All members of the OCD and related disorders community are welcome to submit a proposal to speak on a presentation, workshops, evening activity, and/or support groups at one of the many IOCDF Conferences, including the Annual OCD Conference held each July. All Conferences provide an amazing opportunity to share your story with members of the OCD community. Whether you are a professional, or someone who wants to share their own personal stories of living with OCD, we invite you to submit your proposal to speak at the next Annual OCD Conference.
OCD Awareness Week is an international effort taking place during the second week in October each year to raise awareness and understanding about obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders, with the goal of helping more people to get timely access to appropriate and effective treatment. During OCD Awareness Week there are a number of ways to tell your story including creating a YouTube video, hosting a special event, and sharing on social media. Learn more about OCD Awareness Week.
The One Million Steps for OCD Walk is a community engagement event that allows individuals across the country to connect, share stories, create impact, and show those struggling on their road to recovery that they are not alone. In addition, the OCD Walk is an opportunity to raise funds and awareness of what it really means to have OCD.
In 2012, Denis Asselin walked over 500 miles — or roughly one million steps — from his home in Cheyney, PA, to Boston, MA, in memory of his son Nathaniel. Nathaniel took his own life at just 24, after a long struggle with severe body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and OCD. After Nathaniel’s death, Denis decided to embark on a pilgrimage to honor Nathaniel and to raise awareness about the disorder that stole his young son’s life. On June 5, 2012, Denis completed his walk in Boston, and was greeted by staff of the International OCD Foundation, as well as friends, family, and members of the OCD community at a rally honoring Denis and supporting OCD and BDD awareness. To carry on this tradition, the One Million Steps for OCD Walk was created the following year in the same spirit of raising awareness, funds, and hope. It is in this spirit of hope that we invite you to join us.
Founded in 1986 by a small group of individuals with OCD, the IOCDF has grown into an international membership-based organization serving a broad community of individuals with OCD and related disorders, their family members and loved ones, and mental health professionals and researchers. The IOCDF has affiliates in 22 states and territories in the US, in addition to partnerships with other OCD organizations around the world. The IOCDF aims to improve outcomes for individuals with OCD and related disorders by:
Providing resources and support for those affected by OCD, including individuals with OCD and related disorders, their family members, friends, and loved ones.Increasing access to effective treatment through: