News & Information

What do you think of when you hear the term “OCD”?

In pop culture, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are often portrayed as meticulous to an extreme degree. They’re highly organized, perfectionistic, or germophobic — like Jack Nicholson’s character in the film "As Good As It Gets", who tosses out bars of soap after using them once.

Depictions like that aren’t inaccurate, but they’re not the whole story.

Research shows that 1 in 40 American adults have OCD or will develop it at some point in their lives, according to the International OCD Foundation. Although the term “OCD” is often used casually, the disorder must be diagnosed by a medical professional.

NPR wanted to take a closer look at how people with OCD cope with it every day. Click here to read the article.

An NPR/ProPublica investigation found that therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists who join insurance networks often leave, largely because of challenges from insurers to get reimbursed for treatment. Click here to watch the video.

They studied, honed their skills and opened practices, joining health insurance networks that put them within reach of people who couldn’t afford to pay for sessions out of pocket. So did hundreds of other psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists who shared their experiences. But one after another, they confronted a system set up to squeeze them out. Although federal law requires insurers to provide the same access to mental and physical health care, these companies have been caught, time and again, shortchanging customers with mental illness — restricting coverage and delaying or denying treatment. Click here to read the article.

In this NYU Langone Insights on Psychiatry podcast, Dr. Christopher Pittenger, Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Yale OCD Research Clinic, is interviewed about the biology and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including novel potential treatments such as psychedelics, neurofeedback, glutamate modulators, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Also discussed is why OCD is so underdiagnosed and what clinicians can do to spot it.

Dr. Pittenger was a guest speaker at a recent OCD Connecticut Lecture Series event at Yale on June 18, 2024, where he discussed the same topics. Click here to go to the podcast.

Dr. Pittenger, a renowned psychiatry researcher, is a leading figure in the field. He earned his MD and Ph.D. from Columbia University and later returned to Yale University, his undergraduate alma mater, for research and residency. Pittenger's research focuses on the brain's role in creating thought, feeling, and consciousness, as well as how brain dysregulation leads to mental suffering. His work has been particularly focused on OCD and Tourette syndrome, and the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry. He co-founded the Yale Program for Psychedelic Science, focusing on how molecules like psilocybin and LSD can teach us about brain and behavior, potentially leading to new treatments for neuropsychiatric pathology. Pittenger is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and OCD Connecticut, and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American Psychiatric Association, and American Neurological Association.

Dr. Pittenger's website is https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/christopher-pittenger/.
The Yale OCD Research Clinic website is https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/ocd/.

The OCD Advantage is an online forum created by Joseph Ettinger. Joseph has struggled with OCD his entire life. He’s been on and off medications, has done ERP therapy, and tried every tactic in the book. And now, he has completely restructured his relationship with OCD. For so long, he struggled to find an online community that truly felt like a community. He struggled to feel like he was getting to know others; there was a lack of interaction, collaboration, networking, and more. That is why he started The OCD Advantage. Joseph plans to make this the most collaborative, interactive, and networkable community to date. In time, you'll find vibrant dialogue and collaboration, resource sharing, courses and lessons that he is putting together, virtual meet-ups, and more. But above all else, you'll find AUTHENTIC AND LASTING FRIENDSHIPS BEING FORMED. Click here to go to the forum.

According to a recent investigation, behavioral avoidance may reduce the long-term effectiveness of exposure and response prevention (ERP), a popular treatment for OCD. Click here to read more.

OCD affects approximately one person in 40 and causes great suffering and disability. Effective evidence-based treatments are available but are difficult for many patients to access. Specialty programs can provide expert psychotherapeutic care and pharmacological management that is difficult to access in other settings.

The OCD and Anxiety Disorders Track Program, which accepts government and Connecticut state insurance, has grown quickly and has succeeded in its first year in providing effective, expert care to patients in southern Connecticut seeking help with the symptoms of OCD and related conditions.

The OCD treatment community is small, but the need for high-quality intervention is high. Click here to download the REACH OCD IOP program flyer. If you have any questions, you may contact the Program Director, Brian Zaboski (brian.zaboski@yale.edu), Medical Director, Fatima Motiwala (fatima.motiwala@bpthosp.org), or Program Manager, Jennifer Naughton (jennifer.naughton@bpthosp.org). You can also call Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH main phone number (203-384-3377). Their website is: https://www.bridgeporthospital.org/services/mental-health/reach-program.

