Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. a Complete Guide to Getting Well and Staying Well

Description

Morbid obsessions with sex, germs, or with one's appearance, and uncontrollable compulsions to hoard objects, to check and recheck locks, or to pull one's hair are just a few of the symptoms ofObsessive-Compulsive Disorders, which afflict over ten million Americans. Many suffer in isolation, not knowing that their disorder has a name, how to seek help, or how to help themselves.

Fully updated for this second edition, Dr. Fred Penzel discusses the entire spectrum of these disorders, from the classic form characterized by intrusive, repetitive, and often unpleasant thoughts, tobody dysmorphic disorder ("imagined ugliness"), trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), compulsive skin picking, and nail biting. He takes the reader through each step of the most effectivebehavioral therapies, detailing how progress is made and how to avoid relapse. He also offers a completely up-to-date discussion of medication—how it is used as part of the overall treatment, itseffect on pregnancy, how to choose the best medicine, and how to know if it is working. In addition, Dr. Penzel discusses the treatment of children with these disorders, offers helpful advice for thefamilies of sufferers, and lists sources of help and information.

Table of contents

1. Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorders—WhatThey Are
2. BehavioralTherapy: A TreatmentThat Works
3. Self-HelpforOCSDs
4. GettingProper Medical Treatment
5. OCSDs and Children
6. OCSDs and theOtherPeople in YourLife
7. Recovery and Acceptance
8. DifferentFormsObsessions Can Take
9. DifferentFormsCompulsions Can Take
10. OCSD—Or Not
11. AccompanimentstoOCSDs
12. Causes and Contributing Factors of OCSDs
13. FindingResources and GettingHelp

Appendices

1. Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorderSymptomChecklist
2. Trichotillomania, Skin Picking, and NailBitingSymptomChecklist
3. Official DSM-IV Diagnoses
4. OCSD Reading and Viewing List
5. Glossary