Krista Reed, LSCSW

Thank you Sedgwick County Government COMCARE for allowing me to educate these incredible therapists on obsessive compulsive disorder! I can’t wait to do it again in two weeks!

HISTORY FOR OCD AWARENESS IN KANSAS!
October 2026 has been officially recognized as OCD Awareness Month in the State of Kansas by Governor Laura Kelly! Governor Laura Kelly
This proclamation is more than a piece of paper, it represents recognition, awareness, and hope for the thousands of Kansans living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and the families who support them.
OCD is not simply being “overly clean,” “too organized,” or “a perfectionist.” It is a serious and often misunderstood mental health disorder that can affect every area of a person’s life.
As an OCD therapist, someone with lived experience, and a parent of a child with Ocd, I am incredibly grateful to see OCD recognized at the state level.
May this help us:
🌻Increase understanding of OCD
🌻Reduce stigma and misconceptions
🌻Help people recognize when they may need support
🌻Increase access to evidence-based treatment
🌻Remind those living with OCD that they are not alone
Here’s to a Kansas where OCD is understood, talked about openly, and treated with compassion and evidence-based care.

Dear HARIBO USA I recently obtained your happy mix bag from Costco. I am not tagging them because this has nothing to do with them. I was delighted as I wanted to try all four of these flavors. Upon searching for the sour soda package, I ended up ripping the entire bag open to look for it, alas, the sour soda package was absent. I am devastated. This Sunday could’ve been perfect. A sour soda Sunday if you will. However, I have been deceived. I asked for nothing but just you being aware of this devastating loss to not only myself but my children. I will enjoy three out of the four flavors however I want you to know, that I am not happy. Therefore this happy mix is false advertising. Godspeed, Krista.

**Why do people with mental illness mask?**

Because sometimes the world feels safer when we pretend we’re okay.

People with mental illness don’t always *look* mentally ill. We go to work. We laugh. We take care of our families. We show up for our friends. We smile, make plans, take pictures, and say, “I’m good,” even when we’re falling apart inside.

Sometimes we hide how we really feel because we’re afraid of being judged, rejected, misunderstood, or treated differently. We worry that if people knew what was really happening in our minds, they might see us differently.

So we learn to mask.

And the painful truth is that **stigma teaches us to mask.**

When society tells us that mental illness is something to be ashamed of, something to hide, or something that makes us “less than,” we learn to become very good at hiding it.

I know this personally.

I can be someone who supports mental health, talks openly about it, and helps others feel less alone—and still find myself masking my own struggles because some part of me fears what might happen if I stop pretending I’m okay.

Mental illness doesn’t always have a visible face.

Sometimes the person sitting beside you, laughing and smiling, is fighting a battle you know absolutely nothing about.

So be kind.

Don’t assume someone is okay because they *look* okay.

And most importantly, let’s create a world where people don’t feel like they have to hide their pain just to feel accepted. 🖤

**You shouldn’t have to look sick to deserve compassion.**

Why do people with mental illness mask?

Because sometimes the world feels safer when we pretend we’re okay.

People with mental illness don’t always *look* mentally ill. We go to work. We laugh. We take care of our families. We show up for our friends. We smile, make plans, take pictures, and say, “I’m good,” even when we’re falling apart inside.

Sometimes we hide how we really feel because we’re afraid of being judged, rejected, misunderstood, or treated differently. We worry that if people knew what was really happening in our minds, they might see us differently.

So we learn to mask.

And the painful truth is that **stigma teaches us to mask.**

When society tells us that mental illness is something to be ashamed of, something to hide, or something that makes us “less than,” we learn to become very good at hiding it.

I know this personally.

I can be someone who supports mental health, talks openly about it, and helps others feel less alone—and still find myself masking my own struggles because some part of me fears what might happen if I stop pretending I’m okay.

Mental illness doesn’t always have a visible face.

Sometimes the person sitting beside you, laughing and smiling, is fighting a battle you know absolutely nothing about.

So be kind.

Don’t assume someone is okay because they *look* okay.

And most importantly, let’s create a world where people don’t feel like they have to hide their pain just to feel accepted. 🖤

**You shouldn’t have to look sick to deserve compassion.**

Thanks K A T E H E W K O ® for these pants! I’m so incredibly happy that I was able to go to the store in July! These pants are literally everything!!!!

💜 September 3 is the FIRST-EVER Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Awareness Day. 💜
Today, we’re shining a light on a disorder that is often misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and hidden by shame.
What is BDD?
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a serious mental health condition where someone becomes intensely preoccupied with perceived flaws or defects in their appearance; flaws that may be minor or not noticeable to others. BDD isn’t vanity, and it isn’t simply “being insecure.” The distress is very real.
BDD is not about wanting to look perfect. It’s about feeling unable to escape the belief that something is terribly wrong with the way you look.
If you recognize yourself—or someone you love—in these symptoms, you are not alone, and you are not vain. Help is available.
Today, let’s replace judgment with understanding and shame with compassion.
The BDD Foundation International OCD Foundation

Please vote daily! Thank you, to everybody who has voted for Reed Ocd and anxiety!!!!’