THANK YOU for participating in 2019 OCD Awareness Week!
Each year during the second full week of October, community groups, service organizations, and clinics across the US and around the world celebrate throughout the week with events such as educational lecture series, OCD-inspired art exhibits, grassroots fundraisers, and more.
Last year's OCD Week was a great success and we look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the years to come. Check back here later in the year to see what we have planned for 2020.
This #OCDWeek, it's time to #FaceYourFear!
For 2019 OCD Awareness Week, our IOCDF Ambassadors invited all members of the OCD and related disorders community to participate in a new awareness-raising campaign focused on sharing videos of people facing their fears.
The goal of these videos is to educate the public about the realities of living with OCD and the challenge of having to face your fears on the path to recovery. To participate, we asked everyone to create a video or photo of themselves doing something that makes them anxious and then to post on any and all social media platforms with the hashtags #FaceYourFear and #OCDWeek.
Check out some examples from 2019 here, and stay tuned for information on #FaceYourFear 2020!
Participate in an #OCDWeek event
The IOCDF hosts a number of programs and special events to celebrate #OCDWeek. Here are just some of the events that we held for 2019 OCD Awareness Week on the national level.
Mental Health Advocacy Capital Walk
On Saturday, October 12th, 2019, the IOCDF and our affiliate, OCD Mid-Atlantic, hosted the Mental Health Advocacy Capital Walk in Washington, D.C.
This awareness and advocacy walk was be open to not only the OCD community, but all members of the mental health community, and served as a new opportunity to unite and grow our voice.
Stay tuned for information on the 2020 Walk!
Online events
The IOCDF also organized online events for #OCDWeek, including:
- An AMA with Shala Nicely, LPC, a cognitive behavioral therapist and author of Is Fred in the Refrigerator? Taming OCD and Reclaiming My Life, on the online community forum HealthUnlocked October 14 at 3:00–4:00 pm ET.
- A Facebook Live event with IOCDF National Ambassador Ethan Smith on October 15 at 7:00 pm–8:00 pm ET.
- A Reddit AMA with IOCDF Executive Director Jeff Szymanski. The AMA will start at 12:00 pm ET on October 17 over at reddit.com/r/IAMA.
Find an event in your community
Our local Affiliates organize events all around the country. Check the International OCD Awareness Week Calendar for up-to-the-minute information about activities and events taking place in communities across the globe. You can submit an event for the 2020 calendar by clicking here.
Don’t see an event near you?
Start one! Host an open mic night or viewing party, organize a pizza fundraiser, arrange to speak at a local school or university, or just make it your mission to be a social media advocate for the week. We want you to be part of this!
Help us spread the word
Social media is a great way to spread awareness about OCD and related disorders. During OCD Awareness Week, there are a number of ways you can get involved online. In addition to participating in #FaceYourFear, we invite you to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, share our posts, and help us spread awareness in other ways:
