Morbid obsessions with sex, germs, or with one's appearance, and uncontrollable compulsions to hoard objects, to check and recheck locks, or to chronically pull one's hair are just a few of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorders, which afflict over ten million Americans today. Many suffer in isolation and shame, not knowing that their disorder has a name, how to seek help, or-most importantly-how to help themselves.
Dr. Fred Penzel discusses the entire spectrum of these disorders, from the classic form characterized by intrusive, repetitive, and often unpleasant thoughts, to body dysmorphic disorder ("imagined ugliness"), trichotillomania, compulsive skin picking, and nail biting. He takes the reader through each step of the most effective behavioral therapies, detailing how progress is made and how they can avoid relapse. Dr. Penzel also offers readers a completely updated discussion of medication and how it fits within patients' lives-as part of the overall treatment plan, its effects 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 the families of sufferers, and lists a host of helpful resources and information for those afflicted.
ISBN-13: 9780190622633
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 09-01-2016
Pages: 528
Product Dimensions: 9.20(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.80(d)
Fred Penzel, Ph.D., has been dedicated to the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders since 1982. He is a frequent contributor to the newsletters of both the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation and the Trichotillomania Learning Center, and is the only psychologist to sit on the Science Advisory Boards of both organizations. He is the Executive Director of Western Suffolk Psychological Services in Huntington, New York.
Table of Contents
1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders—What They Are
2. Behavioral Therapy: A Treatment That Works
3. Self-Help for OCSDs
4. Getting Proper Medical Treatment
5. OCSDs and Children
6. OCSDs and the Other People in Your Life
7. Recovery and Acceptance
8. Different Forms Obsessions Can Take
9. Different Forms Compulsions Can Take
10. OCSD—Or Not
11. Accompaniments to OCSDs
12. Causes and Contributing Factors of OCSDs
13. Finding Resources and Getting Help
Appendices
A. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptom Checklist
B. Trichotillomania, Skin Picking, and Nail Biting Symptom Checklist
C. Official DSM-V Diagnoses
D. OCSD Reading and Viewing List
E. Glossary
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