After opening up about her battle with postpartum OCD on Vanderpump Rules Season 11, Scheana Shay just received a major honor.
The “Good as Gold” singer took to her Instagram feed on July 29 to share that she had just been honored with the Illumination Award from the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
“This past weekend was truly an honor! I received the Illumination Award from [IOCDF] for my advocacy on OCD and mental health,” Scheana wrote in the caption of her post, which featured a carousel of images of her posing on the red carpet with husband Brock Davies and her accepting the award. “I never could have imagined that I would be recognized with an award on behalf of something that is actively working against me in my own head on a daily basis.”
Scheana went on to open up about her experience with the nonprofit organization.
“After attending some of the seminars with my amazing husband [Brock] and seeing how much amazing work this foundation does for so many people struggling, I am so proud to say I am officially a member of this community!” she concluded in the caption of her post.
I will do my best to continue to to advocate for those who have faced those thoughts and beat them, and for those who faced those thoughts and sought help. I want to urge those who feel alone to say something and speak up. Too often, we suffer in silence with only our worst fears for company. I am so proud to bring this mental health issue out into the light where it belongs! Thank you to everyone who attended and made me feel accepted and soooo loved!”
Scheana Shay’s battle with postpartum OCD
Scheana was diagnosed with postpartum OCD after her daughter, Summer Moon Honey Davies, was born in 2021.
After opening up about how her OCD made it hard for her to trust others to babysit Summer, Scheana elaborated on the difficulties of managing the disorder during the Vanderpump Rules After Show.
“I just think my OCD did a number on me this year. I’ve had OCD my whole life, but then throw a baby in on top of it [and] postpartum OCD is just like a whole other level,” she said.
“The intrusive thoughts aren’t just about myself or my husband or my family or things in life — [they’re] now about my kid and something happening to her,” Scheana continued. “It’s not completely debilitating, but in my mind sometimes it is.”
She also shared how she was able to work through some of the challenges she was facing.
“By spending more time alone with Summer (I took her to Disneyland by myself!) and just doing all these things through exposure therapy, I started to feel more confident in my decisions as a mom,” Scheana shared. “And when I am alone with her, I’m like, no one can tell me if I’m doing something wrong. And even if I am, it’s like, you know what? I think this is the best decision and I have to be confident in that.”