OHEL, Neshamos and Center for Anxiety Event, Draws Capacity Crowd at Community Wide Anxiety Awareness Evening
More than 500 people, men and women, married and single, attended the Crown Heights “Dear Anxiety, Let’s Break Up” event, which featured numerous experts in the field of anxiety, as well as speakers who courageously shared first-hand experience with anxiety.
Anxiety is the number 1 diagnosis in children seen at OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services and the second most prevalent diagnosis in adults.
Anxiety can be debilitating and affects not only the individual experiencing anxiety but his or her whole family.
Most people will be challenged by anxiety at some point in their life.
However the comforting fact is that anxiety is very responsive to treatment.
To address this increasing challenge in the community, OHEL, NESHAMOS.ORG, and CENTER FOR ANXIETY partnered to bring this anxiety workshop to the Crown Heights community.
NESHAMOS is at the forefront of addressing challenges facing youth and families in the community, promoting meaningful connectivity and awareness about Mental and Emotional Wellness. This event is one of a series of training and community programs geared toward educators, parents and families.
OHEL has hosted numerous anxiety awareness events, clinical trainings and educational workshops, and this workshop, formed part of OHEL’s comprehensive and on-going efforts to address the greater prevalence of anxiety amongst everyday people, the consequence of many factors including multiple stresses – financial, familial, academic, job-related, technological, and other demands of everyday living.
Founder and Director of Center For Anxiety, Dr. David Rosmarin, PHD, ABPP and Dr. Norman Blumenthal, PHD, the Zachter Family Chair in Trauma and Crisis Counseling at OHEL, and Director of the OHEL Miriam Center for Trauma, Bereavement and Crisis Response, spoke about the prevalence of anxiety, treatment approaches, and how family and friends can help. Dr. Blumenthal shared a comprehensive overview of OHELs work in anxiety amongst children and adults.
Mendel Gurvitz, father of three and a young medical student with OCD spoke candidly and movingly about his struggles and overcoming anxiety.
The evening was capped with Rabbi Dr. Saul Haimoff, PsyD who led a mindfulness exercise, demonstrating healthy breathing techniques to mitigate anxiety.
Meir New, Director of Operations at Neshamos.org and joint organizer of the event said “Many of the issues facing our community stem from untreated mental and emotional conditions. As we saw from the event turnout, anxiety is a matter that hits home with many people and families. We are very thankful to Mendel Gurvitz, who bravely shared his story in hopes of inspiring and encouraging people that help is available. The amount of people who reached out after the event for help is encouraging to us as an organization and we hope to continue organizing workshops and events for the benefit of the community”.
Tzivy Reiter, a Director at OHEL and joint organizer of the event commented that “It is clear by the attendance, that there continues to be enormous interest in the topic of anxiety in the community. Both through on-going awareness and treatment through OHEL’s out-patient centers in Brooklyn and Far Rockaway, OHEL will continue to meet the needs of so many in the community.”
Videos and audio of the event are available on the media pages at neshamos.org
For Audio Podcasts click here
VIDEO:
Hear Mendel tell his story for the very first time about living with debilitating OCD, “the unnecessary courage” it took for him to confront his illness and the profound lessons he learned. A courageous and stigma-shattering talk!
Dr. David Rosmarin, PhD, ABPP, Founder and Director of Center For Anxiety speaks about the intense rise of anxiety throughout America. In this talk he offers practical insight into the nature of anxiety and how to overcome it, highlighting the effectiveness of exposure therapy, i.e. playing out scenarios of our fears, thus realizing that it is in our capacity to overcome most, if not all, challenges that life throws at us.
Dr. Norman Blumenthal, PHD, the Zachter Family Chair in Trauma and Crisis Counseling at OHEL, and Director of the OHEL Miriam Center for Trauma, Bereavement and Crisis Response, speaks about treatment approaches, and how family and friends can help. Dr. Blumenthal shares a comprehensive overview of OHELs work in anxiety amongst children and adults.
A brief overview and demonstration on basic mindfulness techniques which can be used to reduce anxiety in the moment.
Neshama.org
Helping save one neshama at a time.
Amazing work! Chazak!
Thank you for the courage to speak up and giving hope to those that are struggling.
Best
Amazing work!
Thank you for starting this amazing organization in Crown heights
As an OCD sufferer, I applaud the courage of mendel to get up there and share his struggles and triumphs to the public. I know its takes a LOT of guts to share your most personal secrets.
Thank you very much!!
I know you’ll make a great DR.
So helpful to hear this !!
As an OCD sufferer you hit it all on the nail. Thank you for sharing what most hide or don’t even know they had. You said it was worth it if you helped even worth person. Your job is complete