Awareness

OCD-UK are delighted to announce that during Spring 2013 we will be hosting a one-day conference specifically for parents of children (school age) with OCD.  

The conference aims to explore and provide practical advice and solutions to the problems Mum’s and Dad’s face dealing with their child’s OCD,  from dealing with the OCD at home, dealing with their child’s school and problems many parents tell us they have in accessing formal diagnosis and treatment through their local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).   Although this conference is aimed primarily at parents of children with OCD, we believe the event will also benefit those that work with children with OCD within a CAMHS and teaching setting.

Running not your thing? Well you can still fundraise for OCD-UK through a variety of means, one such way is a sponsored Cycle Ride and OCD-UK chief-executive Ashley Fulwood as put his money where is mouth is, literally, by signing up for the famous London to Paris cycling challenge, 300 miles, almost 500km in just 4 day during September!

"If attempting to use my bandy little legs to run for my charity was not enough, I have set myself a brand new target, and this year I am attempting to cycle from our cosmopolitan capital (well, Crystal Palace) to Paris, and the Eiffel Tower. Along the way as we cycle through the suburbs of the romantic capital I will get to soak up some of the Parisian way of life, who knows it may even help sophisticate me!   However, this little jaunt on my old two wheeled speed machine is no sedate cycle, this is 300 miles, almost 500km in just four days. 

"I won't say OCD as totally ruined my life, but I will say that OCD as done its bloody best to try and ruin my life!  "

By Ashley Fulwood (Chief executive)

Whenever I see OCD used in conjunction to describe non-OCD behaviour, or in a joking context I do tend to get a bit annoyed, I would like to use a stronger emotion but I am sure Kylie (OCD-UK chair) would not be too pleased if I swore on the main website.

The latest reason for my disappointment (again I am being polite here) is the Daily Mail and the feature writer Diana Appleyard for describing her desire for some poncy cushions as 'Help, I've got OCD (that's Obsessive Cushion Desire)' in yesterday's Daily Mail. If you can bring yourself to look here is the link.

Naturally we are told by some to get a sense of humour about it, but when you have OCD it really is not something that it is easy to laugh off and that is why I shoot from the hips with my verbal contempt for such poor journalism.

A huge thank you to Team OCD-UK runners earlier today that took part in the Brighton Marathon, fundraising and raising much needed awareness of our cause. Those fantastic fundraiser's completed the arduous 26.2 mile course and really have made us all at OCD-UK proud of their efforts and achievement, thank you all.

Well done Team OCD-UK!

Click below to view more of the pictures from today featuring some of our fundraiser's, or you can also view them via our Facebook page.

Highlighting the debilitating impact of OCD through media participation remains a crucial part of our mission to advance awareness of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Our mission however is superseded by our intent to ensure the well-being and dignity of our participants. This policy of participant well-being remains our priority when working on television or other media projects, even if it means on occasion we decline to work with a journalist or production team.

We have recently spent some time talking to two different researchers looking to produce two completely different programme about OCD for BBC Three Mental Health awareness week. We are keen to support, and have agreed to work with them to help find participants purely for research purposes at this stage, anyone agreeing to help by talking to the researchers to help them understand OCD would not be under any obligation to participate in filming.