OCD Connecticut is taking part in the One Million Steps for OCD Walk sponsored by @iocdf with a grassroots community walk during OCD Awareness Week in October 2023. This walk provides a supportive community, increases awareness, and raises funds for the IOCDF and its Local Affiliates, enabling them to continue their mission. Funds raised will benefit the OCD and related disorders community. Together we’re embracing uncertainty, one step at a time!

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM (Rain date is Sunday, October 15, 2023)
Location: Jennings Beach, 880 South Benson Road, Fairfield, CT

You can support OCD CT by either registering to join our Community Walk Team or by making a donation to our team. Visit our Team Page for the One Million Steps Walk for more information.

Baylor College of Medicine is launching what it is hoping will be the largest, most nationally representative survey on OCD to date – the National OCD Survey. Its goal is to reach as many adults with OCD as possible in all 50 states so that it can better understand the impact of sociocultural and regional influences on OCD. This is an anonymous online survey (it should take approximately 10 minutes to complete). The link to the survey is https://bcmpsych.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9LdbaR2yrj0oV7g.

The Yale Child Study Center is conducting ongoing research studies and is currently looking for participants for their three genetics studies: OCD Genetics, TIC Genetics, and Trichotillomania/BFRB Genetics.

The purpose of these studies is to identify the genetic factors that cause these disorders using a family-based approach. To date, the Study Center has discovered five genes and it believes there are about 300-400 more (news stories here and here). It hopes that these discoveries will lead to the development of new treatments to help alleviate the suffering, but it will need the participation of many families in order to make this happen.

The studies require participation from a child and both biological parents. Specifically, the Study Center is searching for families where the child (no age-restriction) is diagnosed with OCD/TS/Trichotillomania while the parents do not have the history. The studies can be done remotely and participation will be compensated with a $100 Amazon gift card for the family.

For more information and how to participate in these studies, click on a link listed below to download a PDF document regarding the particular study you are interested in:

• OCD Genetics Study
• TIC Genetics: Tourette International Collaborative Genetics Study
• Trichotillomania and Other BFRBs Sequencing Study

You can also email Ana Bok, Postgraduate Research Associate at Yale School of Medicine, Yale Child Study Center at findgenes@yale.edu for more information.

In celebration of International OCD Awareness Week, OCD Connecticut is presenting a colloquium – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Getting Help and Support for Recovery – on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, CT. Christina Taylor, Ph.D., OCD Connecticut Clinical Board Advisor, and members of the Fairfield County OCD Support Group will discuss the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of OCD. The presentation is sponsored by The Human Journey Colloquia 2023 Series and is free and open to the public.

The panel will be held at 7:00 PM in the Loris Forum in the Martire Building at SHU, 5401 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT.

Likewise, this year, the IOCDF has multiple ways for you to get involved during OCD Awareness Week. Go to the IOCDF website for more information.

October 21–22, 2023 (Saturday–Sunday)

The Online OCD Conference sponsored by McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents is a two-day virtual event jam-packed with educational programming for those in the OCD and related disorders community (18+), including:

• Individuals with lived experience
• Family members & supporters
• Pre-licensed trainees & students
• Mental health professionals

Sessions and Q&A, Community Discussion Groups, and our Virtual Keynote will all be broadcast live via Zoom, meaning anyone can attend from anywhere in the world! Session presentations and the Keynote will be available on-demand for 60 days following the event, giving you plenty of time to access all of the #OCDCon programming.

Community discussion groups and session Q&A will not be recorded.

The Online OCD Conference is organized by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), a donor-supported nonprofit supporting all those impacted by OCD and related disorders in partnership with OCD Southern California, an official Affiliate of the IOCDF.

The mission of the IOCDF is to ensure that no one affected by OCD and related disorders suffers alone. Our community provides help, healing, and hope. Our vision is that everyone impacted by OCD and related disorders has immediate access to effective treatment and support.

The IOCDF provides up-to-date education and resources, strengthens community engagement, delivers quality professional training, and advances groundbreaking research. For more information, visit IOCDF.org.

