Religious Compulsions and Fears


Book Description




Can Christianity Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?


Book Description

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relentless condition, the primary symptom being the occurrence of terrifying ideas, images, and urges that jump into a person's mind and return again and again, despite the individual's attempt to remove them. Christians who suffer from OCD may grapple with additional guilt, as the undesired thoughts are frequently of a spiritual nature. Yet people may be surprised to learn that some of the greatest leaders in Christian history also struggled with this malady. What did they experience? How did they cope? Were they able to overcome these tormenting, often violent, obsessions? Where did God fit into the picture? Ian Osborn shares the personal accounts of Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, as well as his own story, in exploring how faith and science work together to address this complex issue.




The Wiley Handbook of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders


Book Description

The Wiley Handbook of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, 2 volume set, provides a comprehensive reference on the phenomenology, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of OCD and OCD-related conditions throughout the lifespan and across cultures. Provides the most complete and up-to-date information on the highly diverse spectrum of OCD-related issues experienced by individuals through the lifespan and cross-culturally Covers OCD-related conditions including Tourette’s syndrome, excoriation disorder, trichotillomania, hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and many others OCD and related conditions present formidable challenges for both research and practice, with few studies having moved beyond the most typical contexts and presentations Includes important material on OCD and related conditions in young people and older adults, and across a range of cultures with diverse social and religious norms




Break Free from OCD


Book Description

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.




Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts


Book Description

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is now rated the fourth most common psychological disorder in the United States. This resource addresses obsessive thoughts as a specific symptom of the disorder, and in addition to self-care strategies, offers information about professional care.




Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals


Book Description

Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been called the "hidden epidemic": only a very few of the many people who have it reveal their condition. Ian Osborn is one of those who suffers from OCD, and his personal experience imbues this book with an exceptional clarity and understanding. Dr. Osborn discusses the various forms OCD takes and--using the most common focuses of obsession--presents detailed and dramatic cases whose objects are filth, harm, lust, and blasphemy. He explains how the disorder is currently diagnosed, and how it differs from addiction, worrying, and preoccupation. He summarizes the recent findings in the areas of brain biology, neuroimaging, and genetics that show OCD to be a distinct chemical disorder of the brain. He contrasts OCD with other "OCD spectrum disorders" such as anorexia nervosa and hairpulling, and he provides a historical overview that traces the development over the centuries of both behavior therapy and medications.




Brain Lock


Book Description

The definitive classic that has helped more than 400,000 people defeat obsessive-compulsive behavior, with all-new material from the author An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and live diminished lives in which they are compelled to obsess about something or to repeat a similar task over and over. Traditionally, OCD has been treated with Prozac or similar drugs. The problem with medication, aside from its cost, is that 30 percent of people treated don't respond to it, and when the pills stop, the symptoms invariably return. In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it's now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world. Proven by brain-imaging tests to actually alter the brain's chemistry, this method doesn't rely on psychopharmaceuticals. Instead, patients use cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification to develop new patterns of response to their obsessions. In essence, they use the mind to fix the brain. Using the real-life stories of actual patients, Brain Lock explains this revolutionary method and provides readers with the inspiration and tools to free themselves from their psychic prisons and regain control of their lives.




Overcoming Harm OCD


Book Description

Don’t let your thoughts and fears define you. In Overcoming Harm OCD, psychotherapist Jon Hershfield offers powerful cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness tools to help you break free from the pain and self-doubt caused by harm OCD. Do you suffer from violent, unwanted thoughts and a crippling fear of harming others? Are you afraid to seek treatment for fear of being judged? If so, you may have harm OCD—an anxiety disorder associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). First and foremost, you need to know that these thoughts do not define you as a human being. But they can cause a lot of real emotional pain. So, how can you overcome harm OCD and start living a better life? Written by an expert in treating harm OCD, this much-needed book offers a direct and comprehensive explanation of what harm OCD is and how to manage it. You’ll learn why you have unwanted thoughts, how to identify mental compulsions, and find an overview of cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based treatment approaches that can help you reclaim your life. You’ll also find tips for disclosing violent obsessions, finding adequate professional help, and working with loved ones to address harm OCD systemically. And finally, you’ll learn that your thoughts are just thoughts, and that they don’t make you a bad person. If you have harm OCD, it’s time to move past the stigma and start focusing on solutions. This evidence-based guide will help light the way.




Sexual Obsessions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder


Book Description

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.




Desire-Intrusive Thoughts


Book Description

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.