Breaking Free from OCD

Jo Derisley, ClinPsyD, AFBPsS, DipCogTher, is Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Norfolk & Waveney Mental Health Care Trust, UK. She has written several articles on the subject.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is no joke. Those saddled with it have behaviors that can interfere with or even destroy relationships, educational opportunities and careers. The authors, all practitioners as well as academicians, give young people with OCD techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) they can use on their own or with guidance to control their behaviors and reduce triggers or causes. The authors describe OCD and the prospects of getting better, define CBT, and analyze traps and triggers of obsessive or compulsive behaviors. The core of the book is devoted to treatment, including understanding the role of anxiety, deciding first steps, designing exposure and response preventative exercises, making progress, overcoming difficulties, determining the role of thoughts, challenging thoughts, testing whether thoughts will come true, maintaining gains, and taking stock of the big picture. Includes a full set of worksheets and advice for caregivers and families.

Part A: Understanding Your OCD. 1. About this Book. 2. What is OCD? 3. Can I Get Better from OCD? 4. What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? 5. Understanding My OCD. Part B: How To Recover from Your OCD. 6. How to Use this Book to Change Your OCD. 7. Understanding the Role of Anxiety. 8. What Does My OCD Look Like? 9. Designing Exposure and Response Prevention Exercises. 10. Making Progress with Exposure and Response Prevention Exercises. 11. Overcoming Difficulties. 12. What is the Role of My Thoughts? 13. How Can I Challenge My Thoughts? 14. How Can I Test Whether My Thoughts Will Come True? 15. How to Maintain the Gains I Have Made. Part C: OCD and the Bigger Picture. 16. OCD and My Family. 17. OCD, School and Friends. 18. Where to Go for More Information. Appendix: Questionnaire. Subject index. Author index.