Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-
Compulsive
Disorder

Twenty-First Century
Medical Library

By Bruce M. Hyman, Ph.D.
and Cherry Pedrick, R.N.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was published in 2003 by Millbrook Press Inc. We’d like to tell you more about this valuable new resource. Below is an overview of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

For more information on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder please click on one of the following links:

Have you ever wondered if your hands were really clean enough, even after washing them? Have you ever questioned if you locked the door as you walked away from the house? Or maybe if you marked the wrong answer on a test? Or, have you ever had bad thoughts, like really scary, even disgusting and horrible thoughts, that just pop into your mind, thoughts that you don’t want to have? Most people have had these experiences, but they occur as minor, random thoughts or worries that are easily dispelled from their minds.

The young people described in this book have these types of thoughts and worries, but unlike others, they worry about them most of their waking hours. They have obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, an anxiety disorder marked by persistent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts that intrude upon the mind, and compulsive behaviors – unneeded actions that one feels must be done over and over again in certain rigid and consistent ways.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects 2.5 percent of the population, most often developing in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. Researchers have found that one-third to one-half of OCD cases identified in adults began during childhood. About 1 percent of children have OCD; that is about 200,000 American children and teenagers. The good news is that there is now hope and help for people struggling with OCD.

Through a series of real-life case studies, readers of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder are introduced to obsessive-compulsive disorder – what OCD is, its symptoms, its treatments, and the impact OCD has on family and friends. The book also discusses how people with OCD live with the disorder.

This is a great resource for school projects, as well as for teens and adults who have OCD or know someone with OCD. Even adults will appreciate this easy to understand introduction to a sometimes-confusing disorder.

Bruce M. Hyman, Ph.D., LCSW is in private practice in Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale, Florida and director of the OCD Resource Center of South Florida. He specializes in the treatment of adults and children with OCD and other anxiety disorders. Cherry Pedrick, RN is a registered nurse and a freelance writer living in North Las Vegas Nevada. They are the coauthors of The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Cherry Pedrick is also the coauthor of The Habit Change Workbook: How to Break Bad Habits and Form New Ones, The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Body Image Obsessions, and Helping Your Child with OCD: A Workbook for Parents of Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

	An Overview of the Book The Table of Contents From the Book Jacket