We're so excited to kick off 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.
This year, we invite you to participate in programs and events hosted by the IOCDF as well as others hosted by affiliates and members of the OCD community. Participate on social media, attend an event, and help us raise awareness of OCD!
This #OCDWeek, it's time to #FaceYourFear!
This OCD Awareness Week, our IOCDF Ambassadors will be inviting all members of the OCD and related disorders community to participate in a new awareness-raising campaign focused on sharing videos of you and your friends facing your fears!
The goal 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 are asking 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. Ask one (or more!) friends to take the challenge as well, and we’ll share your posts!*
Everyone is invited to participate starting on October 13th! Here are sample posts to help you get started:
People with OCD and anxiety have to face their fears in order to get better. This #OCDWeek, I’m raising awareness about OCD by facing my fear of [public speaking, heights, etc.]. Will you [@friend] #FaceYourFear too? Together, we’ll raise awareness of what it really means to live with OCD!
What’s it like to be in treatment for OCD? This #OCDWeek, I’m raising awareness of OCD by showing how hard it can be to face your fear. I faced my fear of [heights, spiders, etc.] and I encourage you to #FaceYourFear too!
Participate in an #OCDWeek event
This year, the IOCDF will host a number of programs and special events to celebrate #OCDWeek. Here are just some of the things that we have planned 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, invite you to participate in the Mental Health Advocacy Capital Walk in Washington, D.C.
Building upon last year’s OCD Capital Walk, this awareness and advocacy walk will be open to not only the OCD community, but all members of the mental health community, and will serve as a new opportunity to unite and grow our voice.
Online events
The IOCDF will also be organizing online events so you can participate in #OCDWeek from anywhere in the world! Two events are listed below; stay tuned for more:
- 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 will also be organizing 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 2019 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:
