by Denis Asselin In confinement no one can hear you scream. I know from experience. It’s frustrating to be required to isolate and reduce a bigger world to a restricted one, especially if you suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and/or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For many, being stuck in static, familiar surroundings may even… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
10 things OCD community wants you to know about OCD
We’re so excited to release our new PSA, What the OCD community wants YOU to know about #RealOCD! Over the past couple of months, we’ve noticed an uptick in people using the term OCD as an adjective. While we are all experiencing an increase in anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we want the general public to know… Read more »
Hope and help for individuals with BDD
by Eva E. Fisher, PhD PLEASE NOTE: The following blog post contains discussion of topics that may be upsetting, including suicide. Please take care of yourself as you read this article. If you are in crisis, know that help is only a call or click away at 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org. My goal since recovering from… Read more »
Faces of OCD: Mara Wilson
Hi there! Shira here! Today we’re going to hear from Mara Wilson. You might know Mara from her work as a young actress. She played Matilda in the movie Matilda, which was hands-down my favorite movie as a little kid. For my 9th birthday my dad brought a projector home from work so my friends… Read more »
Dear Parents, You Are Not Superhuman
by Lisa W. Coyne, PhD Dear parents, you probably won’t have time to read this, thanks to COVID-19. Maybe that’s because you just got home from an essential job like delivering groceries after a long, underpaid shift. Or maybe you are working from home while also trying to homeschool your 3 young children. Or you… Read more »
Addressing ‘I’m so OCD’ in the COVID era
by IOCDF Executive Director Jeff Szymanski ‘I’m so OCD.’ Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was a common phrase we heard both in our day-to-day lives and in the media. Those who misuse the term OCD rarely intend to do harm. However, by making light of an at times debilitating disorder, they are being dismissive… Read more »
BDD-Related Quarantine Tips During COVID-19
by Angela Fang, PhD In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe with massive uncertainty about people’s jobs, relationships, and social lives, and has left behind an unprecedented wake of illness anxiety in the general population. Much of the focus during COVID-19 has been on obsessive compulsive symptoms (in particular, contamination-related obsessions and… Read more »
Why the OCD Community Holds the Key to Coping with COVID-19 Anxiety
People with OCD are trained to thrive during a pandemic, but not in the way you think. By International OCD Foundation Ambassadors: Ethan S. Smith, National Ambassador Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT Shala Nicely, LPC During his twenties, Ethan constantly carried thermometers. He took his temperature upwards of one hundred times a day, constantly monitoring his health… Read more »
#FacesOfOCD: Share your OCD story!
We know that a crisis like this can be an especially difficult time for someone with OCD or a related disorder. For that reason, we’ve decided to continue the #FacesOfOCD campaign begun by Shira on Twitter earlier this month. Learn more about Shira below, then post your own #FacesOfOCD post (and send one to us… Read more »
Follow marathoner and OCD advocate Cali Werner at the Olympic Trials this weekend!
Cali Werner is a marathon runner who will be participating in the 2020 U.S Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta this Saturday. She also has OCD and is a licensed family therapist at Houston OCD Program. Cali kindly talked to the IOCDF about her history with OCD and her running career shortly before shipping out to… Read more »