The Real Cost of Ignoring OCD

Mackenzie Nordone was first diagnosed with OCD after eighth grade — but it would take 14 more years before she got the treatment that actually changed her life. In the meantime, OCD ran the show. It dictated how she lived, how she parented, and how she showed up in her relationships. Her fear of death became so intense it started suffocating everyone around her. It wasn’t until everything came to a breaking point that Mackenzie chose to face her fear head-on through Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. It was terrifying. But staying the same was even scarier. In this raw and powerful video, she reflects on the years she lost to untreated OCD, the pain of realizing what she missed, and the unexpected beauty of finally learning who she was. This is the real cost of ignoring OCD — and the hope that comes when you stop avoiding treatment.