For sufferers of Homosexual Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (HOCD), being bombarded with unsettling questions about sexual identity, and checking if such thoughts are really true, become a full-time preoccupation. The author suffered from it for three years before finding practical steps that moved him to a life finally worth living. This book is dedicated to practical steps to take to recover from HOCD, which follow the author's brief story.
Are you plagued by obsessive thoughts, rituals or routines? Would you like to regain control over your behaviour and cast your fears aside? Whether you are compelled to wash your hands more and more thoroughly or feel the need to keep checking that you've turned off appliances, obsessive worries can be a drain on daily life. However, you don't need to suffer any more. This practical guide, written by three leading cognitive behavioural therapy experts, enables you to make sense of your symptoms, and gives a simple plan to help you conquer OCD. Includes: detailed information on the many different manifestations of OCD; the differences between normal and obsessive worries; clear information on treating your individual problem; real-life case studies and examples; and advice and support for friends and family of OCD sufferers. Whether your condition is mild or severe, this definitive resource will help you reclaim your life and keep OCD away for good.
Sexual obsessions are a common symptom of OCD, but addressing them in treatment is uniquely challenging due to feelings of shame, prior misdiagnosis, and the covert nature of ritualizing behaviors. These complicating factors make it difficult for clients to disclose their symptoms and for clinicians to know how to approach treatment. Sexual Obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder provides clinicians with the information and guidance needed to help clients experiencing unwanted and intrusive thoughts of a sexual nature. Opening with background information on sexual obsessions and OCD, including assessment and differential diagnosis, Williams and Wetterneck then offer a complete, step-by-step manual describing treatment using a combination of empirically-supported CBT strategies, such as exposure and response prevention, cognitive therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy, as well as useful mindfulness techniques. Accompanying these practical, step-by-step instructions are educational handouts and diagrams for clients designed to promote learning. The book concludes with a discussion of relationship issues that commonly result from sexually-themed OCD, and how therapists can tackle these problems. Sexual Obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an essential resource for clinicians who treat OCD, as well as students and trainees from across the mental health professions.
Now a major Channel 4 series Rose Cartwright has OCD, but not as you know it. Pure is the true story of her ten-year struggle with ‘Pure O’, a little-known form of the condition, which causes her to experience intrusive sexual thoughts of shocking intensity. It is a brave and frequently hilarious account of a woman who refused to give up, despite being undermined at every turn by her obsessions and enduring years of misdiagnosis and failed therapies. Eventually, the love of family and friends, and Rose’s own courage and sense of humour prevailed, inspiring this deeply felt and beautifully written memoir. At its core is a lesson for all of us: when it comes to being happy with who we are, there are no neat conclusions.
You are not your thoughts! In this powerful book, two anxiety experts offer proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to help you get unstuck from disturbing thoughts, overcome the shame these thoughts can bring, and reduce your anxiety. If you suffer from unwanted, intrusive, frightening, or even disturbing thoughts, you might worry about what these thoughts mean about you. Thoughts can seem like messages—are they trying to tell you something? But the truth is that they are just thoughts, and don’t necessarily mean anything. Sane and good people have them. If you are someone who is plagued by thoughts you don’t want—thoughts that scare you, or thoughts you can’t tell anyone about—this book may change your life. In this compassionate guide, you’ll discover the different kinds of disturbing thoughts, myths that surround your thoughts, and how your brain has a tendency to get “stuck” in a cycle of unwanted rumination. You’ll also learn why common techniques to get rid of these thoughts can backfire. And finally, you’ll learn powerful cognitive behavioral skills to help you cope with and move beyond your thoughts, so you can focus on living the life you want. Your thoughts will still occur, but you will be better able to cope with them—without dread, guilt, or shame. If you have unwanted thoughts, you should remember that you aren’t alone. In fact, there are millions of people just like you—good people who have awful thoughts, gentle people with violent thoughts, and sane people with “crazy” thoughts. This book will show you how to move past your thoughts so you can reclaim your life! This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.
