OCD conference 2013

International OCD Conference 2013

During July 19-21, 2013, the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) held their annual conference. This year it was held in Atlanta, Georgia! This was also the first year our TWAARP Crew got to visit the conference! It is amazing! No need to EVER feel alone battling this disease after seeing all the people affected by it. There are hundreds of people (and that's just the people who could make it!) their parents, families and friends. There were booths, lectures, support groups, workshops and Q & A's with information about the treatment of OCD, BDD, Hoarding Disorder, PANDAS, Pathological Skin Picking and Trichotillomania. If you ever have the chance to go, it is life-changing.

A Teen's Perspective

A Parent's Perspective

Hello! My name is Chelsea, I am 16 years old and I am the founder of TWAARP. My best friend and I went to the conference this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia and my life has changed. For one, I never would have imagined the number of people affected with OCD or other mental disorders like it! I felt like I was the only one in the world, but there are all these other people out there just like me! I personally struggle with compulsive handwashing, repeating, violent thoughts and skin picking. While at the conference, I had the chance to meet other teenagers like me. It was amazing to meet someone and be like "Yeah, I wash my hands alot until they bleed. You too? Cool!" Seriously, when can you talk to someone else about that? It made me feel so much better! During one lecture, (the Young Adult Success Panel) a woman said "I often say, 'Omygod! Did I just hit someone?! No. No. Calm down. If no one is running behind you screaming, you probably didn't hit anyone... or they were alone." I was so excited! As I am learning to drive and happen to have violent thoughts as well, this happens to me all the time! So this is totally normal in the OCD world! Yay! Overall, I had a fantastic time. My friend and I ended up playing games, doing (gross) exposures and even making pizza! I learned about numerous helpful websites and books, ways of avoiding and conquering panic attacks and how to reduce the amount of time spent skin picking while meeting new friends along the way. Although next year's conference is going to be in LA, I am excited and planning on going next year. Maybe a cute OCD boy is in my future? :)

I'm Chelsea's mom, Kim. This was the first year for our family to attend the IOCDF Conference, and it was fantastic. We found out about the IOCDF while doing some searches about OCD online. I'm so happy we did. Chelsea was just diagnosed this year, so naturally we still have lots of questions. There were many OCD experts in attendance - doctors, therapists, researchers - as well as families and of course people with OCD. They all spoke about various aspects of dealing with OCD, BDD, and other related illnesses, and were able to answer most of our questions. We were able to find out the most updated research about medicine, the best therapies, etc. Chelsea has good doctors, but having people who were truly experts that focus on this specific problem available to answer our questions was invaluable. They were able to confirm for us that some of the things we are doing are right on track, and other things need to be tweaked or stepped up.

Just as valuable to us was the experience of meeting other families that are in the same situation we are in. I've always heard how good it is to know "you are not alone", but I've never really been in a situation to appreciate what that really means. My family and friends could not be more supportive, but they don't really know what we are going through, and don't have a true understanding of what OCD is. It can get exhausting at times to have to explain and defend - having someone who understands us on a more intimate level is refreshing. Having a child who is chronically ill is very stressful... having a child who is chronically mentally ill is just as stressful with an added side of isolation. Great strides have been made in the field of mental illness, but we have a long way to go to reduce and eliminate the stigma that is associated with it. Much like *AIDS* or *cancer* used to be (whisper, whisper), we are still in a place where talking openly about OCD and related illnesses can be an uncomfortable experience for people. I am excited to be able to be with others who are working against this - one person at a time. :) Next year, Los Angeles. Join us!