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Historically, psychologists have considered obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) a challenging disorder to treat, with significant numbers of patients failing to benefit from treatment.The heterogeneity of the population and the complexity of the disorder have been contributing factors. However, cognitive-behavioral treatments are showing great promise, particularly when delivered with pharmacotherapy and tailored to the unique characteristics of each OCD subtype. The chapters in this volume, written by prominent specialists, provide practical, step-by-step descriptions of psychological approaches to treating OCD.After explicating the general, underlying features of the disorder, the contributors to this volume describe evidence-based behavioral and cognitive approaches, such as exposure and ritual prevention and cognitive restructuring.Subsequent chapters discuss how to apply these strategies with particular presentations of OCD, including fears of contamination; doubting and checking; incompleteness concerns; religious, sexual, and aggressive obsessions; and compulsive hoarding. Practitioners experienced in treating this disorder will appreciate the discussion of more advanced issues, including dealing with treatment resistance and comorbidity and treating OCD in special populations.All readers will find in this book a practical and insightful guide for helping individuals with this troubling disorder. ... Read more

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For readers of "A Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion and Bad Blood by Lorna Sage, here comes an intensely honest, riveting and surprisingly witty literary memoir of one woman's life as a sufferer of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Joanne Limburg suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: she thinks things she doesn't want to think, and she does things she doesn't want to do. As a small child, she would chew her hair all day and lie awake at night wondering if heaven had a ceiling; a few years later, when she should have been doing her homework, she was pacing her bedroom, agonising about the unfairness of life as a woman, and the shortness of her legs. By the time she was an adult, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours had come to dominate her life. She knew that something was wrong with her, but it would take many years before she understood what that something was."The Woman Who Thought Too Much" follows Limburg's quest to understand her predicament and to manage her symptoms, taking the reader with her on a long, twisted journey through consulting rooms, libraries and internet sites, as she seeks to discover all she can about rumination, scrupulosity, avoidance, thought-action fusion, fixed-action patterns, anal fixations, schemas, basal ganglia, tics and synapses. On the way, she encounters competing interpretations of her condition, as offered by psychoanalysts, neuropsychiatrists and cognitive psychologists, and does her best to come to terms with an illness which turns out to be both common, and even - sometimes - treatable. This candid, moving and beautifully written memoir is a sometimes shocking, often sad, and yet also humorous revelation of what it is like to live with so debilitating a condition. It is also an exploration of the inner world of a poet and an intense evocation of the persistence and courage of the human spirit in the face of mental illness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

`I obsessed about all kinds of things'
Joanne Limburg was a fearless child, a champion tree climber at the age of seven, who became an adolescent fearful of walking down stairs.Somehow, by the time she went to Cambridge to study, Ms Limburg was governed by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).What happened to Ms Limburg?And, importantly, how did she learn to live with OCD in order to have become an accomplished (and published) poet, wife and mother?

`I don't want to die, but I feared for my life.'

This memoir is Ms Limburg's quest to understand her OCD and to manage her symptoms.There was no clear switch from relative fearlessness to extreme fearfulness, but looking back Ms Limburg recalls some memories which she now regards as warning signs.These signs include the punishing robot that first appeared in a dream and then obsessed her during her waking hours, and her compulsive singing in order to keep bad things at bay.Her journey continues: disorders such as OCD are managed rather than cured.

I found this book a difficult read at times, because of the intensely personal nature of OCD.Ms Limburg has bravely told her story, and many of us will relate to at least parts of her journey.Dealing with distressing symptoms and searching for effective treatment and answers is part of the challenge for many with mental health problems.Some of the visible manifestations of OCD can seem quite bizarre to those unafflicted by it.But ultimately Ms Limburg's memoir is a personal journey with a message of hope: that while all journeys will be different, sufferers of OCD need not suffer alone.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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ENDORSED BY THE NATIONAL PHOBICS SOCIETY

BASED ON THE WEBSITE AWARDED 5* BY THE UK 'MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION'

"'This is an illness caused by the fear of losing control. Ironically, we achieve exactly the opposite of what we set out to achieve - as when we are 'actually' in the process of 'cutting-off' from our thoughts, we then decide to take a second look or run away.' - Will Beswick

Description

Has the 'secret of the mind' been uncovered as a by-product of one persons experiences/recovery from destructive anxiety? Will's 'C.O.P.A.S.T' (Concept of Primary and Secondary Thinking) shows that this book is more than just an account of personal triumph - but also a serious concept that can be applied to many situations in people's lives

This book is dedicated to helping people, like Will, who suffer at the hands of panic. Using written testimony will shows that the problem with both 'fighters' and 'flighters' - is that they don't realise they have a natural ability to cope - and thus, go further than they need to. With information taken from Will's very own website, this book aims to help those who suffers from panic attacks and OCD using email correspondences and instructive schematics to underline theories. This is a highly informative and very useful guide.