Nearly six million Americans suffer from the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which can manifest itself in many ways: paralyzing fear of contamination; unmanageable “checking” rituals; excessive concern with order, symmetry, and counting; and others. Freedom from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder provides Dr. Jonathan Grayson’s revolutionary and compassionate program for finally breaking the cycle of overwhelming fear and endless rituals, including: Self-assessment tests that guide readers in identifying their specific type of OCD and help track their progress in treatment Case studies from Dr. Grayson’s revolutionary and profoundly successful treatment program Blueprints for programs tailored to particular manifestations of OCD Previously unexplored manifestations of OCD such as obsessive staring, Relationship OCD (R-OCD), obsessive intolerance of environmental sounds and chewing sounds Therapy scripts to help individuals develop their own therapeutic voice, to motivate themselves to succeed New therapies used in conjunction with exposure techniques “Trigger sheets” for identifying and planning for obstacles that arise in treatment Information on building a support group And much more Demystifying the process of OCD assessment and treatment, this indispensable book helps sufferers make sense of their own compulsions through frank, unflinching self-evaluation, and provides not only the knowledge of how to change—but the courage to do it.
Two neuroscience experts explain how their 4-Step Method can help break destructive thoughts and actions and change bad habits for good. A leading neuroplasticity researcher and the coauthor of the groundbreaking books Brain Lock and The Mind and the Brain, Jeffrey M. Schwartz has spent his career studying the structure and neuronal firing patterns of the human brain. He pioneered the first mindfulness-based treatment program for people suffering from OCD, teaching patients how to achieve long-term relief from their compulsions. For the past six years, Schwartz has worked with psychiatrist Rebecca Gladding to refine a program that successfully explains how the brain works and why we often feel besieged by bad brain wiring. Just like with the compulsions of OCD patients, they discovered that bad habits, social anxieties, self-deprecating thoughts, and compulsive overindulgence are all rooted in overactive brain circuits. The key to making life changes that you want-to make your brain work for you-is to consciously choose to "starve" these circuits of focused attention, thereby decreasing their influence and strength. As evidenced by the huge success of Schwartz's previous books, as well as Daniel Amen's Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, and Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself, there is a large audience interested in harnessing the brain's untapped potential, yearning for a step-by-step, scientifically grounded and clinically proven approach. In fact, readers of Brain Lock wrote to the authors in record numbers asking for such a book. In You Are Not Your Brain, Schwartz and Gladding carefully outline their program, showing readers how to identify negative brain impulses, channel them through the power of focused attention, and ultimately lead more fulfilling and empowered lives.
Break free from unhelpful rituals and take control of your life 'Clear, practical, focused and useful... extremely helpful both for those who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder and those who care for them' Paul Salkovkis, University of Bath Are you plagued by a recurring thought or idea that just won't go away, or feel the need to wash your hands repeatedly, to hoard things, or to repeatedly check all appliances in the house have been turned off before you leave? These are common symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition that causes distress to hundreds of thousands of people. Using methods based on real clinical practice and proven cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, this revised and updated edition teaches you: · How to face fears and avoided situations · How to control disturbing thoughts, images and urges · Strategies to break free from the destructive cycle of obsessive behaviour Overcoming self-help guides use clinically proven techniques to treat long-standing and disabling conditions, both psychological and physical. READING WELL This book is recommended by the national Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme for England delivered by The Reading Agency and the Society of Chief Librarians with funding from Arts Council England and Wellcome. www.reading-well.org.uk Series editor: Professor Peter Cooper
Pure-intrusive thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are involved, disturbing, and more challenging to treat when they consist of a desire-intrusive component. This book examines this critical issue. The first part looks at the author's experiences of living with OCD. It further discusses self-harm, paedophilia, addiction, morality and guilt. The second part gives a practical guide for treating OCD. Currently, the methods include cognitive-behavioural therapy, exposure-response prevention, Mindfulness and medication. The third part digs deeper to understand better the desire-intrusive element. It talks about intrusive lust for darkness amidst terror in religious OCD that stirs up subsequent feelings of misplaced guilt. It explains arousal in paedophile, transgender, incest and porn obsessions followed by erroneous self-labelling. Moreover, it examines the distinction between suicide-obsessive thoughts with suicide ideation, and it defines non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) versus self-harm obsessions. This honest and practical book concludes by incorporating additional techniques for improving treatment outcomes. And it shows how deep brain stimulation can target the brain areas responsible for OCD when conventional treatments fail. 'This is a very demanding piece... I'm sure that you are onto something. I long puzzled about obsessions and addictions, not least in my own case!!' Professor F. Toates, author of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Biological Psychology.
