Almost everybody has an obsession or feels a compulsion to do something a certain way. Magic numbers, intrusive thoughts, unusual fears and superstitions happen to about four people out of five, but where do these obsessive-compulsive (OC) traits come from? This book explores what they are, why we have them and what we can do about them, through fascinating and highly original insights. Are you a perfectionist, or can you be fussy? Do you like to have control in certain situations? Or are you overly anxious in others? These are all OC traits, and this book looks at their recent increase in human behaviour, and how they are formed in the brain. Showing that these traits are more common in highly educated, intelligent and successful people, it highlights the positive sides of what have previously been seen as negative quirks. Weaving together sections that are anecdotal and humorous, with technical and up-to-date scientific information, this groundbreaking book gives a fascinating introduction into an under-discussed personality type.

This book is an analysis of the personality who is the backbone of the most powerful political and religious groups in Western society. This book apples contemporary psychological constructs to explain the power structure from a psychosocietal perspective. We describe national institutions such as universities and corporations and explain who succeeds in these settings and how the members of these groups are no more than a gathering of those with the Compulsive Personality. As contrasted with other current books on personality or society, I have written a psychosocietal work that profiles the complete personality of this person and their niche to reveal how their ‘Everyman’ commonness contains the telltale signs of their eventual power. My emphasis is on the personality and cognitive attributes of a person who is drawn to a life of intellectual organization and the social avenues that become available to express their singular personality. They could become the are the most controversial people of our time; the most despised and the most revered, but not due to their own making but due to the groups they lead. Their life is a paradox in that they create whirlwinds when they are not living in complete obscurity. As individuals they are the dullest, but as social actors, they are the most outrageous. The point of this book is that social actions do not occur in a personal vacuum. People’s traits ad cognitive styles fill them until they coalesce into a recognizable form which is the shape of a public group. The decision for social action originates under the skin; only later is it exhibited as a public posture. This book reveals the person behind the social action. I will describe the psychological processes and feelings of a breed of individuals as they blend into a group that promotes and creates the dominant institutions in our society. The Compulsive Personality rules. We only try to emulate.

Using a transdiagnostic framework, this book describes how mental health professionals can diagnose and treat OCD and related disorder.

Few syndromes in psychopathology generate as much popular curiosity and clinical exploration as does obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since the 1970s, research on OCD has increased exponentially. Speci?c advances include an improved grasp of the heterogeneity of the disorder, identi?cation of putative subtyping schemes, and the development of increasingly sophisticated theoretical models of the etiology and maintenance. Perhaps most importantly, research has led to advances in treatment; andwhereasthe?rstlinetherapies(cognitive-behaviortherapyandserotonergicm- ication) are not entirely effective for every sufferer, they have transformed OCD from an unmanageable lifetime af?iction into a treatable problem that need not reduce quality of life. Despite the aforementioned advances, there have emerged a number of sharp disagreements concerning OCD. Differences have surfaced over phenomenological issues, etiological models, and approaches to treatment, and often occur (but not exclusively) along disciplinary lines between biologically oriented and cogniti- behaviorally oriented authorities. For example, medical approaches posit that abn- mal biological processes cause OCD, whereas psychosocial formulations emphasize the role of learning and dysfunctional cognitions. Yet because theoretical conjecture andempirical?ndingsfromwithineachtraditionaretypicallyaddressedtowardd- tinct and narrow audiences, clinicians, researchers, and students with broad interests are hindered from gaining a clear grasp of the diverse (and sometimes polarized) perspectives.

The Oxford Handbook of Obsessive Compulsive and Spectrum Disorders reviews current literature on obsessive compulsive disorder and its associated spectrum conditions -- body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding, trichotillomania, tic disorders, and Tourette's Syndrome. Authored by leading experts in these fields, these 27 chapters summarize and synthesize current findings, providing an authoritative guide for practice and research in this unique subject area. With sections dedicated to phenomenology and epidemiology, biological features, genetic factors, neurological features, and cognitive processing models for understanding how people with OCD and spectrum conditions respond to information. Authors then examine family and social relationships and personality features, and how these factors can affect an individual with an OC spectrum disorder, especially older adults, children, and adolescents. Theoretical models for understanding these disorders and newer experimental therapies for treating them are also presented. A final chapter examines some of the most challenging research issues and understudied aspects of these psychiatric problems, especially hoarding, with hopes that this volume will encourage original research performed by practitioners.

The Wiley Handbook of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, 2 volume set, provides a comprehensive reference on the phenomenology, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of OCD and OCD-related conditions throughout the lifespan and across cultures. Provides the most complete and up-to-date information on the highly diverse spectrum of OCD-related issues experienced by individuals through the lifespan and cross-culturally Covers OCD-related conditions including Tourette’s syndrome, excoriation disorder, trichotillomania, hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and many others OCD and related conditions present formidable challenges for both research and practice, with few studies having moved beyond the most typical contexts and presentations Includes important material on OCD and related conditions in young people and older adults, and across a range of cultures with diverse social and religious norms

Arguably one of the most complex emotional disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is surprisingly common. Furthermore, most people at some time in their lives exhibit a smattering of OCD-like symptoms. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder For Dummies sorts out the otherwise curious and confusing world of obsessive compulsive disorder. Engaging and comprehensive, it explains the causes of OCD and describes the rainbow of OCD symptoms. The book shows readers whether OCD symptoms represent normal and trivial concerns (for example, a neat freak) or something that should be checked out by a mental health professional (for example, needing to wash hands so often that they become raw and red). In easy to understand steps, the authors lay out the latest treatments that have been proven to work for this disorder, and provide practical and real tools for living well long-term. Whether you or someone you care about has this disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder For Dummies gives you an empathic understanding of this fascinating yet treatable mental disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects approximately one person in 40 and causes great suffering. Effective treatments are available that can help many, and our understanding of the psychology, neurobiology, and clinical treatment of the disorder has advanced dramatically over the past 25 years. Nevertheless, much remains to be learned, and a substantial minority of patients benefit little even from the best treatments we have to offer today. This volume provides the first comprehensive summary of the state of the field, summarizing topics ranging from genetics and neurobiology through cognitive psychology, clinical treatment, related conditions, societal implications, and personal experiences of patients and clinicians. This book is unique in its comprehensive coverage that extends far beyond the realm of cognitive-behavioral therapy. As such it will serve as a valuable introduction to those new to the field, a fascinating resource for OCD suffers and their families, and an essential reference for students, clinicians, and researchers.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is probably the psychiatric disorder for which most significant progress has been made on the last 20 years concerning pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions. A number of studies have shown that OCD is much more prevalent than previously thought, occurring in an estimated 2% of the adult population around the world. A serious discrepancy still exists between research evidence and clinical practice and an update of this evidence and an international debate on it, as provided by this volume, is long overdue. This revised edition provides vital information on a considerably underdiagnosed condition. * Provides accompanying commentaries by an outstanding line up of contributors * Covers developments in diagnosis, therapy, prognosis, economic evaluation and quality improvement * Provides an unbiased and reliable reference point

In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Uncertainty: Struggling with a Shadow of a Doubt, Moshe Marcus and Steven Tuber examine the structural and intrapsychic features of the self as presented within OCD compulsive doubting, and more broadly, within OCD compulsions. Marcus and Tuber further elucidate central object-relational paradigms within OCD doubting and suggest a broader framework that can be used to consider the interplay between both the cognitive as well as the affective components required to make judgments.