Inference-based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (I-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that is a new approach to treating OCD. It is based on the central idea that obsessions are abnormal doubts about what “could be”, or “might be” (e.g. “I might have left the stove on”; “I might be contaminated”; “I might be a deviant”).

According to this approach, obsessional doubts do not come out of the blue, but they arise as the result of a dysfunctional reasoning narrative that is characterized by a tendency to distrust the senses and an over-reliance on the imagination. As a result, obsessional doubts are able to persist without ever being resolved by carrying out compulsions.

I-CBT is a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), but it is different from standard cognitive-behavioral approaches to the treatment of OCD.

To learn more about I-CBT, go to icbt.online.

The OCD Support Group at the Behavioral Wellness Clinic (Tolland, CT), led by Dr. Monnica Williams and Mailae Halstead, meets for one hour every Tuesday at 4-5 pm EST on Zoom. The group consists of adults who have been suffering from OCD and are looking for a support-oriented group. The group can be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy, where people can speak about experience on exposure homework assignments, OCD related concerns that arise in life situations, or struggles engaging in activities due to their OCD. Other experienced group members can give advice on how to stay on track and how to overcome the obstacles they may be facing.

If you are interested, please contact them by phone at 860-830-7838 or email them at admin@behavioralwellnessclinic.com for more information. Meeting information will then be sent to you.

Note: The fee is $45 per session, but they offer a sliding scale to those with financial hardships.

Stress and Anxiety Services of NJ, an independent practice specializing in OCD treatment and providing telehealth services to 33 states is offering a new OCD ERP webinar training program, which begins in late April 2023 and continues with monthly webinars throughout the remainder of the year. Designed for professionals and offering Continuing Education credits for psychologists, it is also open, for a very reduced rate, to the general public. People can register for individual webinars, or for the whole series at an even further reduced rate. Link to ALL webinars.

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) works hard to raise public awareness about OCD and related disorders. As part of this mission, they have created a blog containing a variety of information regarding OCD. Visit the blog.

Kimberley Quinlan is the founder of CBT School, which offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for OCD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. Her training heavily emphasized the practice of Mindfulness for the management of anxiety, depression, and stress. CBT School is an online platform that offers support and educational products for those who struggle with OCD, BFRB's and Anxiety Disorders. Kimberley provides evidence-based treatment modalities for OCD, Anxiety Disorders, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania and Skin Picking. Her hope is to provide resources to those who desperately need support and help and inspiration.

Click here for more information about what CBT School has to offer.

OCD Connecticut (OCD CT) held two major events to celebrate OCD Awareness Week (October 9-15, 2022):

OCD Awareness Week Colloquium – OCD: Getting Help and Support for Recovery
An estimated 150 individuals attended the Thursday evening, October 13 session at Sacred Heart University (SHU) led by SHU professor emeritus and OCD CT clinical board advisor Dr. Christina Taylor. Panel members included OCD CT and Fairfield County OCD Support Group members. The discussion focused on OCD symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment - as well as audience questions. The presentation was part of the SHU Human Journey Colloquia 2022 Series. View a PowerPoint presentation shown at the event. See photos from the event.

The One Million Steps for OCD Walk
The 1.3 mile Saturday morning, October 15 walk at Jennings Beach (Fairfield) was designed to promote increased awareness and a supportive community for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and its State affiliate, OCD CT. It also enabled OCD CT to raise funds for the OCD/related disorders community. Attendees enjoyed the beautiful outdoor opportunity to meet and greet each other and exchange information while embracing life’s uncertainty, one step at a time.

Future Events
OCD CT intends to hold more events during the Spring and Fall of 2023. Virtual as well as in-person sessions will be considered to optimize their Statewide mission of education and outreach. They hope you can be part of these activities.

As always, OCD CT welcomes your feedback. You can follow them at www.ocdct.org and on Facebook and Instagram.

