Organized Chaos - Volume 9
The 14th Annual OCF Conference: Teen’s Perspective
by Michelle L.
There is no way to adequately describe the incredible experience of attending the OCF conference as a teen. The attendees came from all over the nation and from different countries to meet in Houston this year. Despite geographical differences, there was a common thread heard amongst the teens: In each of our communities there seemed to be a lack of understanding about OCD. We often worry that we will be snubbed if we share with others this battle that we face daily. But then we came to the conference and were surrounded by others like ourselves, and there was an immediate sense of unity and acceptance. We had a common ground, an instant connection. For many participants, it was their first time meeting other people with OCD. There was a sense of relief and a feeling that we were not alone.
The Houston event was the second OCF conference I had attended, having been at the one in Atlanta last year. Since then, I looked forward all year to going to this year’s event. I was reunited with some of the remarkable people I met in Georgia and also met many wonderful new friends. At the end of the Menninger reception on the first night in Houston, everyone present was separated into different groups based on such things as sufferer/family member, health care provider, and/or age. I reported to the table of teen OCD sufferers. It was quite amazing how the group dove right into talking about OCD after having only five minutes of small talk (our name, age, hometown and state). Having OCD is an extremely personal subject that we would most likely never share with strangers at home within moments of meeting them. It was quite different with the people that you met at the conference, however; and they often seemed to truly understand what you have gone through better than a friend at home you have known for ten years.
For the three days of the conference, I was able to attend different workshops with the teens that I had met. There were numerous seminars going on during each time slot, and it was great to be able to choose which one to attend. There were workshops that dealt with every aspect of OCD imaginable; some of them included information on medication, OCD in the media, navigating OCD in the classroom, gaining faith and hope for recovery, and ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), to mention just a few. Not only the OCD sufferer, but also his or her family could receive a lot of help and support at the conference. This was one of the many strengths of the conference, because OCD does not solely impact the sufferer. For parents of a child with OCD, for example, it is often difficult for them to care for the child while also staying healthy themselves. The conference was a great opportunity for those attending to ask questions of doctors or other families also coping with OCD. The three days were packed with information carefully presented by health care professionals. I found that the time set aside to eat meals was equally important as the sessions offered because this was a time to socialize with others and form supportive friendships. When talking to the different teens I met, it was apparent that we all have different ways in which OCD manifests itself in us, yet we have many struggles in common.
At this year’s conference I was in a better place with my OCD management than the previous year. Meeting other teens with OCD had been extremely beneficial to my recovery because it made me feel less isolated and motivated me to fight. I had been at the Atlanta conference last year to receive information; yet this summer, I was also able to give it. On the Saturday of this year’s conference, I led a group entitled “A Teen Support Group,” as I wanted others who were struggling to be able to experience what it was like to talk with fellow OCD sufferers. Last summer I started a teen OCD support group in the Boston area where I live because there were no such organized groups that were hospital-based. For the first part of the session at the conference, I shared information with peers on how to initiate such a support group. We covered topics including recruiting members, deciding when and where to meet, creating and utilizing confidentiality rules, listing potential ideas of what to discuss in the group, and collecting feedback from group members. I was thrilled that the teens at the seminar seemed really receptive to the information I was sharing.
After discussing information about how to initiate such a group, we ran a teen support session. I was thrilled with the turnout of people; there were over 35 teens. Feeling comfortable sharing was not an issue for us, and we kept a steady flow of discussion. We focused mainly on teenage issues with the added OCD twist, such as school work, disclosure with friends and teachers, dating, and relationships with parents and siblings. Being a teenager can be difficult enough, but being a teen with OCD is an extra struggle. It was nice to share stories about how these two situations fit together with a group of people who were trying to conquer both battles at once. Two suggestions: In an ideal situation, we would have broken into smaller groups of six to eight teens so that each person would have more time to speak. Also, it would be desirable to have a therapist who specializes in OCD present to act as a moderator as we do at the group I run at home.
I feel so fortunate that an event such as the OCF conference exists. I loved going to Houston to learn about advances in treatment, as well as to connect and reconnect with others. Elizabeth McIngvale, the spokesperson for OCD, has been a role model for me ever since I saw her on “The Dr. Phil Show” and then met her several times in person. I really admire how openly she speaks about her OCD and the awareness that she spreads about the disorder. I looked towards her as an inspiration when trying to start my OCD support group, because she had formed one through her Peace of Mind Foundation in Houston. I hope that I, too, can reach out to others who have OCD in the way that I was supported when my struggling was at its worst. My time in Texas flew by quickly, and I intend to keep up my friendships from the conference while I await the 2008 event.
