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News & Events
Select a Story below- 19 February 2012 Should OCD be Removed from Anxiety Disorders in DSM-5?
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19 February 2012
Should OCD be Removed from Anxiety Disorders in DSM-5?
Obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD) is currently listed under anxiety disorders in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). However, the upcoming revised edition of the DSM proposes removing OCD from this category and listing it under the heading of related OCD conditions, which include body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) tic disorders, eating disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, trichotillomania, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and other impulse disorders, such as kleptomania. This is of great concern to many mental health experts who believe that OCD is a genetically inherent in individuals with a family history of anxiety.
- 16 February 2012 The Therapist May See You Anytime, Anywhere-Therapy Apps
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16 February 2012
The Therapist May See You Anytime, Anywhere-Therapy Apps
Researchers have been testing simple video-game-like programs aimed at relieving common problems like anxiety and depression. These recent results have been encouraging enough that investigators are now delivering the programs on smartphones — therapy apps. Well-designed apps could reach millions of people who lack the means or interest to engage in traditional therapy and need more than the pop mysticism, soothing thoughts or confidence boosters now in use.
“That is what makes the idea so promising,” said Richard McNally, a psychologist at Harvard whose lab recently completed a study of 338 people using a simple program accessible on their smartphones. “But there are big questions about how it could work, and how robust the effect really is.” - 07 February 2012 Scrupulosity: What It Is and Why It Needs to be Treated
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07 February 2012
Scrupulosity: What It Is and Why It Needs to be Treated
A sufferer recalls: My bedtime prayers lasted longer than those recited by Benedictine monks; by the second grade, I had read the Bible start to finish (a few times by the fourth grade); I attended daily Mass, walking there on my own each day; and every Good Friday I would go down to my dad’s den in the basement and stay there for five hours as I prayed the all of the mysteries of the rosary.”
Confession and all the rites of the major religions can be a beautiful thing, and lead to a deeper faith and a sense of love and hope. However, for someone prone to OCD, these rituals can become weapons.