Elise Petronzio is the founder of the ocdopus, an OCD advocacy & recovery shop. Elise has had OCD since she was at least six years old. She often thought about things she would love to buy for herself or her friends with OCD. As a result, she started taking those ideas and making them into products that people could actually buy and give to each other.

the ocdopus sells hats, shirts, stickers, sweatshirts, accessories, and jewelry. People give these products to their friends, family members, children, therapists, clients, and support groups. These items spread awareness of what OCD is and what the recovery process entails, in addition to showing solidarity in fighting both the disorder itself and the stigma surrounding it.

The IOCDF offers the Peace of Mind Virtual Community! There, members of the OCD and related disorders community will find resources to learn, share stories, and support one another.

They have all-new livestreams for those with OCD and related disorders, supporters, researchers, and clinicians.

Check out their refreshed content and the current month's schedule!

OCD Connecticut, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), is looking to find local volunteers. OCD Connecticut offers several ways to volunteer, including community outreach, project committees, events, and the annual 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us by email at ct.ocdf@gmail.com.

In the 2nd century CE, in the sunset of his life, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius began recording meditations on how he had lived. The questions he asked himself are the same ones many of us find ourselves asking today: how does a person live a meaningful life? How does one find resilience in the face of suffering? What does it mean to be happy? Read the entire article on Psyche Digital Magazine.

The TLC Foundation is happy to announce the creation of Imani, a virtual Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB) support group for Black Young Adults ages 18-35 fostering faith, hope, and community.

This group meets biweekly on Sundays from 3-4 pm ET starting Sunday, June, 13th 2021 - launching just in time for Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Month in June!

Follow Imani on Instagram for all updates at @imanibfrb

Contact Imani at imanibfrb@gmail.com with any questions/concerns.

Register for the support group and sign up for its mailing list by going to https://forms.gle/khwWf6WuHwPYxMtG9

Registration is required to attend this group! After registering, you will receive the link to the Zoom meeting in a follow-up and reminder email.

If you are interested in making a few new friends and building community amongst other young people who you can relate to during the difficult time of COVID-19, please reach out to Olivia Groell (ogroell@bowdoin.edu). We could plan fun, socially distanced (& Covid conscious) de-stress activities to get out of our everyday routines. Some possible ideas are hikes, walks, bike rides, and runs (weather permitting). Olivia looks forward to hearing from you!

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the ongoing worldwide outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic. In response, public health experts around the world have asked individuals and organizations to take action to prevent and limit the transmission of this disease in their communities. This may create unique challenges for people in the OCD and related disorders community as we work to balance what’s best for population health and what’s best for our individual mental health.

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) put together several resources that you may find useful at this website: https://iocdf.org/covid19/. If you have questions that aren't addressed on their website, please contact the IOCDF at (617) 973-5801 or info@iocdf.org.

If you are struggling to manage the impact of OCD and find support, you are not alone -- these types of questions are very common for individuals living with OCD. In addition to being highly misunderstood, OCD can be an unpredictable and unique disease that can impact all areas of your life.

Having a peer community to share experiences with and turn to for support can be an invaluable asset. That's why the IOCDF has recently partnered with HealthUnlocked to launch a new peer-to-peer online community called My OCD Community!

My OCD Community is a free, online peer-to-peer forum for members to share their OCD experiences. The community is a safe space that allows you to post a question and get answers from members of the forum, share your OCD journey, connect with others, and contribute to ongoing conversations – all from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Click here to learn more about My OCD Community.

Clutterers Anonymous (CLA) is a Fellowship of compulsive clutterers who practice a 12-Step and 12-Tradition program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous® (A.A.®). Just as alcoholics join A.A. to arrest the disease of alcoholism, and gamblers join Gamblers Anonymous to arrest the compulsion to gamble, we join CLA to arrest the compulsion to clutter, one day at a time.

Anyone may join CLA, regardless of age, gender, race, color, nationality, or creed. To begin its program, it is not necessary to understand fully why we clutter. There is only one requirement for CLA membership: the desire to stop cluttering.

There are no strings attached to the CLA program of recovery. There are no initiation fees or dues. It is self-supporting through its own contributions. It is not affiliated with any religious, legal, or political group or connected to any outside enterprise. Its Fellowship is based on suggestion, interchange of experience, rotation of leadership, and service. Go to CLA's website.

