Orlando’s 1st OCD Walk a Huge Success
Over 125 people joined Orlando’s first One Million Steps for OCD Walk on Sunday, October 22nd at Blue Jacket Park and collected nearly $5,000. The OCD Walk is a nationwide opportunity through the International OCD Foundation to raise funds and awareness of what it really means to have OCD.
Check out more photos from the event by visiting our Facebook page.
Dr. Gwilym Roddick, a board member of OCD Central & South FL and Founder & Director of CBT Central & South Florida stated:
“OCD impacts around 1 in every 100 people directly and that many more family members and loved ones, yet it can take years for patients to receive a proper diagnosis, let alone the evidence-based treatment they need. It doesn’t have to be this way. The One Million Steps for OCD Walk was an incredible chance for providers, people living with OCD, and the community to join forces, end stigma, and raise the standards on mental health care access. It was Orlando’s first Walk and certainly not our last.”
Representative Anna V. Eskamani (House District 42) delivered the first ever tribute honoring an IOCDF Walk and Representative Rita Harris (House District 44) shared her family’s personal experience with OCD and gratitude for ongoing research and expansion of resources for the community.
Supporters can still donate towards the $10,000 goal here.
A special thank-you to the sponsors and vendors for their support:
About OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health disorder, marked by Obsessions (i.e., unwanted thoughts, images or impulses) and Compulsions (i.e., excessive, repetitive behaviors or mental acts) that cause marked anxiety and distress. Approximately 1% of individuals have OCD. Despite the prevalence of effective treatments for OCD, it takes an average of 14 – 17 years from the time OCD first appears for people to receive appropriate treatment. Accordingly, OCD is a major source of illness-related disability worldwide.
