Charles H. Elliott - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies

by Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D. and Laura L. Smith, Ph.D.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies

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Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936636

ISBN: 978-0-470-29331-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Charles H. Elliott , PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a member of the faculty at Fielding Graduate University. He specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, anger, depression, and personality disorders. Dr. Elliott has authored many professional articles and book chapters in the area of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He presents nationally and internationally on new developments in the assessment and therapy of emotional disorders. Dr. Elliott and Dr. Laura L. Smith are coauthors of Seasonal Affective Disorder For Dummies, Anxiety & Depression Workbook For Dummies, Depression For Dummies , and Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies , all published by Wiley, as well as Hollow Kids: Recapturing the Soul of a Generation Lost to the Self-Esteem Myth (Prima Lifestyles), and Why Cant I Be the Parent I Want to Be? (New Harbinger Publications). He also is coauthor of Why Cant I Get What I Want? (a Behavioral Science Book Club selection from Davies-Black Publishing).

Laura L. Smith , PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as personality disorders, depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and learning disorders. She is often asked to provide consultations to attorneys, school districts, and governmental agencies. She presents workshops on cognitive therapy and mental-health issues to national and international audiences. Dr. Smith is a widely published author of articles and books for the profession and the public, including those coauthored with Dr. Elliott.

The work of Drs. Elliott and Smith has been featured in various periodicals including Family Circle, Parents, Child , and Better Homes and Gardens , as well as popular publications like the New York Post, the Washington Times, the Daily Telegraph (London) , and the Christian Science Monitor . They have been invited speakers at numerous conferences, including the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the National Association of School Psychologists. They have appeared on television networks such as CNN and Canada AM, and, in radio, they are often featured as experts on various NPR programs as well as You the Owners Manual Radio Show and The Four Seasons Radio Show. They have committed their professional lives to making the science of psychology relevant and accessible to the public.

Drs. Smith and Elliott are available for speaking engagements, expert interviews, and workshops. You can visit their Web site at www.PsychAuthors.com.

Dedication

To Joey, who helped build our coyote fence, inspired our efforts, and always gave us a laugh when we desperately needed one.

Authors Acknowledgments

Wed like to thank our excellent editors at Wiley: Project Editor Stephen Clark, Acquisitions Editor Lindsay Lefevere, and Copy Editor Christy Pingleton, as well as our agents Elizabeth and Ed Knappman.

We also want to thank our publicity and marketing team, which included David Hobson and Adrienne Fountain at Wiley and our personal publicist, Diane Lewis of Common Sense Consulting.

We appreciate the hard work of Erika Hansen for helping us track voluminous amounts of literature about OCD. Thanks to Scott Love of Softek, LLC for his usual care and expertise in keeping our computers running and our Web site humming. Thanks to Trevor Wolfe for giving us feedback and updating our knowledge of current culture.

We want to thank Deborah Wearn and Pamela Hargrove for their support and encouragement as well as helping us to see that the time was right for an encore career as authors.

To Drs. Brad Richards and Jeanne Czajka from the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque, thanks for listening to our compulsive jabbering about obsessive-compulsive disorder. Oh, and thanks for the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild!