Archive for Health
Tiger Woods, Sex Addiction, and OCD
This is the first of a two-part series that discusses the differences between sex addiction and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Lately, sex addiction has become a hot topic in the news. Certainly, the biggest factor in this explosion of interest has been the revelation that Tiger Woods has had a seemingly infinite number of extra-marital affairs, and subsequent reports that he is undergoing treatment for sex addiction.
Is Sex Addiction OCD?
Every so often, the OCD Center of Los Angeles receives a call from a prospective client looking for treatment for sex addiction. These individuals (or their spouses) call us because they believe, or more frequently, have been told by previous therapists, that their sexual behavior is evidence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). And invariably, they are surprised and confused when I inform them that sex addiction has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with OCD. › Continue reading
Latisse and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
In late 2008, the drug Lumigan, originally developed to treat glaucoma, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be prescribed as an eyelash enhancer. It seems that one of the side effects of the glaucoma drug, now called Latisse when marketed for eyelash enhancement, is eyelash growth. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Latisse is being prescribed by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and day spa physicians to women who want to increase the length and fullness of their lashes.
Is this a good thing? One of the most common issues we see in our clients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is excessive focus on the appearance of their eyes, including their eyelashes. Latisse plays right into this common BDD concern. › Continue reading
Proposed DSM-5 Changes for OCD and Anxiety Disorders
There have long been rumblings that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) was undertaking a thorough review of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The ostensible goal of such a review would be to create a more accurate and in-depth edition of the DSM, which was last updated in 1994.
After ten years of ongoing debate, the numerous APA work groups investigating potential revisions to various diagnoses and categories to be included in a planned fifth edition have presented their suggestions to the APA. Some of these changes are likely to be as controversial as current classifications in the DSM-IV, while others will pass barely noticed into the new DSM-5 (for example, the switch away from Roman numerals in the title). A number of these proposed changes directly impact conditions treated here at the OCD Center of Los Angeles. To wit: › Continue reading
Reassurance Seeking in OCD and Related Conditions
People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) who experience the pain and terror brought on by unwanted intrusive thoughts will use whatever means necessary to alleviate their discomfort. If they can’t make themselves feel sure about something internally, they reach out to the nearest person who they think can do it for them. If they are unavailable, the person with OCD will often reach out to the cold, unforgiving internet where the answers they hope not to find will always be waiting. › Continue reading
Phobia Treatment in Unconventional Settings
Anyone with a phobia knows what it is like to feel terrified of something that most people take for granted. Whether it be cynophobia (fear of dogs), hemophobia (fear of blood), or claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), the presentation is basically the same – when faced with the event, object or situation that is the focus of their fear, the individual with the phobia is often terrified to the point of experiencing a panic attack. › Continue reading
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Cosmetic Surgery
Recently, a friend suggested I read Bodies, the most recent book by Susie Orbach. I had not previously heard of this book, but even a casual reading of the synopsis on Amazon confirms what we see every day at the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Between our clients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and the thousands (millions?) of cosmetic procedures that are basically the norm here in Los Angeles, it is painfully obvious that many people not only dislike their bodies, but are willing to undergo painful, expensive surgeries in an effort to reduce their insecurities. › Continue reading
OCD & Anxiety: The Year 2009 in Review
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety were in the news throughout 2009. Some news was good, some bad, and some flat-out ugly. Here are our votes for the top stories of the year related to OCD, Social Anxiety, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Trichotillomania, Phobias, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): › Continue reading
Emetophobia and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The OCD Center of Los Angeles often receives calls from people seeking treatment for various phobias. One of the most common phobias we treat is emetophobia – the intense fear of vomit and/or vomiting.
Most people who call us with emetophobia are initially quite surprised to learn that this problem has a name, and often equally surprised to learn that they are not the only person in the world to suffer with it. › Continue reading
OCD and Mental Checking
If you are faced with the challenge of Pure Obsessional OCD (also known as “Pure O”), then chances are you’ve completed your first round of obsessions and compulsions before you’ve even gotten out of bed each day. Before you open your eyes, the wheels in your OCD machine start turning, and a sort of science fiction scan of your brain begins searching for evidence of “it”. Whatever “it” is, “it” is sure to be in there somewhere. › Continue reading
Hypochondria and Health Anxiety in the 21st Century
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Lately, the OCD Center seems to be getting more and more calls from people suffering with Hypochondria, also known as Health Anxiety. Many in the public, as well as many physicians, don’t take Hypochondria very seriously. Their attitude is often that this is not a “real” problem, and that people with Health Anxiety are simply being neurotic or seeking attention. Numerous physicians I have spoken to have complained that patients with Hypochondria use a dramatically disproportionate share of doctors’ limited time. › Continue reading
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