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.(now Lerner Publishing Group). We’d like to tell you more about this valuable resource. Below is an overview of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Obsesssive-Compulsive Disorder was selected as an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (2004) by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) / Children's Book Council (CBC). Their review: "This succinct but informative book discusses obsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly referred to as OCD. It examines the symptoms and manifestations of OCD and describes how it is controlled and treated. Most interestingly, the authors describe what it is like to live with the disorder." Read more about these award winning books at http://www.nsta.org/ostbs04

In 2004, Obsesssive-Compulsive Disorder was also selected by a team of young adult librarians and experts on teen literature at the New York Public Library as one of their Books for the Teen Age. Read more about these award winning books http://teenlink.nypl.org/index.html

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., is psychotherapist in private practice in Hollywood, FL, and director of the OCD Resource Center of Florida (www.ocdhope.com). He specializes in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of adults and children with anxiety disorders, including the OCD-spectrum disorders. Dr. Hyman has appeared on 20/20 and The Montel Williams Show and been interviewed by national and local radio and print media. This fall he will appear on the MTV series True Life, which follows a young woman with severe OCD through the course of her treatment with him. Visit Dr. Hyman's website at www.ocdhope.com

Cherry Pedrick is a registered nurse and freelance writer in Lacey, Washington. In 1994 she was diagnosed with OCD, which began an intensive search for knowledge, effective treatment, and management of compulsive behaviors. She is coauthor of The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, The Habit Change Workbook: How to Break Bad Habits and Form New Ones, and The BDD Workbook: Overcome Body Dysmorphic Disorder and End Body Image Obsessions, Helping Your Child with OCD, A Workbook for Parents of Children with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Loving Someone with OCD: Help for You and Your Family, published by New Harbinger Publications; and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders, published by Lerner Press. Visit her website at www.cherrypedrick.com

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