|
|
|
|
Will You Be There on Thursday?
| | We hope to see you at our OCD Live Forum on Thursday, March 15, in Chicago. The event, "Ten Things You Need to Know About Successful Treatment of OCD and Anxiety," will feature Dr. Shana Doronn, a treatment specialist who recently appeared on A&E TV's "OBSESSED." Registration is $10; $5 for students. Space is limited, but some seats are still available. Register now... |
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter Star, Encourages People with OCD to Seek Help
|
Radcliffe, the 22-year-old film and stage actor, is reported to have developed OCD when he was just five years old. He says he sought out therapy when his anxiety became so bad that it took him five minutes to switch off a light.
Now he's encouraging anyone with the disorder to seek professional treatment because therapy has helped him keep his symptoms under control. Read more...
© ConstantMusic
|
|
|
Recent News on Depression
 | |
A Blood Test to Diagnosis Major Depression? Maybe.
A research team at Massachusetts General Hospital reported that a test analyzing levels of nine biomarkers accurately distinguished patients diagnosed with depression from control participants without significant false-positive results.
"Traditionally, diagnosis of major depression and other mental disorders has been made based on patients' reported symptoms, but the accuracy of that process varies a great deal, often depending on the experience and resources of the clinician conducting the assessment," says George Papakostas, MD, of the MGH Department of Psychiatry, lead and corresponding author of the report. "Adding an objective biological test could improve diagnostic accuracy and may also help us track individual patients' response to treatment."
Read More...
The Antidepressants vs. Placebos Debate
CBS's 60 Minutes news magazine recently aired a segment on the debate surrounding the use of placebos in treating depression. In discussing her reaction to discovering that the placebo effect may be more powerful than we previously knew in antidepressant research, veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl -- whose husband benefits from antidepressants -- said, "I walked away really confused."
Dr. John Grohol, CEO and founder of Psych Central, had the same reaction after viewing the TV segment.
Read his commentary...
|
|
 |
Author Seeks Teens' OCD Stories
|
If you -- or a teenager you know -- have thought about publishing your OCD story, you may just have the chance to do that. A Minnesota writer is currently working on a book about her own experience with the disorder as a teen and wants to include other teens' stories as well.
The book will be published by Free Spirit Publishing and is due out in 2013. If interested in learning more, contact Alison Dotson about her project.
|
Free Offer From OCD Challenge
|
OCD Challenge is an online behavioral program designed to help people overcome this disorder.
The developers of OCD Challenge are currently offering six months free. Simply enter code POMA when signing up.
The self-help program and interactive web site were designed by psychologists who are leaders in the field of behavior therapy and exposure and response prevention -- the treatment of choice for OCD. Users who complete the program gain skills and strategies for managing their OCD for the rest of their lives. Visit the site...
Note: OCD Chicago does not endorse any treatment program or provider. This information is provided as a public service.
|
New Clinical Research Web Site
|
The National Institutes of Health has created a new web site called NIH Clinical Research Trials and You to help people learn more about clinical trials, why they matter and how to participate. Visitors to the site will find:
- The basics of clinical trial participation
- Firsthand experiences from actual clinical trial volunteers
- Explanations from researchers
- Links on how to search for a trial or enroll in a research matching program.
To learn more about research trials in general and find trials related to OCD, other anxiety disorders and depression, visit the site.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recovery Apathy? Take the Plunge
|
"...I know that, for lots of different reasons, it can be hard to get motivated to fight OCD. And there is no question that motivation is important. But instead of waiting around for motivation to come to you, I would like to suggest just taking action. Commit to starting therapy and giving it your all.
Often action is what leads to motivation, instead of the other way around. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge. I am so thankful my son Dan took action. He would not be a senior in college now, living life to the fullest, if he hadn't." Read More...
|
|
|