In Fairfield County, a Clutters Anonymous group is currently being held in Greenwich, CT at Christ Church, 254 East Putnam Avenue. Meetings are held every Tuesday from 1pm to 2pm. in the Family Room. For more information, contact Judy F. at 203-561-5139 or clutterCT@gmail.com.

Anxiety in the Classroom is an online resource center for school personnel, students, and their families. This website provides general information, resources, and materials about anxiety and OCD as they relate to the school setting, as well as more specific tools for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel who may work with students with anxiety and/or OCD. Parents and students will also find tools and information to help them advocate for school accommodations, as well as to educate their teachers and classmates about OCD and anxiety. Go to their website.

Thomas Smalley calls his YouTube page “Struggle Into Strength.” Anyone who has watched his two documentaries can begin to understand the enormity of his struggle with OCD and his strength to overcome it. A college junior and psychology major, Smalley works hard these days to give us a clue. A strong young man who is on a mission to help people understand OCD, his goals are to spread the word to those suffering from mental illness that they are not alone and to help eliminate the stigma. Read the article.

The Anxiety Institute is hosting free screenings for a documentary that sparks conversation about mental health. The film "Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety," comprises stories about teens who are living with anxiety disorder, OCD and trauma. After the film, experts will offer tips on coping and the different treatment options that are available.

Free screenings will be held October 3 at Prospector Theater, 25 Prospect St., Ridgefield, CT, 7:00 to 8:30 pm and October 17 at Bow Tie Ultimate Royale 6, 542 Westport Ave., Norwalk, CT, 7:00 to 8:30 pm. RSVP to angstmovie.com/anxiety-institute-events.

Typically patients with OCD see a therapist once a week for an hour over several months, but this intensive therapy program for OCD consists of two-hour group meetings three times a week, plus up to four additional hours of individual therapy per week. Some patients complete the treatment in just two weeks. The program is part of a new wave of concentrated, intensive therapy programs for psychiatric disorders. Read the article.

A new study reports that children who possess tendencies toward perfectionism and excessive self-control are twice as likely as other children to develop OCD by the time they reach their teens. MRI scans taken as part of the research revealed that the perfectionists often had smaller volumes of a brain structure previously linked to OCD. Read the article.

At our May 2018 group meeting, we were honored to have Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD speak to our group. He is the director of the Yale OCD Research Clinic, based at CMHC (The Connecticut Mental Health Center) in New Haven, CT.

Dr. Pittenger explained that the clinic currently has a range of studies running, running the gamut from cognitive testing to neuroimaging to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment studies. He especially highlighted a new treatment study currently being conducted for adults with refractory OCD. Click here for more information.

It’s sometimes said that Spring is a time for new beginnings, and to celebrate the IOCDF is incredibly excited to share that they are bringing back its Spotlight: OCD News & Research Updates!

Spotlight is the IOCDF's monthly series that brings the absolute latest in OCD news and research right to your email inbox. There they feature compelling stories from advocates and cutting-edge research from the scientific community. In Spotlight, they put a special focus on the important work of its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board experts, as well as the research and discoveries made possible through its Research Grant Program. They’re excited to be back, and look forward to sharing Spotlight with you each month!

If you would like to sign up, please click here to make sure that each month's update arrives right in your inbox.

Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum condition in which sufferers repeatedly pick at their skin. Crystal Quater, MMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses her personal experience with, and recovery from, Excoriation Disorder, and how she treats clients struggling with this condition. Read the article.

In families with religious beliefs, a child expressing faith and strong moral principles is usually a welcome development. But sometimes a child’s faith may become an obsession, and instead of consolation the child experiences extreme anxiety that he is violating religious norms and desperation to correct his perceived mistakes. This is what happens when children develop obsessive-compulsive disorder and it manifests itself in their religion. Read the article.

When your brain is the problem how do you fix it? Thousands of kids, teens and adults with OCD are searching for answers to this question. They're trapped in a vicious cycle of worries and rituals. While families and loved ones are desperate to help them, fighting OCD takes time and specialized therapy.

To uncover what OCD is, and what it isn’t, filmmakers Kelly Anderson and Chris Baier focus on an unlikely group of experts: Kids!

UNSTUCK documents OCD strictly through the eyes of young people. The short documentary avoids sensationalizing compulsions and obsessions, and instead reveals the complexity of a disorder that affects the brain and behavior. As these six resilient kids and teens roadmap their process of recovery, the film inspires viewers to believe it is possible to fight their worst fears and beat back OCD.

