OCD Connecticut (OCD CT) held two major events to celebrate OCD Awareness Week (October 9-15, 2022):

OCD Awareness Week Colloquium – OCD: Getting Help and Support for Recovery
An estimated 150 individuals attended the Thursday evening, October 13 session at Sacred Heart University (SHU) led by SHU professor emeritus and OCD CT clinical board advisor Dr. Christina Taylor. Panel members included OCD CT and Fairfield County OCD Support Group members. The discussion focused on OCD symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment – as well as audience questions. The presentation was part of the SHU Human Journey Colloquia 2022 Series. View a PowerPoint presentation shown at the event. See photos from the event.

The One Million Steps for OCD Walk
The 1.3 mile Saturday morning, October 15 walk at Jennings Beach (Fairfield) was designed to promote increased awareness and a supportive community for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and its State affiliate, OCD CT. It also enabled OCD CT to raise funds for the OCD/related disorders community. Attendees enjoyed the beautiful outdoor opportunity to meet and greet each other and exchange information while embracing life’s uncertainty, one step at a time.

Future Events
OCD CT intends to hold more events during the Spring and Fall of 2023. Virtual as well as in-person sessions will be considered to optimize our Statewide mission of education and outreach. We hope you can be part of these activities.

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow us on this website and on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out IOCDF’S upcoming in-person and virtual events for all members of the OCD community.

Learn more about IOCDF events, including:

• In-person & Virtual Conferences
• Virtual Livestream Programming
• 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk
• Trainings for Mental Health Professionals

IOCDF is thrilled to offer a variety of conferences — both in-person and virtual — for all those impacted by OCD and related disorders. They encourage the global network of people with live experienced, family members and supporters, mental health professionals, researchers, educators, and students to join them for community, collaboration, and education.

In celebration of International OCD Awareness Week, OCD Connecticut is presenting a colloquium – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Getting Help and Support for Recovery – on October 13, 2022 at Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, Connecticut. Drs. Christina Taylor and Diane Sholomskas, OCD Connecticut Clinical Board Advisors, 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 2022 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.

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 2022. 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: October 15 at 9:00 AM (Rain date is October 16)
Location: Jennings Beach in Fairfield, CT

You can support us 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.

Elise Petronzio is the founder of the ocdopus, an OCD advocacy & recovery shop. Elise has had OCD since she was at least six years old. She often thought about things she would love to buy for herself or her friends with OCD. As a result, she started taking those ideas and making them into products that people could actually buy and give to each other.

the ocdopus sells hats, shirts, stickers, sweatshirts, accessories, and jewelry. People give these products to their friends, family members, children, therapists, clients, and support groups. These items spread awareness of what OCD is and what the recovery process entails, in addition to showing solidarity in fighting both the disorder itself and the stigma surrounding it.

These products would make great gifts for the holiday season!

Join the IOCDF for the largest national conference dedicated to OCD!

November 4–6, 2022 (Friday–Sunday)

This year’s conference will feature three days of learning, community building, and virtual programming for the entire OCD and related disorders community, including:

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

Learn more and register at onlineocdconference.org. Download a conference flyer.

Sessions will be broadcast live via Zoom, meaning anyone from anywhere can attend!

What’s more, content will be available for 60 days following the event, giving you time to access ALL of #OCDCon.

Experiences of racial microaggressions can be challenging for people and some research has suggested they relate to obsessive compulsive symptoms. We are seeking to study frequency of experience of racial microaggressions, obsessive compulsive symptoms, and psychological flexibility. Studying psychological flexibility can help us learn how to support people facing these experiences. We appreciate your time and consideration of this brief survey.

Who is eligible: People who are over age 18 and identify with at least one non-white racial identity.

What is involved: Two brief 10-15 min surveys one month apart. You can choose to participate now and then will be contacted in one month for the second survey.

Participants who complete 75% or more of the survey and pass all checks for spam can be entered into a raffle to win one of five $25 gift cards! There will be a raffle for each time point of the survey!

Contact mbrowning@umassd.edu or elizabeth.richardson@umassd.edu for questions and concerns.

Download a flyer regarding the survey. Click here to access the survey.

We are happy to welcome a new board member, Audrey Medd. She will act as our Secretary. Audrey will also be our social media outreach liaison. Audrey is passionate about OCD advocacy and would like everyone out there to know that they are not alone in this struggle. Her hope for OCD CT is to bring awareness, education, and support to help people and families struggling with this debilitating disorder.

The Massachusetts General Hospital is currently recruiting for a new research study that will use a MR-PET scanner to examine the brains of adults with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Tourette Syndrome. The study will include two visits at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. Participants will be compensated up to $200 for their time.

Participants must be:
– Between the ages of 18 and 40 years old
– Diagnosed with either OCD or TS

For more information, please contact Hooker Research Group staff at

617-643-7811
OR
imagingstudy@mgh.harvard.edu

Download a flyer with more information