An Unconventional Take on Trichotillomania
I have absorbed countless articles, posts, and videos about trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) over the years, and most of them aggravate and concern me. After having trichotillomania for 13 years,…
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Dealing with OCD — When Instincts Are Wrong
So many times in my life, especially in my role as a mom, I have trusted my instincts when faced with difficult decisions. When my son was dealing with severe…
When Adult Children with OCD Live at Home
Over the years, I have connected with many people whose lives have been affected by OCD. Because I’m a parent whose son has obsessive-compulsive disorder, some of the most heartbreaking…
Causes of Psychosis
When my son Dan was diagnosed with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, his psychiatrist informed me and my husband that Dan was “borderline psychotic.” In other words, our son was out of…
ERP and ACT for OCD — Making Sense of the Acronyms!
As I, and many others, have mentioned numerous times before, exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is the evidence-based psychological treatment of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, over the years…
Does Your Therapist Have OCD?
When I first became involved in OCD advocacy in 2010, I would occasionally come across articles or books written by therapists or health-care professionals whose biographies revealed they had obsessive-compulsive…
How to Identify & Manage Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, A Psychologist’s Perspective
“I thought OCD was just about constantly washing your hands or having to keep your desk tidy all the time.” Daniel sat in the chair across from me in my…
It’s Not About the Panini: A Story About OCD and Anorexia
18 years ago I found myself drawn to a light switch. Turning the lights on and off became an ordeal as every room’s light switch hypnotized me into gliding my fingers across it, pressing…
Mental Illness or Brain Disorder?
Why is it that the idea of “mental illness” is so much scarier to many people than any other illness? We talk freely about cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, yet…
Who Is to Blame for My Son’s OCD?
There is no question the stigma of mental illness is alive and well, even as many of us work tirelessly to eradicate it. Sharing our stories and being candid about…
OCD and Social Scrupulosity
Most people associate scrupulosity with religion, and indeed religious scrupulosity is often an issue for some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Those with this type of OCD have unreasonable religious expectations…
OCD, Worry, and Uncertainty — Then and Now
When I was a junior in college almost forty years ago, I spent the year studying abroad in England. Going overseas for college at that time wasn’t like it is…
OCD and Black-and-White Thinking
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often accompanied by some cognitive distortions, which are basically inaccurate beliefs that usually make us feel badly about ourselves. One of the more common cognitive distortions that…
Mental Health and Loneliness
As an advocate for mental health awareness, I have learned a lot about various brain disorders and illnesses. Of course each one comes with its own set of symptoms which…
Freedom from OCD
When he was dealing with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, my son Dan spent nine weeks in a world-renowned residential treatment program. During this time, he kept saying things such as “I’m…