Articles by Chris Trondsen

Published

OCD Southern California Vice President Chris Trondsen’s Mental Health Livestream on Monday, November 19th, 2018

We are excited to announce that our Vice President, Chris Trondsen, will be a featured speaker on Mental Health on The Mighty’s Facebook page this upcoming Monday at 10 AM Pacific Standard Time! Chris is also an A2A Alliance advocate and the A2A set up this opportunity for Chris. Chris will be sharing his triumphant story of suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), how treatment worked for him, and what life is like “after OCD!” Make sure to watch this upcoming Monday!

Link to watch the livestream on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MentalHealthOnTheMighty/

 

Published

Save the Date! OCD Southern California’s Annual Conference Date Announced

Mark your calendars now! OCD Southern California is announcing that we will be holding our 4th annual OCD conference on Saturday, March 30th, 2019. The conference will once again be held in Irvine, California at 5001 Newport Coast Dr, Irvine, CA 92603 starting at 10:30AM.

Come hear professionals and people with OCD speak about OCD and related disorders. Learn about OCD, hear success stories, and meet other people and families with similar experiences. More details will be available on this website after the holidays.

Please save the date and we look forward to seeing you there!

Published

OCD Southern California’s Participation in OCD Awareness Week Activities!

On Sunday, October 7th, OCD Southern California held major events in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego to kick off OCD Awareness Week. The focus of these events was not only to educate attendees on the disorder but also to create a sense of community and support as well.

In Los Angeles, OCD So Cal held a day of fun in the park! Attendees participated in OCD-themed face painting, pumpkin decorating, and games, such as confront-your-fears hopscotch. Attendees also had the pleasure of listening to some live music! OCD sufferers, family members, and clinicians joined together to make this a fun event for all!

In Orange County, participants had a fun day outdoors in the sun where they heard OCD success stories, were served a catered lunch, and participated in classic games such as a watermelon eating contest, a water balloon toss, and a three-legged race– all to earn prizes! A DJ played music while people met other people in their local OCD community, participated in OCD Jeopardy, got airbrushed tattoos, partook in a raffle, and more! The kids especially loved the bounce house!

 

San Diego held an OCD Awareness and Resource Carnival promoted by OCD clinicians, local schools, and mental health partners. Taking place at a local middle school, San Diegans came out for a day of fun, games, and activities that encompassed OCD exposures. Attendees participated in OCD Jeopardy, as well as a community art project where participants wrote their hopes and dreams on leaves and put them on a tree to symbolize how their life could flourish after working through their fears!

Other ways in which OCD Southern California participated in OCD Awareness Week was by holding the following activities during the week of October 7th through the 13th: San Diego hosted a resource table at a local community college at their “Check Your Mood” event. Also, OCD So Cal was at Cal State San Marcos for the 12th annual CAHM (Community Alliance for Healthy Minds) conference.  We once again hosted a resource table where up to 500 people attended. Attendees were happy to learn about resources for OCD they were unaware existed. Finally, our vice president Chris Trondsen shared his story of recovery and initiated a call-to-action for others to do the same as part of the International OCD Foundation’s #RealOCD campaign!

Please check out our social media to see more pictures from the events! http://Facebook.com/OCDSoCal and http://Instagram.com/OCDSoCal

Published

New Book on OCD: “OCD To Me: An Anthology of Anxieties.” Written by Ryan Bernstein, Foreword by OCD So Cal Board Member Dr. Jenny Yip!

In OCD to Me, sixty courageous individuals open their hearts and share what having OCD feels like. Reading their compelling journeys will inspire and educate. For those who have OCD this book will show you that you are not alone. For those who have loved ones who suffer with OCD you will understand their pain. For those who are curious about OCD or think they may have OCD this book will give you the facts.

OCD to Me features a foreword by Dr. Jenny Yip, a clinical psychologist, author, speaker, nationally recognized OCD expert, and founder of the Renewed Freedom Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Yip is also a board member of OCD Southern California, an official affiliate of the International OCD Foundation. Dr. Yip shares her personal battle with OCD, and why she has dedicated her professional career to treating families and individuals with severe OCD and anxiety disorders using a comprehensive modality she developed. Two Ph.D psychologists, Drs. James Claiborn and Fred Penzel, who are also OCD leaders, contribute chapters filled with valuable treatment information, tips, and practical advice about how to manage OCD. Ethan Smith, a national OCD ambassador, shares how struggling with OCD positively changed his life. Also included in this book is information about the International OCD Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission 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.” There is hope is in these pages. All proceeds from book sales will be donated to the International OCD Foundation. When you purchase a book you support the OCD community.

Ryan Bernstein is a high school student with OCD. He is the founder and facilitator of Hand in Hand, a weekly OCD support group where he helps teens at his school who struggle with anxiety learn new coping skills. As a national youth advocate for OCD, Ryan seeks to educate through his writing and public-speaking. He has been featured in national blogs and newsletters including the International OCD Foundation, OCD Talks, and The Peace of Mind Foundation. Ryan encourages taking charge of OCD by helping others.

If you are interested in purchasing the book, you can order it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/OCD-Anthology-Anxieties-Ryan-Bernstein/dp/1642550388. All proceeds from the book sales are being donated to the International OCD Foundation!

Meet the author: Ryan Bernstein is a seventeen-year-old author of a book about OCD titled OCD to Me: An anthology of Anxieties. In the book, he wrote about his own personal experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder and also to include the experience of others. Ryan’s main goal is to help others feel less alone.