What It’s REALLY Like To Be An Athlete With OCD
Get to know OCD23 Okt 2025

What It’s REALLY Like To Be An Athlete With OCD

Tom Smalley grew up chasing athletic success, but behind his drive was a constant mental battle he didn’t yet understand. At sixteen, he was diagnosed with OCD, a condition that turned every game, practice, and routine into a fight against his own mind. What started as private suffering became a lifelong mission to change how athletes and the world see mental health.


Today, Tom is the founder of Struggle into Strength Performance and the recipient of the IOCDF Hero Award. Through his work with the Anxiety in Athletes initiative, co-founded with the IOCDF, he’s helping break the silence around OCD and anxiety in sports. In this conversation, Tom shares how he turned stigma into strength — and why no athlete should have to face their mental health alone.


NOCD specializes in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. Want to explore your treatment options? Book a free 15-minute call with us at https://learn.nocd.com/YT


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Episoder(227)

When Binge-Watching And Doomscrolling Becomes An OCD Compulsion

When Binge-Watching And Doomscrolling Becomes An OCD Compulsion

By itself, "watching one more" episode or scrolling through social media isn't an issue. But if you're using screens to escape your own intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or uncomfortable feelings, that mig...

23 Jul 0s

I Wanted To Make A Bigger Impact As A Therapist

I Wanted To Make A Bigger Impact As A Therapist

Dylan Mckelroy didn't become a therapist just to listen — he wanted to help people make meaningful, lasting change. After working in community mental health, he found himself searching for a more effe...

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Emilia Fart Reveals The OCD Behind Her Online Persona

Emilia Fart Reveals The OCD Behind Her Online Persona

To millions online, Emilia Fart appears fearless, creative, and completely unapologetic. But behind that persona, OCD was quietly dictating her daily life. It influenced her relationships, her creativ...

16 Jul 39min

Stop Trying To Make Bad Thoughts Go Away

Stop Trying To Make Bad Thoughts Go Away

The first instinct after an intrusive thought is usually to get rid of it. You tell yourself it isn't true. You try to prove it wrong. You replay it in your head, search for certainty, or avoid anythi...

12 Jul 5min

Why You Can't Think Your Way Out Of OCD

Why You Can't Think Your Way Out Of OCD

When you have OCD, thinking can feel like the solution. You replay conversations, analyze your memories, research every possibility, and search for the one answer that will finally bring certainty. Bu...

9 Jul 4min

The Hidden Behaviors Keeping Your OCD Alive

The Hidden Behaviors Keeping Your OCD Alive

Most people know that compulsions keep OCD going. What many don't realize is that some of the behaviors feeding OCD are much harder to recognize. Rumination, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, distractio...

5 Jul 6min

Why OCD Therapy Did NOT Work The First Time

Why OCD Therapy Did NOT Work The First Time

Trying therapy for OCD once doesn't always mean you received the right treatment. Many people leave therapy believing it "didn't work," when in reality they were never treated with exposure and respon...

2 Jul 6min

Why OCD Says You Can't Live Until You Feel Better

Why OCD Says You Can't Live Until You Feel Better

OCD has a way of convincing you that life can wait. If you can just find the right answer, get rid of the anxiety, or finally feel "okay," then you'll be able to relax and enjoy yourself. But that mom...

28 Jun 5min

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