How to Raise Awareness for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is experienced by one in fifty adults at some point in their lives. One of the most debilitating of the anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder has the potential to interfere significantly in everyday life. Further adding to the frustration is the fact that those who suffer from it know their obsessions and compulsions are irrational, yet feel powerless to stop them. It's time to raise awareness for this condition, which is difficult to live with yet very treatable,

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Raise Awareness for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

1. Learn all you can about obsessive-compulsive disorder and how it is treated. Your newfound knowledge will be invaluable to you when talking to others about the condition and will greatly increase your credibility as a spokesperson.

2. Write letters to the editors of local and national newspapers. Include information on what obsessive-compulsive disorder is, how it affects sufferers and what causes it. Let readers know where they can go to get help with the condition.

3. Start a public awareness campaign in your community. You can start by yourself or gather together a few friends who are passionate about the cause. Put together flyers and posters illustrating obsessive-compulsive disorder and its effect on sufferers. Be sure to include a local number where people can seek professional help. Distribute your materials throughout town.

4. Create a website about obsessive-compulsive disorder. Include facts and statistics about the condition, as well as information on what can be done to treat it. If you can, find some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder who would be willing to contribute their stories about living with the condition to your website.

5. Join the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (see Resources below). This organization promotes public awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder through educational programs. It also supports research efforts into eradicating the condition.

Tips & Warnings

• Including a message board on your obsessive-compulsive disorder website where people can talk about the disease, exchange ideas and offer each other support is a good way to draw more traffic to the site and keep visitors coming back.
• If you are distributing promotional materials to raise awareness for obsessive-compulsive disorder, make sure you have the appropriate permits in advance. To avoid get fined or arrested, find out what permits your community requires by visiting your local city hall.

Resources

• The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation for more information.

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[dobguy1]

on 6/7/2009 I suffer from this due to menengitis and a history of alcohol abuse great article!