For more information, visit www.ocdkidsmovie.com.

We understand that for people living with OCD, family members, and professionals who treat OCD and related disorders, it can sometimes be a challenge to find comprehensive information that addresses your specific needs. In addition, with all of the information out there, it can be difficult to know what sources are vetted and trustworthy.

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) understands these challenges. That is why it collaborates with leading experts to bring you informative and accurate information about the latest therapy, research, and treatment in OCD and related disorders. In 2018, it is its goal to ensure that more of this information is available to you on its website. That's why it has recently revamped its "Expert Opinions" section to now be called "From the Experts", and include even more relevant and informative articles.

Its "From the Experts" section includes articles that are relevant and accessible to people living with OCD and their loved ones, as well as to mental health professionals. Its articles go beyond what it covers in its "Learn More About OCD" sections, in order to provide more in-depth looks at various areas of OCD management and treatment. Read the articles.

Even though I’m not obsessed with monsters under the bed anymore, when something unpleasant comes up, like getting called in for jury duty, my mind automatically brings me to the irrational worst case. There are 7 things I wish people understood about OCD. Read the article.

By now, virtually anyone with even a passing interest in politics and current events has heard the term “fake news”. If you haven’t heard this term, just turn on a cable news channel on any given day and you are bound to hear a news story (or ten) about how we are being inundated with fake news that is designed to alter our political beliefs (and our votes). Regardless of your political persuasion, a Google search of the term “fake news” will lead you to a multitude of articles that describe somebody (or some country) that is presenting reality in a distorted fashion in an attempt to persuade you to see things their way. So what does this have to with OCD? Read an article that will explain.

OCD Connecticut is happy to announce that it now has 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. Shop at its 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. 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.

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 (IOCDF) 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 info@IOCDF.org 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 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. Visit the IOCDF blog for all the latest news.

• Chicago Tribune (October 21, 2016) — The challenges of dating with OCD
• Metro Boston (October 17, 2016) — Foundation marks 30 years of building awareness of OCD
• Washington Post (October 11, 2016) — What obsessive-compulsive disorder does to a young mind when it grows unchecked
• NECN’s The Take (October 10, 2016) — Raising OCD Awareness
• The Atlantic (September 29, 2016) — Hoarding in the Time of Marie Kondo
• Mashable (September 12, 2016) — The scary, intrusive thoughts you can only confess to a search engine
• AMI Newswire (September 9, 2016) — New partnership may help treat obsessive compulsive disorder
• WGN TV (July 29, 2016) — OCD sufferers fight anxiety with improv comedy
• Psychology Today (July 27, 2016) — The International OCD Conference: A Focus on Compassion

The OCD Center of Los Angeles has just published its most recent blog article, "Doubt, Denial and OCD". This article looks at "The Denial Obsession", in which OCD sufferers obsess that they do not really have OCD, and are merely "in denial".

Read the article.

This month’s edition features a special quarterly research highlight on hoarding disorder as well as the articles, "Why You Need to Stop Saying You’re 'So OCD'" and "Who Am I? A Student With OCD & Anxiety". Also discussed is a new app designed to help people deal with OCD, as well as other OCD news and research topics.

Each month the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) brings you the latest in research news and information on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This month’s edition also features a special quarterly research highlight on pediatric OCD.

Each month the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) brings you the latest in research news and information on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This month’s edition features a special quarterly research highlight on body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

Our support group's co-moderator, Dr. Christina Taylor, announces the release of her new book, "OCD: A Workbook for Clinicians, Children and Teens; Actions to Beat, Control & Defeat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder". This book is a user-friendly, creative and interactive book to help children and teens take control of OCD. With specific chapters for each type of OCD, children and teens will learn cognitive behavioral strategies to overcome their obsessions and compulsions. The book contains:

• Step-by-step worksheets and exercises to break free of OCD.
• Strategies for contamination, checking, worrisome thoughts, perfectionism, hoarding and religious obsessions and compulsions.
• Relaxation and thinking skills to manage anxiety.
• Use Actions, to Beat, Control and Defeat -- the ABCDs of OCD to effectively conquer symptoms.

The book is available on Amazon.com and Pesi.com.

International OCD Foundation's (IOCDF) first 2016 edition of Spotlight: OCD Research News & Updates is out now! The January update includes the latest in research news and information on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with a special research highlight on hoarding disorder (HD).

This series is also available via email so you can receive the latest research news and information directly in your email inbox. Sign up to receive future issues of Spotlight by going here and selecting the “Spotlight” option on our email signup form.

OCD can destroy lives without proper treatment. But that’s okay because the acronym is funny, edgy, and makes for great jokes on silly and cute holiday sweaters. Many individuals and organizations have shared their disappointment and frustration with a Christmas sweater available now in Target stores across the US that declares whoever wears it a sufferer of “OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder.” Let’s help Target understand why this OCD sweater is more than just a silly joke. Continue messaging, tweeting, and emailing Target to let them know how their sweater furthers the stigma and obstacles OCD sufferers too often face in accessing treatment. Get in the holiday spirit by tweeting @Target with a photo of you in your favorite ugly Christmas sweater to show Target you’d rather your holiday spirit come dressed in hideous shades of red and green with way too many details and embellishments rather than an inaccurate and dismissive message about OCD. Let Target know this holiday season, you’d rather wear ugly sweaters over lame ones.

Written for OCD Awareness Week as part of a collaboration between The Mighty and the IOCDF, people with OCD seize the opportunity to share what OCD is really like, outside of often negative or inaccurate portrayals of OCD that tend to dominate news cycles. Read the article.

A study of mental illness literary by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in Singapore found that nine out of ten respondents believe that those with a mental disorder "could get better if they wanted to," while half also saw mental illness as a sign of "personal weakness." Researchers say this stigmatizing mindset often prevents people from seeking treatment. Read the article.

Even for people with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), cognitive-behavioral therapy outperforms anti-psychotic medication in some hard-to-treat patients, finds a recent study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Read the article.

Darin Dougherty, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and the OCD Institute at McLean Hospital is featured in a recent MIT Technology Review article for his work treating OCD with electric stimulation. Read the article.

Rose Bretécher, author of a new memoir about her experiences with pure OCD, explains how her new boyfriend's accidental discovery of her therapy homework actually revealed the surprisingly positive (and therapeutic!) sides of embarrassment. Read the article.

"40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS" is a Facebook page where you can face a challenge designed to help you get the clutter out of your home. You can have a bag, less than a bag, or more than one bag a day. Furniture or big items count, as well as boxes. Heck it all counts. :) The overall goal is to tackle your home a spot at a time, GET RID OF STUFF, pace yourself, and be detached. Good luck!

OCD is not curable, but it is manageable. The purpose of this personal story is to document one human’s struggle with a very real, and surprisingly common, mental health condition. Click here to read this story.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on March 10, 2014 that they will not go forward with restrictions to anti-depressant and anti-psychotic medications in the Medicare Part D program. This decision by CMS shows what can be accomplished through grassroots advocacy! In its announcement, CMS said that it will not seek any further changes to the six protected classes of medications including mental health medications in the Medicare Part D program without first receiving additional stakeholder input.

Clutter Cleaner is a company that has been cleaning hoarded homes and estates for over 10 years. The company's founder, Matt Paxton, is America’s number one expert on extreme cleaning and hoarding situations and is the author of "The Secret Lives of Hoarders". They have opened an office servicing all of the Connecticut area. Visit their website at www.cluttercleaner.com to learn more about their methods and how they work with hoarders and their families.

On November 8, 2013, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S Department of Treasury, issued the final rule to implement The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). This law requires group health plans and health insurance to ensure that financial requirements such as co-pays, deductibles and treatment limitations applicable to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are equal to all medical/surgical benefits, in addition to ensuring equal treatment for residential and outpatient behavioral health care.

New technologies have paved the way for a wide variety of mobile treatment options for OCD, including smartphone-based applications (aka "apps"), and internet and computer-based software programs. These apps and programs have the advantage of being widely accessible and, in some cases, can provide lower cost alternatives to tradtional therapy. For more information, click here to view the OCD Newsletter article that attempts to provide a basic overview of these programs. Click here for a list of smartphone apps.

Every time you do an exposure that makes you anxious, you are taking a step forward to conquering your OCD.