We are excited to announce that we are holding a “Meet and Greet” event on Monday, July 24, 2023. This event aims to raise awareness and educate the community about OCD. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with people who wish to learn more about OCD. This event is ideal for individuals and families living with OCD as well as family members and supporters of those suffering from OCD.

The event will be held at:

Trumbull Library
Community Room
33 Quality Street
Trumbull, CT 06611

Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm

No fee is required, and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to ct.ocdf@gmail.com if you’re interested in attending. Seats are limited to 40.

Download the event flyer.

The Annual OCD Conference brings together individuals and families living with OCD, mental health professionals, and researchers to educate and empower the community. This July, the International OCD Foundation invites you to learn about the latest treatments, research, and practices in OCD and related disorders.

This year’s conference will take place in San Francisco, CA on July 7–9, 2023 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

Welcome to the largest international conference dedicated to OCD and related disorders!

This year’s event will feature three days of in-person programming for the entire OCD community, including:

• Individuals with lived experience
• Family members & supporters
• Mental health professionals
• Researchers

IOCDF has a great lineup in store for our community. They can’t wait to see you all!

Please note: This event is in-person with no virtual options and sessions will not be recorded.

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN LATE MARCH 2023!

Can’t wait to see you in San Francisco!

Click here for more information.

Researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at University of California, Los Angeles are conducting a 45-minute survey examining emotion regulation, health, and development in children with OCD ages 10-17 years. We are recruiting children between the ages of 10 and 17 who have a diagnosis of OCD and their parents/caregivers to participate in the survey.

Participation will last approximately 45 minutes (25 minutes for parent questionnaires and 20 minutes for child questionnaires) and will involve questions about your child and families’ demographic and medical/psychiatric history, followed by questions regarding your child’s obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, associated impairment, family accommodation, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, sleep-wake profiles (i.e., chronotype), sleep disturbance, and sleep patterns. You will then be prompted to ask your child to complete the remaining portion of the survey in private, unless assistance is needed. Children will answer questions regarding their OCD symptoms, associated impairment, sleep-wake profiles (i.e., chronotype), sleep disturbance, sleep patterns, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, and emotion regulation.

You will have a 1 in 20 chance of receiving a $25 Amazon e-gift card for participating in the survey. Upon survey completion, your child will be redirected to a separate survey link that is not connected to survey answers, where they will be prompted to enter your email address.

You do not need to complete the survey in order to enter the lottery.

Visit the following link to read more information about the survey and participate: https://uclahs.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEhl97GxW94xQXk

Please contact Valerie Swisher at VSwisher@mednet.ucla.edu for more information

At Better Living, it’s their mission to make a difference in your life. Based in Texas, they are dedicated to providing quality behavioral healthcare nationwide. Although they are nationally known for their exceptional OCD treatment, they also offer a range of treatment options for various anxiety-related disorders. Their main focus is to deliver high-quality care and maintain a personable center. They customize treatment plans based on your goals, severity, and co-occurring problems.

What was traditionally referred to as “mental illness”, is now understood to be better treated as behavior health. You have their personal commitment to help you along your path towards growth. They look forward to helping you live your best life.

In Connecticut, they offer remote services only – these include: 

Individual Sessions

Individual sessions are available one or more times per week with a behavior therapist. They will develop a specific plan to help you reach your treatment goals with you.

The RISE Program

The RISE program is a special level of treatment adapted to the needs of those individuals that need more than 1x weekly treatment but whose symptoms do not require in-person intensive outpatient or day treatment. The RISE program is three 90 minute sessions of exposure with a therapist individually per week. This program costs less than typical intensive outpatient treatment and is offered in-person in some states and online in many states.

They will create an individualized treatment plan based on your goals and problems.  Call in for a free screening to start your treatment journey at 972-332-8733.

The One Million Steps for OCD Walk is a community engagement event that provides individuals across the country the opportunity to connect, share stories, create impact, and show those who are struggling on their road to recovery that they are not alone. The OCD Walk is an opportunity to raise funds and awareness of what it really means to have OCD.

This year’s walk will take place on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 9:00am ET at Carson Beach | 125 William J Day Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125

Click here for more information and to register or donate.