Ryan Bernstein is a senior in high school. He is a youth advocate for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) having lived with it for many years. He is the author of OCD to Me: An Anthology of Anxieties, and an Ambassador for theInternational OCD Foundation. We asked Ryan to share some of his journey and how… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Awareness & Advocacy
Why you should support our Pediatric Campaign 4 Hope

Children with OCD experience so many barriers, whether it be in finding treatment, having qualified profession to treat the symptoms, educational attainment and issues in school, or just fitting in. The IOCDF aims to address these issues through the Pediatric Campaign 4 Hope, which will underwrite the cost of programs and special events including the… Read more »
Announcing the Launch of Anxiety in the Classroom
We are pleased to announce the launch of Anxiety in the Classroom, our brand new online resource focusing on anxiety and OCD in the school setting. Whether you work within the school system, have a student in your family, or are a student yourself read more to learn about how this exciting new content can… Read more »
Inspiring Others to Share Stories

By Ryan Bernstein, author of OCD to Me: An Anthology of Anxieties I used to let my OCD control most of what I did. I worried about everything. I worried if the doors were locked at night. I worried if the food I ate was safe. I worried if I read bad news in the… Read more »
Advocacy Reaching New Heights with the IOCDF Ambassador Program
By Ethan S. Smith, IOCDF National Ambassador The 25th Annual OCD Conference in Washington D.C. was an amazing event with a record-breaking 1,977 attendees from 19 countries! This Conference, more so than others, proved especially emotional for me in the best way possible. Beyond being deeply touched by so many of you, by your bravery… Read more »
The fiction of OCD

By Natalie Rompella This story is part of our blog series called “Stories from the OCD Community.” Stories from the community are submitted and edited by Toni Palombi. If you are interested in sharing your story you can view submission details at www.iocdf.org/ocd-stories. I love to write. Ideas come to me naturally. I also use little… Read more »
Register to Join the 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk this June!
The 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk is back this spring, with even more ways for walkers to take a step and become part of the #OCDwalk movement. The 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk represents a chance for the community to bring greater awareness to OCD and related disorders, while also helping to raise… Read more »
Learning to be Present Again

This author has asked to remain anonymous My heart ached when I heard the report of the school shooting in Florida last month. As the horrific images appeared on my television screen, my mind flashed back to my twelve-year-old self when I was glued to the news coverage of the 1999 Columbine school shooting. My… Read more »
A Mother’s Perspective

Written by Darla Knopp This story is part of our blog series called “Stories from the OCD Community.” Stories from the community are submitted and edited by Toni Palombi. If you are interested in sharing your story you can view submission details at www.iocdf.org/ocd-stories. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a term that can sometimes be easily… Read more »
Lucky Number 7: by Wendy Schlining

This story is part of our blog series called “Stories from the OCD Community.” Stories from the community are submitted and edited by Toni Palombi. If you are interested in sharing your story you can view submission details at www.iocdf.org/ocd-stories. I have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It has taken many years, decades in fact, for me… Read more »