Synopses & Reviews
If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may suffer from obsessive thoughts and anxiety, and use compulsions to alleviate your distress. You know, more than anyone, how debilitating this condition can be. But you may also be reluctant to start treatment due to fears and misconceptions regarding therapyparticularly exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. You may even think of a number of reasons not to go, or to drop out, but if you are committed to getting better, you need to take that important step toward healing.
ERP is a proven-effective treatment that can help people with OCD break free from the constraints of their disorder; however, starting treatment can feel frightening. Many people wonder what treatment will be like and how they will ever face some of their worst fears. They want to hear from others who have successfully completed therapy. In Daring to Challenge OCD, anxiety specialist Joan Davidson, PhD, gives a thorough overview of ERP, what to expect during treatment, and offers gentle guidance to help you finally overcome the common fears and obstacles that can stand in the way of getting the help you need. Three clients with different OCD symptoms share their personal stories and insights about OCD and treatment.
If you are considering treatment, you may ask yourself, What will my therapist expect me to do? Will treatment be too difficult for me to handle? Will I be asked to do things that put me at risk? What are realistic expectations for recovery? This book will demystify treatment for OCD so that you can face your fears and start changing your life. And if you are a therapist helping clients build motivation to engage in ERP, this book offers real treatment stories and exercises for clients, making it an invaluable resource for therapists and wonderful suggested reading for clients building motivation to commit to treatment.
Review
If you or someone you know is suffering from the agonizing symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), read this book! Youll learn that you are not aloneand youll learn about a proven and effective treatment for OCD: exposure and response prevention (ERP). Joan Davidson explains in clear and accessible language, with plenty of practical exercises, what to expect and how to prepare for treatment. What makes this book truly unique is that Davidson includes the stories of three very different people who regained control over their lives through this treatment. Their stories are authentic, inspiring, and full of hope. This straightforward and compassionate approach to ERP is a real contribution for clientsand for clinicians, this text is an invaluable resource for improving our skills at helping clients commit to treatment.”
Laura B. Mason, PhD, clinical professor in the department of psychology at University of California, Berkeley and associate director of the UC Berkeley psychology clinic
Review
Exposure and response prevention is the most effective treatment technique for OCD. Davidson makes these scientifically proven strategies very accessible in this excellent book. Working through it on your own, or with the help of a professional, should reduce obsessions and compulsions.”
Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD, professor and associate chair of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Review
Practical and matter-of-fact, yet simultaneously deep and compassionate,
Daring to Challenge OCD is made-to-order for anyone plagued by obsessions and compulsions, including family members and loved ones. Loaded with wisdom, science, and clear case examples, it authoritatively documents what OCD is and how to treat it. To my mind, this is
the go-to book on the topic across the entire field. Run, don't walk, to get this book and read it!”
Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and vice-chair of psychology in the department of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco
Review
Davidson, with the help of her brave and articulate clients, illuminates a healing path for those suffering from OCD and the therapists who want to help them. I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with the problem or who cares about someone who does.”
Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia and The Green Boat
Review
A fantastic book about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its gold standard treatment! This book provides answers to anyone struggling to understand OCD and offers a blueprint for what to expect in treatment. It describes the experiences of three individuals
each with a different kind of OCD
and provides hope and motivation for positive change. I wish it had been in print when I was first diagnosed.”
Paula Kotakis, San Francisco OCD support group facilitator
Review
Three individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), guided by the author, a talented therapist, tell the stories of their illness and their treatment in blow-by-blow detail. Any person who suffers from OCD, loves someone who suffers from OCD, or treats OCD, should read this book.”
Jacqueline B. Persons, PhD, director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Science Center and clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley
Review
Daring to Challenge OCD is a long overdue, step-by-step treatment manual that offers hope to those struggling to tackle the complexities inherent in exposure and response prevention therapy. Offering personal, firsthand accounts of what it's like to go through the treatment process, this easy-to-read, wonderfully well-written tool is a must-have for those needing to guide their own treatment and who may not otherwise have access to expert therapists. The compassionate approach in this book will help many overcome their fear of treatment and embrace their new journey toward recovery of their OCD.”
Robin Zasio, PsyD, LCSW, president of the International OCD Foundation, featured doctor on A&E's Hoarders, and author of The Hoarder in You
Review
The authors have succeeded in providing a practical roadmap for people struggling with OCD to incorporate mindfulness into their CBT treatment. For many, this will be the addition that makes all the difference.”
Diane Davey, RN, MBA, program director, OCD Institute
Review
The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD is a unique must-have companion to enhance the standard application of ERP treatment for both therapists and individuals living with OCD. The authors compassion is evident throughout, and reflects a deep understanding of the suffering that OCD imposes every day. Chapter by chapter, the authors demystify the concepts of mindfulness in a very user-friendly manner. The workbook-style approach allows the reader to mindfully examine the ways in which OCD has formed its hold, and provides concrete exercises for loosening that hold and regaining a life and identity free from OCD. I am excited to recommend this book to my clients and colleagues alike.”
Kathleen M. Rupertus, PsyD, clinician, The Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center, Delaware
Review
As someone who has benefitted greatly from both cognitive behavioral therapy
and mindfulness practice, I am thrilled to see a book showcasing how powerful their pairing can be for those of us with OCD. The practical roadmap Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy provide here offers turn-by-turn directions to the one place OCD simply can't survive: the present moment!”
Jeff Bell, author of Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of OCD
Review
A valuable addition to the self-help library of all OCD sufferers, as well as those who treat OCD! The book presents state-of-the art information for incorporating very effective mindfulness techniques into effective OCD treatment.”
Lee Baer, PhD, author of Getting Control and The Imp of the Mind, and clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School
Review
The concept of mindfulness is proving to be an increasingly important concept in dealing with a number of disorders, and this book ably extends it to OCD. It presents a concise and practical approach to this topic, with straightforward easy-to-follow instructions. The skills readers will gain from learning to be fully in the present moment and accepting what is occurring there will surely add a great deal to their efforts at overcoming what is a confusing and painful disorder.”
Fred Penzel, PhD, psychologist and executive director at Western Suffolk Psychological Services, Huntington, NY
Review
Although mindfulness plays a critical role in coping with the uncertainties of OCD, practical how-to help for sufferers and clinicians wasn't there. Hershfield and Corboy's workbook masterfully fills this void with details of how to employ mindfulness techniques for all the different ways OCD manifests itself.”
Jonathan Grayson, PhD, director of the Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center of Philadelphia
Review
This is a wonderful and very well-written book, full of lively and helpful examples. It will be a huge help to those with OCD and related illnesses. The book gives very useful and practical tools to manage the symptoms of OCD. This is a major contribution that will help patients immensely.”
Michael A. Jenike, MD, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Review
This is the most comprehensive, straight forward, easy-to-follow treatment manual combining CBT and mindfulness-based techniques. For those who may not have access to treatment providers,
The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD will be an excellent resource to help guide and navigate how to overcome their obsessions and compulsions in a succinct, clear manner. By far, the best addition to my resource library and referral list.”
Robin Zasio, PsyD, LCSW, author of The Hoarder in You and featured doctor on the television show, Hoarders
Review
Two professional secrets: First, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is more effective than medications for OCD in both short and longterm benefits, and second, exposure and ritual prevention, the effective elements in CBT, must be done by OCD patients themselves. With these secrets revealed, how can OCD sufferers obtain CBT? Ideally, by finding an expert cognitive behavior therapist to guide their therapy. Since expert therapists are in very short supply, patients can also use Coping with OCD to close the gap between what is known and available. Coping with OCD provides excellent specific guidance so OCD patients can carry out CBT themselves. It is a welcome addition to the armamentarium of OCD treatments and Hyman and DuFrene are to be commended for writing it.
John Greist, MD, distinguished senior scientist at the Madison Institute of Medicine, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, and director of Healthcare Technology Systems
Coping with OCD is a timely, informative, and readable book on obsessivecompulsive disorder, the 'doubting disease'. The authors give practical advice on understanding the causes of OCD, and changing the way that sufferers accept, reframe and refocus their thoughts so that they can live life in the present, maintain their progress, and get the most out of life in spite of the OCD.
Eric Hollander, MD, Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor and Chair of Psychiatry and director of the Seaver and New York Autism Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
OCD is a common, painful, and often disabling disorder. People with OCD are tortured by intrusive thoughts and struggle with compulsive efforts to find peace of mind. The treatment of choice for OCD is cognitive behavior therapy. The standard treatment has been based on behavioral work using exposure to obsessions and refraining from compulsions. Cognitive behavior therapy is a living discipline, and in recent years exciting new ideas have formed what is known as the third wave. These ideas, in the form of acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness practice blend with exposurebased treatment to offer a powerful new way to separate the suffering from the experience of obsessions. There is a Buddhist saying that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. Hyman and DuFrene have skillfully blended the third wave with proven exposurebased therapy into an accessible guide to coping with OCD. They describe the path away from suffering.
James Claiborn, Ph.D, ABPP, psychologist with a practice specializing in OCD in Maine, founding fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the ObsessiveCompulsive Foundation
This book is the next best thing to private sessions with one of the country's best OCD therapists. Whether you're in treatment for OCD or not, reading this book will be worth many hundreds of dollars to you. It's packed with useful advice for everyone with OCD, including effective new treatment techniques.
Bruce Mansbridge, Ph.D., director of the Austin Center for the Treatment of OCD
Coping with OCD joins the highest tier of other patientfocused OCD books. People with OCD (and their loved ones) will appreciate the easytoread and practical nature of the text. Hyman and DuFrene provide numerous insights and directions for challenging OCD symptoms that may help the reader learn how to think and act differently and ultimately gain greater control of his or her condition.
Eric A. Storch, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Research in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Florida
This book brings Hyman's expert knowledge and clinical wisdom to OCD sufferers and their families with clarity and compassion. Built on the latest scientific evidence, it incorporrates the latest standards and directions in the treatment of OCD. Very easy to read, it tackles the bewilderment and pain that OCD brings and makes the complexities of OCD and its treatment quickly understandable. Full of practical and powerful strategies, this exceptional book will be a valuable resource for any OCD sufferer or family member. It brings sufferers hope, optimism and empowerment to take control of their lives in spite of OCD. I will recommend it with enthusiasm!
Aureen P. Wagner, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of neurology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, director of the Anxiety Wellness Center in Rochester, NY, member of the scientific advisory board of the ObsessiveCompulsive Foundation, and author of What to Do When Your Child Has OCD and Treatment of OCD in Children and Adolescents: A Professionals' Kit
This is a timely and welcome addition to the selfhelp literature for OCD sufferers. The authors offer a straightforward and userfriendly guide to the latest approaches in treatment, integrating newer acceptance and mindfulness approaches with the triedandtrue cognitive behavior techniques that have proven so effective. The book is well written with an engaging style that communicates warmth, humor, and compassion. I will recommend it to my patients and others who suffer from OCD and to therapists who wish to refresh their thinking about OCD and its treatment.
Charles S. Mansueto, Ph.D., member, Scientific Advisory Board of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and director of the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington
Synopsis
Characterized by obsessive thoughts, fears, and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be an extremely debilitating condition. However, many people with OCD are reluctant to start treatment due to fear, stigma, and misconceptions regarding exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. In Daring to Challenge OCD, anxiety specialist Joan Davidson, PhD, gives a thorough overview of ERP, what to expect during treatment, and offers guidance to help readers finally overcome the common fears and anxiety that can stand in the way of getting the help they need.
Synopsis
Combining mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD offers practical and accessible tools for managing the unwanted thoughts and compulsive urges that are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). With this workbook, readers will develop present-moment awareness, learn to challenge their own distorted thinking, and stop treating thoughts as threats and feelings as facts.
Synopsis
If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you might have an irrational fear of being contaminated by germs, or obsessively double-check things. You may even feel like a prisoner, trapped with your intrusive thoughts.
Despite the fact that OCD can have a devastating impact on a persons life, getting real help can be a challenge. If you have tried medications without success, it might be time to explore further treatment options. You should know that mindfulness-based approaches have been proven-effective in treating OCD and anxiety disorders. They involve developing an awareness and acceptance of the unwanted thoughts, feelings, and urges that are at the heart of OCD.
Combining mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD offers practical and accessible tools for managing the unwanted thoughts and compulsive urges that are associated with OCD. With this workbook, you will develop present-moment awareness, learn to challenge your own distorted thinking, and stop treating thoughts as threats and feelings as facts.
Synopsis
Coping with OCD offers a brief yet comprehensive and effective approach to dealing with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-a great book for people recently diagnosed with OCD and a source of in-the-moment strategies for managing symptoms for those already receiving treatment.
Synopsis
When you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it can feel like your own mind is at war with itself. Instead of having productive and positive thoughts, you rehash the same worries and fears over and over again until they become unbearable. Did you really remember to lock the front door? What if you were to hit someone while driving your car? You may find yourself engaging in exhaustive rituals to keep these thoughts at bay. But soon, the doubts come back with a vengeance.
Coping with OCD offers a simple and engaging program that can help anyone with mild to moderate OCD get started on the road to recovery. This book begins with a crash course on what OCD is-and what it is not. You'll learn a proven, three-part program for recovery that uses safe and gradual exposure to distressing thoughts and situations, mindfulness practice, and techniques to restructure thinking. Additional chapters address how families can help, dealing with shame and blame, depression, and maintaining progress. The book also includes a helpful list of resources for further reading and additional support.
About the Author
Jon Hershfield, MFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders using mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT). He is also the associate director of the UCLA Child OCD Intensive Outpatient Program at Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, moderator of a popular online discussion board devoted to fostering a better understanding of OCD with primarily mental rituals, a professional contributor to multiple online OCD forums, and a frequent presenter at the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundations annual conference.
Tom Corboy, MFT, is the executive director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, which he founded in 1999. He is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in MBCBT for the treatment of OCD and related anxiety-based conditions. In addition to his work with individual clients, he has trained and mentored many post-graduate interns, has presented at numerous conferences held by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and has facilitated weekly therapy groups for adults with OCD since 1997.
Foreword writer James Claiborn, PhD, ABPP, is a psychologist in private practice specializing in OCD and related disorders. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology, and a diplomate and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and has presented internationally on OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other topics.