Sammy Gallagher is a 13-year-old girl from Washington State who recently was hospitalized and in an intensive-outpatient program (IOP) due to severe OCD. She is now in weekly, step-down outpatient sessions and has made massive strides in her recovery! Her days are no longer spent doing hours of compulsive rituals, struggling to function in school and dance, and lashing out in angry outbursts.

Through exposure and response prevention (ERP) behavioral therapy, Sammy is now back in school, spending time with her friends and family, and doing what she loves the most…dancing!

To hear more about Sammy’s recovery journey and to find out what is next in her life, visit her website and read her blog here: https://dancingthruthestorm.com!

The holidays and the start of a new year can be difficult for those with OCD and related disorders. Change and added holiday stress, along with the additional distress from COVID-19, can make these times stressful for those with a mental disorder.

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) has national, lead, and general advocates–and this year they came together to film a special holiday message of hope for those currently dealing with OCD. Please watch and share with anyone who needs to hear this hopeful message!

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RUcNKAnqwA

Additionally, celebrity Marc Summers (Nickelodeon’s Double Dare) has a special message to all of those companies and individuals who minimize OCD by calling it “Obsessive Christmas Disorder” during the holidays. Watch his message by clicking the link below to view it on the IOCDF’s official Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/IOCDF/posts/10160718939177995

To our OCD SoCal community,

We have missed our wonderful, personal gatherings for our annual walk, OCD Awareness Week events and fabulous conference (in 2019, we had over 350 in attendance). Though this pandemic has not permitted in-person gatherings, we were able to offer two OCD SoCal zoom panel talks which were well received. 

Our annual conference and all other events live are postponed until we can hold them safely. In the meantime, we will try to be creative about offerings on our website (OCD SoCal.org) and any other virtual events.

After over 3 years serving as President, Dr. Barbara Van Noppen is stepping down and Melissa Mose, LMFT will be taking over that role as of 1/1/2021! Congratulations, Melissa!

Here are some messages of gratitude from the OCD SoCal Board:

Barbara Van Noppen, PhD (President)-“I am grateful for the honor of serving on the OCD SoCal board and all of our OCD SoCal community. Though apart by physical distance, we have a unity and feeling of oneness that instills hope. May the new year bring health and peace.”

Melissa Mose, LMFT (President Elect/Secretary)– “As the new year approaches, I want to send all of you my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your interest, your time, and your participation in our events and our community.  It is your presence and involvement with OCD SoCal that has supported and continues to inspire our mission. Thank you and may the upcoming year bring you both peace and joy.”

Chris Trondsen, MS, AMFT, APCC (Vice President)– “Thank you for attending the events OCD SoCal has put forth to support our local OCD community. By attending, you have built a supportive community so that those with the disorder—and their loved ones—are not in this fight alone. It has been an honor to plan these events for everyone and they could not have happened without our amazing volunteers and my incredible fellow board members. Thanks for being an amazing community and have a happy holidays!”

Patricia Bosvay Browne (Treasurer)– “I am eternally grateful for everyone in the OCD SoCal community- for all the sufferers working hard to overcome and educate, for the family members hanging in there to help, to the volunteers for all of our events, and especially the medical community (therapists, doctors, psychologists) for the above and beyond commitment in educating and working with not only the sufferers of OCD, but the family members as well.”

Liz Trondsen, RD (Event Planner)– “I am grateful for the many families who join our Family Support Group each month, share their experiences with us and provide hope and guidance to new families.” 

Sean Sassano, MD- “This holiday season, I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful community of clinicians, patients, and family members.” 

Thank you and we look forward to serving the local southern California OCD community in 2021!

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States, and much of the world, as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. DSM contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.

In the DSM, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is under the category of OCD and related disorders. One of these related disorders includes body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Individuals who struggle with BDD tend to be “overly preoccupied” with imagined flaws or minor flaws in their appearance. It is possible to have both OCD and BDD. To learn more about this disorder, click on the following recording of a recent live event explaining the basics of BDD, brought to you by the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation: BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER (BDD) 101 Virtual Panel

This virtual event included three mental health professionals, specializing in the treatment of BDD. They included Scott Granet, LCSW, Robyn L. Stern, LCSW, and Chris Trondsen, M.S., AMFT, APCC, who is also Vice President of OCD Southern California, an official affiliate of the IOCDF. All three of the professionals also have BDD themselves and shared some of their personal stories, in addition to clinical information. It was hosted by Phyllis Duarte, found of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, and also featured her son, Erik Duarte, who shared his recovery from BDD.

To learn more about the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, please visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/USABDDSUPPORT

Once again, here is the link to the recording of the recent, virtual event, Body Dysmorphic Disorder 101: BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER (BDD) 101 Virtual Panel