« Blog

Vol-30-Issue-1-Spring-2016-1Did you know that this year is the IOCDF’s 30th anniversary? In November 1986, a small group of advocates gathered together to start a non-profit to help all of those affected by OCD and related disorders. This year, we celebrate 30 years and we have all of you to thank for your continued support!

In the spirit of celebrating our 30th anniversary, in the spring issue of the OCD Newsletter (I know, I know, the hair! My only defense is that it was the 80s.), I related some stories about what the world was like for those affected by OCD and related disorders 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In that article, we also traced the origins and accomplishments of the Foundation over the years.

In the context of these retrospectives, we also know there are many stories from all of you in the IOCDF community about the last 30 years. With our Annual OCD Conference quickly approaching, we would like to hear from YOU — about what the Foundation has meant to you and how things have changed since the IOCDF was founded in 1986. We invite you to contribute to our “then and now” presentation by sharing your experiences over the past 5, 15, or 30+ years, whether it’s about how you have seen treatment for OCD and related disorders evolve and change over the years, what your personal journey from “before” to “after” has looked like, or how the Foundation may have helped in that journey. Do you have stories about the Foundation’s early years? Did you attend some of the early Conferences? Do you have pictures of Dr. Jenike’s hair in the 80s? Has Dr. Goodman’s mustache changed since then?

Send us your pictures, your quotes, and your stories, and we will share these with the IOCDF community at the Conference during the Saturday Night Social. This is a rare opportunity for all of us together to acknowledge, celebrate, and appreciate the pioneers and pivotal leaders in our community, as well as recognize how far we have come (and how far we still have to go!).

Share your memories, pictures, and quotes by emailing us at 30years@iocdf.org.

Recent research tells us that sharing personal stories is the most powerful way to reduce stigma. Will you help us by sharing your story?

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Conference in Chicago next week! Please help us celebrate this important milestone.

Sincerely,

Jeff Szymanski, PhD
Executive Director International OCD Foundation

Comments

  • RazH

    In Order to help others overcome their difficulties, i would like to share my experience with people who where diagnosed with OCD.
    The first step into remission and clinical improvement is acceptance , don’t feel stigmatised because you were classified in a DSM category! No! In the mean time of accepting yourself you have to know that OCD is not your identity. These are the thoughts i wanted to share.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *