Andrew Gottworth is an IOCDF Advocate based in Berlin who leads the IOCDF International Networking and Advocacy Group (INAG), a vibrant mix of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and hailing from various countries, including Nigeria, Ireland, Kuwait, Germany, Spain, and Australia.
This group is open to individuals with OCD and related disorders, family members and loved ones, and professionals interested in building connections and facilitating networking opportunities among individuals outside the US, across different countries and time zones. Advocacy at a global scale is critical to fulfilling our mission and raising public awareness!
Recently Andrew embarked on an exciting journey to connect with other advocates who share our mission to break the stigma, raise awareness, and provide resources to the global community. Read about Andrew’s advocacy adventures below!
The “I” in IOCDF had a lot of momentum this year, with events worldwide! Through networking at the IOCDF’s 29th Annual OCD Conference this past July, and the connections with the INAG members, every weekend in November was filled with incredible community, connections, support, and inspiration!
My wonderful partner Lauren and I and INAG members Bianca and Henri hosted the 3rd Annual Berlin OCD Walk in early November. The next stop was Austria, where we joined OCD documentary filmmakers Christian Kogler and Eric Schirl. We hosted stammtisch (a get-together in a restaurant or pub) in Linz and Vienna and enjoyed engaging in conversation about the growing network in Austria. Check out their film entitled Throw Your Heart Into the Sea.
Our next location was Ireland where we met up with representatives from IOCDF Global Partner, OCD Ireland, including director Ian O’Brien. On this leg of the trip, we hosted a Mental Health x Disc Golf tournament, which was a great opportunity to speak about OCD to a new audience! We kept the momentum going after that event with the first-ever Dublin OCD Walk. The Walk was followed by a panel discussion with attendees, which generated a lot of excitement and a renewed interest in hosting support groups in the local area.
The following weekend, we stopped in Galway, Ireland for another panel discussion, with event space provided by the Atlantic Centre of Education. We had help organizing the event from Martin, an OCD advocate, musician, and producer with the music Síomha. He even joined us on the panel discussion along with author Aoibheann. All of these local events were followed up by the INAG panel session and a community group discussion at the IOCDF’s Online OCD Conference held virtually.
We wrapped up our travels in London by attending the Orchard OCD Conference, where we learned about the frontier research in brain science on OCD. We were able to connect with organizers Margherita Zenoni and Nick Sireau, friends from previous conferences, and had a delightful dinner with the IOCDF’s 2024 Hero Award winner, Catherine Benfield from Taming Olivia, and Stuart Ralph from The OCD Stories.
Back home to Berlin, dreaming about events for 2025, I reflect on our journey: big and small events, online and in person, casual and formal — yet ALL were meaningful. Advocacy doesn’t have one form or shape. It doesn’t have to be an OCD Walk with hundreds of people or an award-winning book. Any opportunity that brings people together in the community to discuss support, awareness, research, and care for those of us with the disorder is worthwhile. That’s advocacy to me.
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