think robot. I just needed to vent about this because this NOCD mess has exacerbated my OCD symptoms.”

My Expert NOCD Review

What I have learned from reading numerous reviews is that while some people have achieved success with NOCD, others have not due to a variety of reasons, such as high out-pocket-costs (not covered by insurance), hidden costs not divulged on the site or before signing-up for NOCD, indifferent, unaware, or inexperienced NOCD therapists, poorly designed app/platform, unnecessary app features and tools, and a lack of access.

People, who recommend NOCD for OCD cited a significant reduction in symptoms, a sense of “belonging” to a community, an easy-to-use platform, attentive NOCD therapists and staff members, valuable guidance, tools, resources, a constant availability or access to a therapist, and unconditional support.

What does this mean for you? It means you must do your research – i.e., read NOCD user reviews, talk to people, who have used NOCD services and app, interview NOCD therapists in advance (schedule a video consultation and ask questions), etc. It is impossible to know if NOCD will work for you if you do not interview the therapists and ask lots of questions. NOCD is a physical, emotional, and financial investment.

So, it will take time and effort to see noticeable results. Still, with that being said, it may not work for everyone, which is the case regardless of what OCD app, program, or treatment you use. However, if there is a chance that NOCD could help you better manage your OCD symptoms, it may be worth a try, especially if it means helping you regain your freedom (from OCD) and accomplishing your goals!

References

• NOCD. (n.d.). Why NOCD? Retrieved from https://www.treatmyocd.com/
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (n.d.). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd