Why the OCD Walk Matters in San Diego
By: Katherine Pica LCSW
Each year, the OCD SoCal Walk brings together something very meaningful for the San Diego community. It is not just a walk! It is a reminder that people living with OCD are not alone and that evidence-based treatment, support, and recovery are possible.
I have attended the OCD Walk year after year and have loved seeing the San Diego OCD community continue to grow. Through my involvement with OCD SoCal, I have also helped support efforts to bring this event to San Diego year after year. Raising awareness and helping people connect with effective OCD treatment is something I care deeply about.
Our goal is simple. We want people in San Diego to know that OCD is treatable, support is available, and nobody has to suffer alone. With accurate information and a supportive community, we hope to help people get into treatment sooner. We want to help reduce the long delays many people face before receiving proper OCD treatment. With the right support, recovery is possible, and there is hope.
Why Is OCD Awareness Important?
OCD is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions. Many people still think OCD means being organized, clean, particular, or perfectionistic. We have all heard the term “I am SO OCD” when referring to things like being particular or neat. In reality, OCD is a much more complex and often debilitating disorder.
OCD can affect nearly every area and really take over life. Some individuals struggle with contamination fears, while others experience intrusive thoughts related to harm, relationships, morality, religion, sexuality, health, or responsibility. Many people suffer silently because their thoughts feel too embarrassing or frightening.
What Does OCD Actually Look Like?
As a therapist, I have worked with people whose OCD consumed hours and hours of their day. I have seen people become trapped in OCD compulsions and avoidance to the point that their day-to-day functioning was significantly impacted. Because of their OCD, they were not able to work or go to school. OCD is not simply “liking things organized.” It can become exhausting, overwhelming, and incredibly isolating.
I have also had the privilege of helping people get better. I have seen clients slowly regain parts of their lives that OCD has taken from them. I have watched people return to school, reconnect with loved ones, travel again, get back into their lives, and do things they once thought were impossible.
This is why awareness matters so much!
When people understand what OCD actually looks like, they are more likely to recognize symptoms earlier and get evidence-based treatment.
How Long Does It Take People With OCD to Get Treatment?
One of the hardest things about OCD is that it takes people so long to get treatment. One of the hardest things about OCD is that it takes people so long to get treatment. Studies have shown that people had significant delays before receiving an accurate diagnosis and evidence-based treatment.
Research has consistently shown that people with OCD experience significant delays in treatment. One study showed it could take up to 10 to 17 years from when symptoms start to receiving proper OCD treatment. That means that the individual has suffered for 10 to 17 years with sometimes debilitating symptoms.
I see this all the time in my work. Many people come into therapy after trying to manage symptoms on their own for years. Some people do not realize their intrusive thoughts are actually OCD. Others have been told they are “just anxious,” “overthinking.” Many people are scared to talk about their thoughts because they worry about what it means about them.
The sooner people can recognize OCD symptoms and get connected with evidence-based treatment, the sooner they can get their lives back. Events like the OCD Walk in San Diego can help people feel less alone. It can also reduce stigma and connect people with similar struggles, so they know they can get the support they need.
What Is ERP Therapy for OCD?
OCD is highly treatable, and effective treatment really does exist!
Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD and has decades of research behind it, with hundreds of studies supporting its effectiveness. ERP helps people slowly break free from their OCD and take back their lives.
One of the reasons I care so deeply about OCD awareness is that I have personally seen how much people can improve when they finally receive ERP treatment. ERP is also something I connect with, not only professionally but also personally. As someone with lived experience with OCD, I know how consuming OCD can become.
Doing ERP helped me slowly take my life back from OCD. It helped me learn that even when fear was there, I could still move forward and live the life I want. That process was not always easy, but it was incredibly powerful and life-changing for me.
Because of that, I care deeply about helping people find the right treatment sooner. I want people to know and understand that recovery is possible! One of the most powerful things I can tell someone struggling with OCD is that there truly is hope!
Unfortunately, many people still do not realize specialized OCD treatment exists or how effective it can be. Too many individuals spend years feeling confused, ashamed, or stuck before finally finding answers.
That is one reason events like the OCD SoCal Walk matter so much. They help people feel less alone while connecting with support, resources, and hope.
Why Does Community Support Matter in OCD Recovery?
One of the best parts of the OCD Walk is seeing people realize they are not alone!
Each year, I meet individuals who are just beginning to understand their symptoms or parents trying to support their children. There is something incredibly powerful about being surrounded by people who truly understand how difficult OCD can be.
The walk creates connection, hope, and community. It reminds people that recovery is possible and that support is available.
How Can You Join the OCD SoCal Walk?
Each year, the OCD SoCal Walk continues to grow, and it has been incredible to see more people come together to support the OCD community and help spread awareness.
If you would like to join us, all you need to do is register for the OCD walk. Registration for the OCD walk is free. We would love to have you join us to help support the OCD community in San Diego.
Author Bio: Katherine Pica, OCD Therapist - San Diego, CA
Katherine Pica, LCSW, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Resilience Counseling and has been practicing since 2007. With more than 19 years of clinical experience, she provides supervision and training to the practice’s OCD therapists with a focus on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and EMDR for trauma. Katherine brings extensive experience treating OCD to both her clients and the clinicians she mentors.
Katherine also serves as the Training Director and board member for OCD SoCal, where she is actively involved in increasing OCD awareness, education, and community support throughout San Diego and Southern California.
OCD therapy in the
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