An Affiliate of the International OCD Foundation
We are happy to announce that we now have an AmazonSmile account. Whenever you shop on AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to OCD Connecticut. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Click here to shop at our AmazonSmile site.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have found signs of inflammation within the neurocircuitry associated with adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The findings were reported June 21, 2017 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Until now, only a small percentage of OCD cases have been linked to inflammation, occurring in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia — potentially as the result of childhood infection. The Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada now uses recent advances in positron emission tomography or PET scanning to identify inflammation in multiple parts of the brain involved in OCD. Click here to read the full article.
Excoriation (also known as dermatillomania) is a disorder that causes people to repetitively touch, rub, scratch, pick at, or dig into their skin in ways that result in physical damage — like skin disfigurement, discoloration, bleeding, or scarring. Effective treatment often involves professional help, but there are tricks some people have found helpful — physically, emotionally, or otherwise — for dealing with skin-picking. Click here to learn these tricks.
Do you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Are you in a romantic relationship? AND/OR Do you have a child aged 6-17?
If this is the case, you may be eligible to participate in a study exploring familial relationships in adults with OCD. As a result of the study, we hope to better understand the impacts of OCD on family life, and to shed light on specific familial issues relative to OCD.
Participation in the study includes a 15- to 30- minute interview, which may be conducted in person or through Skype. You will also be asked to complete a series of online questionnaires about your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and your romantic and/or parent-child relationships. The whole procedure should take between 35 and 90 minutes.
To be eligible for this study, you must be 18 or over, have a primary diagnosis of OCD, and either (a) be in a romantic relationship or have been in a relationship in the last six months, (b) have at least one child aged between 6 and 17 years old with whom you have regular contact, or (c) both.
This study is being conducted by Dr. Eric Storch, Ph.D. at the Rothman Center for Pediatric Neuropsychiatry, USF (University of South Florida)
For further information please contact the study coordinator, Dr. Valerie L.B. Ariza at [email protected] or (727) 898-7451
The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) Needs Your Help!
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate — and everyone deserves access to effective treatment for OCD and related disorders. As part of its diversity initiative, The International OCD Foundation needs the participation of the greater OCD community to help spread the word. Here is how:
1) The International OCD Foundation would like to make a video accessible to everyone, so they are seeking participants who speak a language in addition to English to participate. If you speak a non-English language, please make a video of yourself saying the phrase “Effective treatment for everyone” in your chosen language.
2) Once recorded, please upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo, and include how the phrase would be written in your chosen language.
3) Contact The International OCD Foundation by sharing your video on Facebook or Twitter using the #IOCDF4ALL, or by messaging them on Facebook or emailing them at [email protected] to share the link to your video and let us know that you have participated.
They will edit all of these videos together and if yours is chosen, you will see this video on its website, social media and at the Annual OCD Conference. For more info, go to https://www.facebook.com/IOCDF/.
The Yale School of Medicine is currently looking for participants that suffer from OCD to take part in a study that tries to teach subjects to regulate brain activation to control their reaction to OCD provocative stimuli. For more information, go to http://ocd.yale.edu/research/treatment.aspx.
The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) works hard to raise public awareness about OCD and related disorders and our programs. Visit the links below for some of the many news stories featuring the IOCDF and its affiliates.
Christina J. Taylor, Ph.D. and a member of the Fairfield County OCD Support Group, spoke at the “Living With OCD” event, sponsored by OCD Connecticut, at the Yale Child Study Center on October 15, 2016.
This annual day-long program is an educational and supportive forum for members of the community about OCD, its symptoms, its effects on families, and current evidence-based treatments. Dr. Taylor spoke about her recently published book, OCD: A Workbook for Clinicians, Children and Teens – Actions to Beat, Control & Defeat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Held during OCD Awareness Week, this event featured Taylor and a panel of people living with OCD.
Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Sacred Heart University and has a private practice in Fairfield, CT.
To learn more about OCD Awareness Week, go to the IOCDF website at iocdf.org/programs/ocdweek.
Each month the IOCDF’s Spotlight blog brings you the latest in research news and information on OCD. Spotlight is also available via email so you can receive the latest research news and information directly in your inbox. Sign up to receive future issues by going here and selecting the “Spotlight” option on our email signup form.
The Intensive Program for OCD at Bradley Hospital in East Providence, RI provides treatment to children and adolescents, ages 5 to 18, who experience significant impairment in their daily lives due to OCD and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. The program is one of many renowned programs and services that bring families from across the country to Bradley Hospital, the nation’s first psychiatric hospital devoted exclusively to children and adolescents. For more information, you can contact Amy Cousineau, LICSW (Clinical Social Worker) at 401-432-1516 or [email protected].