About the Author

I must admit, I didn't really know what I was suffering from when I was younger, but now I have a much more educated view of what has been a terrifying illness at times. I have created this book because I believe I have recovered from this illness and would like to share my experiences. As I also have a major interest in sport, I can see panic disrupting 'performance' in many other walks of life. To this extent, this book may also help people 'understand' what is happening when they panic and how this can affect their performance in life.

Book Extract

THE PANIC KNOT

I'm not talking about medication here - I'm talking about REAL recovery - based on understanding. You're not mad, in fact, you're very much the opposite.

This is the start of quite a long explanation of a problem, which I've had for most of my life, especially since being a teenager onwards. It's something, which has 'put the blocks' on a lot of happiness - I know we all have our own 'crosses to bear', but this has been what I would call a 'major' problem, because of its frequency and detrimental effect on me and those around me (especially the closest).

This is certainly not a 'sob' story - anything but - I feel quite proud that I have 'come out the other side' of this, although I have had many setbacks, but have nevertheless had a very strong will to pull through and lead a happier life. Why should this account be worth reading? Well, I would hope that it is interesting and also informative, especially for those who have had similar experiences of destructive, compulsive panic or, more to the point, 'knotted' tension, which makes life sometimes intolerable and incredibly lonely.

This is not to say that I am lonely in my 'fight' (by the way - I use this term as merely a term - as this has been a major part of my problem). I had to learn that, being the type of person that I was, meant that there was a strong resistance to help or 'talking', because I was trying to achieve perfection in my life and this did not mean 'putting my hands up' and admitting I had not got it quite right.

... Read more

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Univ. of Florida, Gainesville. Pocket-sized quick reference argues that comorbidity is a key tool for understanding the mood and anxiety disorders. Discusses why comorbidity is so important as a conceptual tool, considers diagnostic overlaps and distinctions in depression, and reviews the epidemiology of their comorbidity. Softcover. ... Read more

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Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is the term given to a condition characterized by recurring obsessive thoughts or actions. These thoughts or actions are involuntary and are often a response to a deep-rooted fear. This introductory book, richly illustrated with case examples, explains the nature and treatment of OCD in children and adolescents. OCD has been little discussed in relation to this age group, although it is now believed that approximately 1 per cent of all children and adolescents suffers from serious obsessive disorders. Written for parents and relatives as well as doctors, teachers and other professionals working with this group of patients, From Thoughts to Obsessions defines OCD and forms a straightforward explanation of the symptoms, assessment procedures and treatment strategies. Per Hove Thomsen also examines obsessive features which may form part of normal adolescent development as well as the relationship of OCD to other psychiatric conditions. ... Read more

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Examines the anxiety disorder known as OCD, its symptoms and manifestations, how it can be controlled and treated, and, through case studies, what it is like to live with obsessive-compulsive disorder. ... Read more

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is currently the subject of considerable research, since recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the condition is more prevalent than was originally believed. This book offers a critical discussion of the most important theories that have been put forward to explain this disorder. The book includes behavioral/learning accounts (and cognitive-behavioral supplements of these), accounts based on Pavlovian personality theories (such as those by Eysenck, Gray, and Claridge), Pierre Janet's account, cybernetic approaches, psychodynamic approaches, Reed's "cognitive-structural" account, and biological approaches. Therapeutic approaches to the disorder are also considered, insofar as they are relevant to these theories. ... Read more

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In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

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This study uses the complex symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to reveal new insights about three of the most prominent novels of the last half of the nineteenth century, Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick", Emile Zola's "L'Assommoir", and Thomas Mann's "Buddenbrooks". What may have seemed like a persistent idiosyncratic behavior pattern to Realists and Naturalists, has now been identified as a disorder with attributes that have been observed for centuries and are still difficult to treat. Following an in-depth description of the relevant components of OCD, the novels and their characters are analyzed in the context of this prevalent psychiatric disorder. Melville, Zola, and Mann identified increased anxiety in nineteenth-century society and they doubted the autonomy of human behavior. These writers applied their accurate intuitions of a psychological syndrome as a means of exploring the philosophical concepts of fate and free will and their relationship to control. This work argues that the characters in these three novels constitute psychological case studies that can be applied to the understanding of OCD.It contains a literary analysis that provides insights into these literary masterpieces, and demonstrates the close interaction between medical science and literature. ... Read more

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Schools are often faced with dealing with children who have mild forms of obsessive compulsive disorder. Through increased understanding, staff can support children with minimum stress. This book answers questions including:

• What is obsessive compulsive disorder?
• What are the causes?
• How can school staff help the sufferer?

Product Description
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects thousands of people in the UK and it can be effectively treated with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Written by an experienced practitioner, this introductory booklet explains what OCD is and how it makes you feel. It will help the reader to understand their symptoms and is ideal as an immediate coping strategy and as a preliminary to fuller therapy. The book covers: the different forms of OCD, how it develops and what keeps it going; case studies; the roles that your compulsions and thoughts play; and, different kinds of treatment. 'This booklet will prove an invaluable first step to overcoming obsessive compulsive disorder' - Professor Peter Cooper, Professor of Psychology, University of Reading. ... Read more