Podcast Summary: Get to Know OCD — “I Used to Hide My Anxiety — Now I Help Millions Heal”

Host: Dr. Patrick McGrath (NOCD Chief Clinical Officer)
Guest: Paige Pradko (Therapist & YouTube Content Creator)
Release Date: June 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the personal and professional journey of Paige Pradko, a therapist whose lived experience with anxiety and OCD inspired her to become a healer and mental health advocate. Paige shares her struggles with somatic awareness OCD, how helping a remarkable client named “Al” led to her globally impactful YouTube channel, and her thoughts on the current state and challenges of mental health care. The discussion is rich with personal anecdotes, practical advice, and a call for compassion and evidence-based treatment in OCD therapy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paige Pradko’s Journey to Specializing in OCD and Anxiety

• Origin Story: Paige did not choose this specialty — “Those conditions really chose me.”
  • Severe anxiety in her early adult life (panic attack landed her in the ER, 00:00, 02:24).
  • A graduate school professor identified signs of OCD in her perfectionism, which became a turning point in both her self-understanding and career path (03:49).
  • Personal struggle: Somatic awareness OCD, especially monitoring and manually controlling her breathing, which severely disrupted her sleep and wellbeing (00:37, 14:38).

Notable Quote

“What I have struggled with is somatic awareness OCD that attaches to my breathing... you begin to mentally monitor as if you have to control your breathing. And it’s maddening.”
— Paige Pradko (00:37)

2. From Therapist to Influencer: The Inspiration Behind Paige’s YouTube Channel

• Al’s Legacy:
  • An elderly client (“Al”) who battled severe OCD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia urged her to put her mental health tools online for others in need (06:57).
  • After Al’s passing, Paige honored his request by creating YouTube videos, leading to unexpected reach and impact — “now have over 3 million views” (10:45).

Memorable Moment

“I said, Al, you know, I struggle with anxiety. I don’t want to put myself out there socially. Putting myself on YouTube is about the last thing I want to do.”
— Paige Pradko (08:30)

• Continuous Motivation: Hearing from viewers whose lives changed because of her videos, especially those in countries with little access to mental health resources (11:05).

3. Popular Content and the Power of Storytelling

• Most popular videos:
  • ERP for OCD & Pure O OCD: Intrusive Thoughts — Practical, evidence-based content (12:02).
  • Recent impactful videos: My Heart is Scaring Me (health anxiety) and Relationship OCD, focused on relatable stories which help people feel less alone (12:56).

Notable Quote

“People really resonate with the story. They say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s exactly what I’m going through...I didn’t even know there was a name for it.’”
— Paige Pradko (13:28)

4. Understanding and Treating Somatic and Health-Related OCD

• Somatic OCD: Obsessive monitoring of automatic bodily functions (breathing, blinking, swallowing, heart rate). Treatment involves learning to allow the urge without responding (14:38).
• Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis):
  • Obsessive Googling, doctor visits, and physical monitoring.
  • Important to rule out true medical conditions, but then focus on not reinforcing compulsive responses (16:25).
• Clinical Strategies: ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is consistently cited as the gold standard for OCD treatment (21:12, 22:31).
• Challenging to start ERP—motivation is key. Paige works with clients to clarify values, identify what OCD has taken from their lives, and build motivation before exposures begin (22:31, 24:21).

Notable Quotes

“The issue with OCD is... you’ll never do it exactly right. You’re never going to scratch that itch.”
— Dr. Patrick McGrath (18:00)

“It is a jerk of a disorder… the nicest way to say it.”
— Dr. Patrick McGrath (18:49)

5. The Evolving Landscape of Mental Health Care

• Access and Stigma:
  • Progress in normalizing mental health discussions and increased access (online programs, support groups, teletherapy) (24:21).
  • Concerns about mental health funding cuts and the chronic stress (“allostatic load”) many are experiencing (24:21, 27:01).
• Ethics & Evidence-Based Practices:
  • Therapists/content creators must be transparent about what is evidence-based versus emerging; responsible dissemination is vital to counter harmful misinformation (34:43).

Notable Quote

“Let’s do our best as… therapists and content creators… to talk about evidence based strategies. But if we’re pushing that envelope… let’s be transparent about it.”
— Paige Pradko (36:06)

6. Addressing “Terminal Uniqueness” and the Isolation of OCD

• Many sufferers believe their experience is unique and shameful — “No one will understand.”
  • Paige encourages that OCD thoughts are a common, human response to stress/uncertainty, and good help is available (38:21).
  • Seeking help is an act of courage, not weakness (38:21).

Notable Quotes

“You are not broken, but you’re having a very human response to...uncertainty or stress... There’s excellent help out there.”
— Paige Pradko (38:32)

“Terminal uniqueness... this notion that I’m the only person in the world who struggles with this…”
— Dr. Patrick McGrath (40:13)

7. Final Reflections, Compassion & Hope

• If Paige had a magic wand:
  • She’d give everyone the ability to respond compassionately to invisible pain, because so many “wear a mask” and suffer silently (31:03).
  • Dr. McGrath compares the acceptance of mental health treatment to physical health care, stressing the benefits of intensive, accessible therapy (32:56).
• Message to Listeners:
  • You are not alone. Recovery doesn’t mean never having another intrusive thought; it means knowing how to respond and not getting “sucked in” (41:50).

Notable Quotes

“Wouldn’t it be magical if we could see internal pain, just like we could see a physical injury?... That would allow people to drop their mask.”
— Paige Pradko (31:03)

“Recovery means... you’ll know how to respond in those moments. You won’t get sucked in anymore.”
— Paige Pradko (41:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:49: Paige’s personal story — panic attack, OCD discovery, somatic OCD
• 06:36–10:45: Al’s influence and the birth of Paige’s YouTube channel
• 11:58–14:38: Most watched videos and the importance of relatable, basic information
• 14:38–18:00: Breakdown of somatic OCD, health anxiety, and effective treatment
• 22:31–24:21: Motivating people to start ERP; focusing on personal values and what OCD has taken away
• 24:21–29:15: Mental health access, stigma, chronic stress, and systemic challenges
• 34:43–37:06: Ethical content creation and transparency about evidence
• 38:21–41:50: Addressing feelings of isolation and encouraging seeking help
• 41:50–42:55: Paige’s closing message of hope and recovery

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the uniqueness of OCD pain:
  • “I want you to know that asking for help is actually courageous. It's a strength.” (00:55, 38:32)
• On OCD’s persistence:
  • “It is a jerk of a disorder.” (18:49)
• On evidence-based practice:
  • “Let’s do our best...to talk about evidence based strategies.” (36:06)
• On hope and connection:
  • “There is such wonderful help out there. Recovery is possible.” (41:50)

Where to Find Paige Pradko

• Website: pagepradko.com
• YouTube: PagePradkoTherapy

Tone of the Conversation:
Warm, compassionate, personal, and practical—Paige’s transparency about her struggles, combined with Dr. McGrath’s expertise and humor, make the episode both inviting and empowering for anyone interested in understanding OCD and the journey to healing.