World's Largest Resource for OCD Comes to Chicago

CHICAGO, July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 1,600 people will attend the International OCD Foundation's 23^rd Annual OCD Conference, which will be held this summer in Chicago. Running July 29 to 31 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, the OCD Conference is the world's largest event dedicated to obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders, including hoarding and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

Celebrating its 30^th anniversary, The International OCD Foundation is the leading advocate for the OCD community. The IOCDF funds OCD research, trains professionals to treat OCD, helps patients access treatment and support, and oversees online resource centers for information on OCD, hoarding disorder, and BDD.

Obsessive compulsive disorder affects some 3 million people in the United States, including children and teens. Though OCD has no cure, its symptoms — which include obsessions and compulsions — can be effectively managed through cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.

The Annual OCD Conference blends research news with on-site treatment and support. Children often meet other youth with the disorder for the first time, while their parents find support and share tips. Attending therapists receive accredited professional education and training. OCD sufferers have the ability to meet with the country's leading experts and researchers and participate in programs that can jumpstart their treatment.

"OCD is an often misdiagnosed and ineffectively treated mental disorder," says Dr. Jeff Szymanski, executive director of the IOCDF. "So many individuals and families affected by OCD continue to have difficulty in accessing resources and finding effective treatment. Through our conference we want to bring our resources across the country each year to build new support systems, help families find efficient treatment, and change lives."

The conference's keynote speaker is David Adam, an editor with the science journal Nature and a former specialist correspondent with the Guardian newspaper. He is the author of The Man Who Couldn't Stop, an award-winning and best-selling book about his experiences with OCD. Adam will address the crowd and share his personal journey to recovery and advocacy with conference attendees.

John Green, The New York Times best-selling author of The Fault in Our Stars, will receive the International OCD Foundation illumination award via video, an accolade given annually to influencers whose work accurately and respectfully represents OCD and related disorders in an effort to raise awareness and understanding.

Chicago's legendary comedy club, The Second City, has partnered with the IOCDF to host Improv for Anxiety, a three-hour workshop and discussion on how improvisation can be a recovery tool for people with anxiety disorders.

Registration for the conference is open to all and continuing education credits are available to qualified professionals. For more information and to register visit iocdf.org or call (617) 973-5801.

About The International OCD Foundation
The International OCD Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a donor-supported nonprofit organization, working to increase access to effective treatment, end the stigma associated with mental health issues, and foster a community for those affected by OCD and the professionals who treat them. Based in Boston, the IOCDF has affiliates in 22 states and territories, as well as 11 global partners. The IOCDF has a $2 million annual operating budget, has granted millions of dollars for OCD research, and is a vital resource for the estimated 1 in 100 individuals with OCD around the world. For more information, visit www.iocdf.org.

CONTACT:
Katie Stinchon
617-269-7171
[email protected]  

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SOURCE International OCD Foundation

Related Links

http://www.iocdf.org