>> OCD, OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER IS A PROBLEM FOR MANY
AMERICANS BUT NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD BY MANY PEOPLE, AND
THERE ARE NOT MANY MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, AND COUNSELORS
WITH THE BACKGROUND TO IDENTIFY AND TREAT IT.
OCD MASSACHUSETTS CAME INTO TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND RAISE
AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT OCD.
>> OCD IS A VERY SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION THAT AFFECTS
ABOUT 1% OF THE POPULATION AT ANY GIVEN TIME, IN 2% TO 3% OF
THE POPULATION DURING A LIFETIME.
AND IF SOMEONE IS DIAGNOSED WITH OCD, WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT THEY
ARE EXPERIENCING UNWANTED INTRUSIVE, UNCOMFORTABLE
THOUGHTS, THEY CALL THEM OBSESSIONS, THAT CREATE ANXIETY
SO THOSE MIGHT BE A FEAR OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING TO
SOMEONE YOU LOVE, OR A FEAR OF GETTING SICK, AND LIKE I SAID,
IT INCREASES SO MUCH ANXIETY AND THEY FEEL COMPELLED TO ENGAGE IN
A SERIES OF BEHAVIORS, WE CALL IT COMPULSIONS, THAT ARE
DESIGNED TO HOPEFULLY ALLEVIATE THAT ANXIETY, SO SOMEONE HAD A
FEAR OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING, THE OBSESSION, CAUSES ANXIETY,
THE COMPULSION MIGHT BE TO CHECK AND RECHECK AGAIN THE STOVE AND
THE KITCHEN TO MAKE SURE IT'S OFF SO THE HOUSE DOESN'T BURN
DOWN OR SOMEONE HAD A FEAR OF GETTING SICK, THEY MIGHT WASH
THEIR HANDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO ALLEVIATE THE ANXIETY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD GET
SICK.
>> EVERY BEHAVIOR YOU MENTIONED, IS NORMAL, UP TO A POINT.
>> UP TO A POINT.
>> AND I WONDER, WHAT POINT DOES A PROFESSIONAL SAY, AND I GUESS
THE ANSWER IS, WHEN IT BECOMES A PROBLEM, BUT WHAT POINT DO YOU
SAY TO SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE MAY BE OUGHT TO
LOOK AT, AND PERHAPS, DEAL WITH.
>> RIGHT, WHEN IT CAUSES THE DISTRESS IN PEOPLE, AND WHEN IT
SAYS TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO FUNCTION, IN THEIR
LIVES, SO WHEN A YOUNG CHILD IS UNABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL OR TO
PERFORM IN SCHOOL, WHEN AN ADULT HAS DIFFICULTY GETTING TO WORK
ON-TIME, AND WHEN IT IS INTERFERING WITH A MARRIAGE, AND
TO CARE FOR THEIR CHILD, OR A CHILD, THE INABILITY TO GO TO
SLEEP AT NIGHT SO WHENEVER IT CAUSES DISTRESS, USUALLY, YOU
KNOW, THAT IS THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT,
THAT WILL HELP US DETERMINE BETWEEN BEING QUIRKY AND SOMEONE
HAVING A TRUE, A TRUE DIAGNOSIS, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER.
>> AND WITH THE EXAMPLES YOU MENTIONED, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO
THINK OF A FAMILY, HAVING OCD BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY
IMPACTED, SO IS EVERYONE THAT DEALS WITH THEM OR LIVES WITH
THEM, ALL THEIR LOVED ONES, AS WELL.
>> SO I'VE BEEN DOING THE HOME BASE THERAPY, I'VE BEEN WORKING
WITH CHILDREN, ADOLESCENCE AND ADULTS WITH OCD, AND I HAVE
CHOSEN TO GO INTO THE HOME, AND TO PERFORM THERAPY BECAUSE YOU
ARE RIGHT, A LOT OF IT HAPPENS IN THE HOME, CONTEXT BUT
FAMILIES INVOLVED, AND SO, I BELIEVE THAT, AND I THINK OVER
THE COURSE OF 20 YEARS, I WOULD SAY, ANECDOTALLY THAT IT'S A
MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAY TO TREAT PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU ARE
INCLUDING THEIR LOVED ONES, SO THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO
RESPOND.
OFTENTIMES, PEOPLE WILL GET EMBROILED IN THE OCD SYMPTOMS
AND WASH THEIR HANDS THEMSELVES AND OFFERING LOTS AND LOTS OF
REASSURANCE, AND THEY NEED COACHING ON HOW TO GET
THEMSELVES, EXTRACT THEMSELVES FROM THE OCD BEHAVIORS, AS WELL,
SO YOU ARE RIGHT.
>> AND ONE OF THE REASONS YOU ARE HERE, WITH US, IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS, RIGHT NOW, IS A SERIES OF LECTURES, UNDERWAY,
THIS YEAR IN NORTHAMPTON, I BELIEVE, EXPLAINING TO BOTH THE
PUBLIC AND TO THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, AS I UNDERSTAND
IT, OCD BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND TELL US ABOUT
THAT SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS.
