About the Book
Morbid obsessions with sex, germs, or with one's appearance, and uncontrollable compulsions to hoard objects, to check and recheck locks, or to chronically pull one's hair are just a few of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorders, which afflict over ten million Americans today. Many suffer in isolation and shame, not knowing that their disorder has a name, how to seek help, or-most importantly-how to help themselves.Dr. Fred Penzel
discusses the entire spectrum of these disorders, from the classic form characterized by intrusive, repetitive, and often unpleasant thoughts, to body dysmorphic disorder ("imagined ugliness"),
trichotillomania, compulsive skin picking, and nail biting. He takes the reader through each step of the most effective behavioral therapies, detailing how progress is made and how they can avoid relapse. Dr. Penzel also offers readers a completely updated discussion of medication and how it fits within patients' lives-as part of the overall treatment plan, its effects on pregnancy, how to choose the best medicine, and how to know if it is working. In addition, Dr. Penzel discusses the
treatment of children with these disorders, offers helpful advice for the families of sufferers, and lists a host of helpful resources and information for those afflicted.
Table of Contents:
1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders--What They Are
2. Behavioral Therapy: A Treatment That Works
3. Self-Help for OCSDs
4. Getting Proper Medical Treatment
5. OCSDs and Children
6. OCSDs and the Other People in Your Life
7. Recovery and Acceptance
8. Different Forms Obsessions Can Take
9. Different Forms Compulsions Can Take
10. OCSD--Or Not
11. Accompaniments to OCSDs
12. Causes and Contributing Factors of OCSDs
13. Finding Resources and Getting Help
Appendices
A. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptom Checklist
B. Trichotillomania, Skin Picking, and Nail Biting Symptom Checklist
C. Official DSM-V Diagnoses
D. OCSD Reading and Viewing List
E. Glossary
About the Author :
Fred Penzel, Ph.D., has been dedicated to the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders since 1982. He is a frequent contributor to the newsletters of both the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation and the Trichotillomania Learning Center, and is the only psychologist to sit on the Science Advisory Boards of both organizations. He is the Executive Director of Western Suffolk Psychological Services in Huntington, New York.
Review :
"Penzel brings to his readers, both professional and lay, the same imaginative and effective forms of therapy that he's used in his practice for years. If you can't be treated by Dr. Penzel, the next best thing is to read his book. "-Patricia Perkins-Doyle, former Executive Director, The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders is the most comprehensive, yet highly readable, book out yet on the group of tormenting disorders that includes OCD, Body Dysmorphic disorder, Trichotillomania, and nail biting. These disorders are dealt with collectively, chapter by chapter, as theory, psychotherapy, medications, childhood cases, family involvement, self-help, and recovery are discussed. The richly detailed material on behavior therapy for the OCDs is worth the price of the book by itself. Dr. Penzel takes the reader into his office for an in-depth, sympathetic discussion about a subject he knows from start to finish. This book will be treasured by professionals and patients alike, all those who want a comprehensive, clinically-oriented resource on OCD and OCD-like disorders. A terrific achievement. Ian Osborn, M.D. Working in the vastly under-recognized and misunderstood arena of the Body-Focused Disorders, such as Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), Skin Picking, Nail Biting and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, I am deeply pleased to see Dr. Penzel's book go to press. It will be a turning point for many, not only the sufferers of these OCD spectrum conditions, but for the therapeutic professionals that struggle to heal them. It's clarity, applicability and compassion are a refreshing approach to disorders that have caused such depths of suffering few can imagine. In my own life, if I had access to this book many years ago, it well could have helped me realize my teenage goals of becoming a doctor, instead of dropping out and hiding from society, desolately trapped within a behavioral prison with bars forged of compulsion. Christina Pearson, Founder and Executive Director of the Trichotillomania Learning Center, Inc. Dr. Fred Penzel is a colleague whose work I have appreciated for almost two decades. He is always willing to help patients in need and will go the extra mile, and I often refer patients to him knowing that they will get excellent care. His book represents a comprehensive summary of OCD and related disorders. Topics include modern treatment aspects as well as discussions of biology, genetics, coping with these disorders, recovery and acceptance, family issues, rating scales, and many other pertinent subjects. Since he is a very experienced behavior therapist, this part of the book will be exceedingly helpful to patients and their families. I highly recommend this book to patients and their family members, and professionals who do not have Dr. Penzel's vast experience will find his discussions and recommendations useful as well. Michael A. Jenike, MD
