How Brain Sees the "Big Picture" May Be at Root of Distorted Self-Images
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A recent study shows a link between body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) -- an illness that causes people to see themselves as ugly or somehow disfigured -- and an abnormality in how some people process visual information about not just themselves but also about the world around them. Scientists involved in the research hope that the findings can eventually be used to develop effective treatments for people with distorted self-images, including BDD, OCD and eating disorders. Read more...
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Expert Perspectives
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We continually add new material to the OCD Chicago web site, including Expert Perspectives articles that address a broad range of OCD-related topics. These pieces are written by leading specialists from across the country. Here are two recent additions to the 50+ articles in this series.
What If You Can't Afford Treatment? by Kevin L. Gyoerkoe, Psy.D. This article describes concrete steps you can take to get the help you need if you feel you can't afford treatment. In identifying these steps, the expert's goals are to help you find resources to better understand OCD and those that will help you reduce or eliminate OCD in your life. Learn more about: - The "true cost" of therapy
- Ways to make therapy less expensive
- Alternative options.
Read the article... Self-Directed Treatment for OCD: The Irony of Doing the Opposite by Paul R. Mumford, Ph.D. People with OCD consume a lot of time and energy trying to avoid the things that cause them intense anxiety. So, it's no surprise that doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) feels counterintuitive -- not to mention daunting. ERP requires people to do the exact things that cause the anxiety rather than steer clear of them. Our expert explains why doing the opposite of what comes naturally can help you gain control over this disorder. Read the article... |
The Secret Lives of Hoarders: True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter
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By Matt Paxton
Author and expert on A&E's popular show Hoarders, Matt Paxton has written an engrossing and highly helpful book that guides compulsive hoarders through the clean-up and healing process. Without sensationalizing this debilitating disorder, The Secret Lives of Hoarders offers a behind-the-scenes look some of the most shocking cases of hoarding and offers invaluable guidance for hoarders, their families and their friends. Paxton understands this disorder and speaks to those who experience it with care and compassion. Check out the book... |
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Teenager's Memoir Offers Hope and Help
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Ray St. John is a 17-year-old whose OCD first emerged when he was five years old. As his symptoms worsened and his obsessions became primarily sexual in nature, the disorder eventually controlled his whole life.
Part memoir and part self-help book written for teenagers, The Ray of Hope is remarkable story about overcoming OCD thanks to exposure and response prevention therapy and his mother's unflinching support. The book's question-and-answer format helps teenage readers easily find the topics that interest them most, and adult readers will appreciate St. John's mature observations and writing style.
Learn more about this book...
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Debunking Studies That Question the Effectiveness of Antidepressants
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Any number of major news organizations have carried stories over the last year or so about research findings claiming to show that antidepressants are nothing more than expensive placebos. Peter D. Kramer, clinical professor of psychiatry at Brown University and author of the acclaimed book Listening to Prozac, considers many of these findings to be based on "shaky data" and defends the value of antidepressants.
Learn more...
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Got A Good Story? We Want to Hear It!
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At OCD Chicago, we're here to help you find accurate information and get the right kind of treatment. We know that, with proper treatment, most people who have OCD can get significant relief.
We also hear over and over how helpful it is for people with OCD and their family members to learn how others have faced the disorder and regained control of their lives. Their stories provide inspiration and encouragement.
If you have a personal story that reflects a victory over OCD -- whether you have it or care about someone who does -- we'd like to hear from you. Please email us your story, and It just may end up on our web site. Read other personal stories...
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