>> SO OCD MASSACHUSETTS, AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS, HERE'SES
SEVERAL LECTURE SERIES, SO WE HAVE ONE AT McCLAIN HOSPITAL
IN BELMONT AND ONE THE U-MASS IN WORCESTER, AND THIS PAST
SEPTEMBER, WITH THE HELP OF WHY RANDY FAUSS, WE INTRODUCED TWO
MASSACHUSETTS LECTURE SERIES AT SMITH COLLEGE.
SO, THE LECTURES RUN, THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AND THEY
ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO
REGISTER OR PAY ANYTHING, THEY CANIOUS DROP BY, AND EVERY MONTH
WE EXPLORE A TOPIC RELATED TO LIVING WITH OCD, SO PAST TOPICS
HAVE INCLUDED TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH OCD, AND HOW TO
NAVIGATE OCD IN THE WORKPLACE, AND FUTURE TOPICS WILL INCLUDE
HOW TO USE MINDFULNESS WITH OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS.
>> YOU ARE READING SOME OF THE MATERIAL THAT YOUR PUBLIC
RELATIONS PEOPLE SENT ME, AND THERE IS A NEED YOU NEED TO
IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWLEDGE, AND ACCESS TO
RESOURCES, AND REALLY, THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO
HELP FOLKS WITH OCD.
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND SO, OUR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP
PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE BAY STATE AFFECTED BY OCD,
BUT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO ME BEING A WESTERN MASS NATIVE, I
AM VERY WELL AWARE OF THE FACT
THAT WEST OF FOUR-DOOR, THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING HERE, OCD
SPECIFIC FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING, SO THERE IS A HANDFUL OF
DEDICATED CLINICIANS, SEVERAL, VERY DEDICATED CLINICIANS, BUT
BEYOND THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH MORE.
THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO SUPPORT GROUPS, AND THERE ARE NO
SPECIALTY OUTPATIENT INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT OR PARTIAL HOSPITAL
PROGRAMS WITH PEOPLE WITH OCD, SO IT'S A LARGE, GEOGRAPHIC AREA
AND THERE IS SO MANY PEOPLE HERE, 1%, RIGHT NOW, IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS, STRUGGLING WITH THIS, A HANDFUL OF CLINICIANS IS
NOT GOING TO CUT IT, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF
THIS LECTURE SERIES AND SUPPORT GROUP PROGRAM, WE CAN START TO
BUILD A BROADER NETWORK OF TREATMENT RESOURCES, AND A MORE
VIBRANT COMMUNITY YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN AS THEY
NAVIGATE LIFE WITH THIS ILLNESS.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE CONCERNED, COUPLED WITH THAT,
PEOPLE ARE GOING UNDIAGNOSED, AND/OR MISDIAGNOSED, AND THAT
MEANS, NO HELP, NO TREATMENT.
>> NO HELP, NO TREATMENT, SO OFTENTIMES, PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING WITH OCD, AND YOU ARE RIGHT, DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
STRUGGLING WITH, OR IT TAKES THEM YEARS AND YEARS TO GET
ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, AND MASSACHUSETTS IS THE MEDICAL
MECCA, RIGHT, AND IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, WEST OF 495,
THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZE IN
TREATING OCD, AND TWO SUPPORT GROUPS, SO PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO THE EFFECTIVE TREATMENT BUT THERE ARE OFTEN
STRUGGLING IN SILENCE AND IN SHAME, SO WE ALSO WANT TO WORK
TO DESTIGMATIZE THIS ILLNESS.
>> AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OCD WANTS TO DO, IS TO ADVOCATE
TO LOBBY, FOR FOLKS IN THE STATE, AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHO
HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND NEED SOME SERVICES.
>> EXACTLY.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE LIVING OUT, THROUGHOUT
MASSACHUSETTS, PEOPLE LIVING IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS HAVE WHAT
THEY DESERVE, AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY PROGRAMMING,
AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO RELIABLE AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION, AND
WHAT THE TREATMENTS ARE, AND COMMUNITY, AND ACCESS TO A
COMMUNITY, THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE IN.
TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THIS.
>> SOMEONE WATCHING AT HOME, A LIGHT BULB MAY HAVE GONE OFF AND
SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS BOTHERING ME
OR SOMEONE IN THE FAMILY, AND SOMEONE THAT ISSUE, AND HOW CAN
THEY FIND OUT SOME MORE, GET MORE INFORMATION, AND NOT JUST
ABOUT OCD MASSACHUSETTS, BUT ABOUT THE SPEAKERS' PROGRAM IN
NORTHAMPTON.
>> OCDMASSACHUSETTS.ORG, THAT'S THE WEBSITE AND WILL TELL YOU
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE STATE, AND IF PEOPLE ARE
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, ON A
NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, THEY SHOULD VISIT IOCDF.ORG.
>> VERY GOOD, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME WITH US, AND PLEASURE TO
HAVE YOU WITH US TALKING ABOUT OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER.
>> MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU.