Could I really stab someone with a knife? What if I lost control? Thoughts and urges about hurting someone – against your will – characterize harm OCD.
What Are Harm OCD Urges?
Book review: The Emperor of All Maladies
The recent history of cancer and its treatment, The Emperor of All Maladies, is an excellent read for several audiences. Those interested in the history of medicine will not find a more compelling treatment of oncology’s development over the past hundred years. Similarly, for those affected by cancer who would like to better understand the use and history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical treatments for cancer, there is no better resource. It is very well written and — astoundingly — makes cellular biology a fascinating read. For these reasons and more, the book won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for 2011.
Three HOCD Stories: Case Examples of Sexual Orientation Obsessions
OCD comes in many varieties. HOCD is one of them — and it involves obsessive thoughts about one’s sexual orientation. Read on for three stories of HOCD and recovery.
How Do Obsessive Thoughts Work?
Obsessive thoughts come in several varieties. Among the most popular themes for these thoughts are blasphemy, violence, and sex. Obsessions typically consist of a thought (e.g., “I want to pick up that knife and stab myself”) followed by intense anxiety at having had that thought. “Am I Gay?” is an obsessive thought that can create intense anxiety for some people.
[Read more…]Treatments for OCD: Comparing Medication and ERP Therapy
For those persons suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are effective ways to get help. In fact, research has shown two treatments for OCD to be quite effective in reducing symptoms: 1) Exposure and response prevention therapy (also known as ERP), and 2) psychotropic medication. Which is better?
[Read more…]Is Your Antidepressant Any Better Than a Placebo?
Are antidepressants really just placebos? This is the provocative question posed by some recent research and journalism. The answer is not what you’d think for a medication with $14 billion in annual U.S. sales taken by 17 million Americans.
On January 29th there appeared a well researched and well written piece in Newsweek on the effectiveness of antidepressants. The article, by Sharon Begley, explains some important aspects of the process by which pharmaceutical agents are brought to market and are prescribed.
