From Nathan Peterson, LCSW, the #1 OCD content provider on YouTube, a guide to breaking free from the disease, offering the latest evidence-based strategies for recovery "A must-read for people with OCD and for those who want to understand the condition better." --
Library Journal Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the most common, and debilitating, mental disorders. Though popular media tends to focus on the condition's zany quirks, OCD manifests in a wide variety of ways, many of which are hidden from view and utterly destructive. Left unchecked, this disease wreaks havoc on lives.
But there is an effective treatment. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) involves exposure to OCD triggers in a safe environment for increasingly long durations. Nathan Peterson, a clinician who specializes in using ERP to treat OCD, has already helped hundreds of thousands of followers regain control over their lives. Here, he guides readers through the magic of ERP and gives them a framework to maintain and build upon the gains they have made. Readers will learn:
- The inner workings of the OCD loop: intrusive thoughts, anxiety, compulsions, temporary relief, repeat
- The tricks, lies, and sneakiness OCD uses to stay around
- Why all OCD "themes"--from repetitive checking to contamination fears to a fixation on self-harm--play on the same regions of the brain and are treated the same way
- How you can starve your OCD of the attention it needs to survive
- And so much more
Peterson guides readers through the process of recovery, from session one to graduation. He offers actionable steps and accompanying worksheets to help you get better. No matter where you are on your OCD journey, you need this book.
