OCD Support Group – Worcester, MA
Location: UMass Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655
When: Every 2nd Thursday of the month
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Open to: Older teens and adults with OCD
Fee: FREE
Contact: info@ocdmassachusetts.org
OCD Support Group – Cambridge, MA
Where: Cambridge Friends Meeting House
5 Longfellow Park
Cambridge, MA 02138
When: Every first and third Monday of the month
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Open to: Adults with OCD
Fee: $8.00 per group
Contact: Joel Light, ocdgroupcambridge@gmail.com
OCD Support Group – Belmont, MA
Where: McLean Hospital
DeMarneffe Cafeteria, Room 132
Belmont, MA 02478
When: Every first Tuesday of the month
Time: 8 -9 PM
Open to: Teens and adults with OCD
Fee: FREE
Contact:info@ocdmassachusetts.org
OCD Support Group – Northampton, MA
Where: Smith College – McConnell Auditorium
7 College Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
When: Every third Tuesday of the month
Time: 8-9 PM
Open to: Older teens and adults with OCD
Fee: FREE
Contact: info@ocdmassachusetts.org
Family Support Group – Belmont, MA
Where: McLean Hospital
DeMarneffe Cafeteria, Room 132
Belmont, MA 02478
When: Every first Tuesday of the month
Time: 6-7 PM
Open to: Family and loved ones
Fee: FREE
Contact: info@ocdmassachusetts.org
Author Archives: Yupei Pearl Hu
Where can I find resources about OCD?
International OCD Foundation is a dedicated platform for OCD patients, clinicians, and family. Please visit IOCDF website to learn more about OCD (https://iocdf.org/). In addition to psychoeducation about OCD, IOCDF has a therapist list where OCD patients can identify local therapists, treatment centers, and organizations. It also engages in advocacy activities, such as conferences in June and an awareness week in October. Destigmatizing OCD is a critical mission for the future.
Locally, OCD Massachusetts (https://www.ocdmassachusetts.org/) hosts free series zoom meetings and lectures. Please check on the website from time to time for more information.
What is the difference between anxiety and stress?
The differentiation between anxiety and stress is a very critical part of treatment. Stress is from environment and most people feel overwhelmed in a stressful situation, such as taking exam, getting fired, or social isolation during pandemic. However, when the severity of the anxiety or the presence of the anxiety is out -of-proportion to the situation, it is considered anxiety disorder.
Anxiety symptoms are not enemies. Instead, anxiety is functions as a survival signal. Flight-or-flight response is ingrained in our emotional brain and body to react to dangerous situation. Therefore, emotional brain often overrides the rational brain when it comes to survival. Human brains learn efficiently with a cost to misinterpret safe situations as threats. Sometimes, those irrational fear can limit a person’s ability to function.
In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), therapists first help clients to practice to identify thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental present way. This process help differentiating stress and anxiety. CBT offers skill set to cope with stress, such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercise, progressive muscle relaxation and many other tools. When anxiety is out-of-tune with reality, recalliberation of the feelings is important in the session. CBT for anxiety is in general exposure-based. Through the therapeutic process, clients learn how to conquer anxiety.