Again and Again

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Web Sites

"Having OCD is like being allergic to life -
every waking moment is spent in
a state of mental hyper-sensitivity."

On This Page	On Separate Pages
First of All   Obsessional Medals of Honor Arts/Entertainment/Media Humor Inspiration Miscellaneous Treatment Tourette Syndrome Trichotillomania Other Mental Health Resources	Articles, Books, Fiction, Poetry, and Papers Chat Rooms, Forums, Blogs, and More Children and Education Doctors and Clinics Music Organizations and Support Groups Personal Web Pages Religion

First of All

If you're new to the OCD world, seeking information and help for yourself, a loved one, or a friend:

• Visit the web sites of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (OCF) (USA), its affiliates (USA), and similar organizations in other countries.
• Contact an OCD support group near you. Even if you don't join the group, the contact person may be able to direct you to other resources in your area.
• Find professional help: a psychiatrist for medication and/or a psychologist for behavior therapy. Search the OCF's free Treatment Providers List for OCD specialists in your area. My Doctors and Clinics page lists OCD professionals I have found on the web. Not all psychiatrists and psychologists are knowledgeable about OCD, so learn as much as you can beforehand about OCD and its treatment. Cherlene Pedrick's OCD Online Course #987 provides a very readable, comprehensive overview of diagnosis, treatment, and other aspects of the disorder. And Dr. Michael Jenike's "How to Choose a Behavior Therapist" applies equally as well to psychiatrists administering drug treatments.
• ... more when I think of it ...

The experts speak at Expert Consensus Guidelines:

• "Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" is a collection of guidelines, presented in tables and text, for selecting various types of treatment for OCD. The target audience is professionals in the field. The list of experts who drew up the guidelines reads like a Who's Who of OCD research.
• "A Guide for Patients and Families" provides an in-depth look at what OCD is and how it is treated.

An exceptional site:

• Tourette Syndrome "Plus" - Dr. Leslie Packer. An incredible, very big, but well-organized site that covers Tourette Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, "rage attacks", mood disorders, and autistic/Asperger's disorder. For each disorder, you'll find original writings by Dr. Packer (coming out of her clinical practice and from her own experience raising a child with TS), information on diagnosis and treatment, extensive bibliographies, and links to other resources.
  
  If you are the parent of a child with one or more of the above disorders, please take note of the Education page. The articles on this page, some aimed at parents and some aimed at teachers, should prove invaluable to parents seeking to get the educational help for their children that the children need, deserve, and are legally entitled to.

An online course for nurses that provides a thorough overview of OCD:

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Online Course #987 - by Cherlene S.M. Pedrick, RN. Given the article's readability and the amount of information it gathers into one place, I would suggest that this is highly recommended reading for anyone (patient, family members, and friends) first setting out to seek medical/psychiatric help for OCD.
  • My Experience with OCD
  • What is OCD?
  • Etiology and Diagnosis
  • Symptoms of OCD
  • A Closer Look
  • Treatment of OCD (medication, BT, CT, and CBT)
  • Psychotherapy
  • OCD in Children and Adolescents
  • Pregnancy and OCD
  • Comorbidity
  • Family Support
  • The Nurse's Role
  • OCD on the Job

Finally, where would we be without NIMH?

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• National Library of Medicine (NLM) MedlinePlus:
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - links to OCD information.
  • Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo - the above, in Spanish.

Obsessional Medals of Honor

• Chris Vertullo - founder and moderator of the OCD-L mailing list. She has also initiated and been involved in other OCD-related activities (Wayback Machine):
  • Hudson Valley Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Conference,
  • 1999 MaristScope blurb, and
  • holding a $45,000 check!
  A colleague at Marist College in 1997, Dan J. Stein, M.D., Ph.D., wrote a paper about the OCD-L mailing list: "Psychiatry on the Internet: Survey of an OCD Mailing List" (abstract, with a link to the paper in PDF format).

• Fairlight - hosted the original OCD web site. The site has been permanently discontinued. (Wayback Machine)

• Dr. James Claiborn - is a long-time participant on the OCD-L mailing list and, formerly, the alt.support.ocd newsgroup. (Interview transcript: "How to Help Patients with OCD") Also see his listing on my "OCD Doctor and Clinics" page.

Arts/Entertainment/Media

• BBC Video Nation - "OCD" - Mark Boustead, a film maker, "explains what living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is like and how it manifests itself for him". (March 2004; available in RealPlayer format)

Arts

• Nelli Miller's I Am: An Exploration into Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - (This site is now gone. The links are to archived pages in the Wayback Machine; some of the artwork, poetry, and real-life stories are still available for viewing.) Art and poetry "by sufferers, for other sufferers". The site also features real-life stories and a CD of OCD-related "music, readings and interviews". This is a beautiful site with one drawback: the poetry and stories are in individual PDF files, making them awkward to download and read.
• OCD: an exhibition at the Boston Center for the Arts (Wayback Machine) - "OCD delves into the phenomena with eight artists for whom obsession and compulsion are both the subject and the method of their work ..." (March 19 through May 7, 2004)
• OCD PROJECT - is a blog documenting various OCD projects by Lil Yates when she was a Product Design Student in her final year at Grays School of Art. Some really great stuff!
• Kirk Stacey's pure-ocd: Taking a look into the world of OCD - is an interesting and unusual site that uses fictional short stories, scripts, and photographs to promote awareness of OCD, its different manifestations, and how it affects the lives of sufferers. (Other art by Kirk.)

Magic

• Steven Diamond - is a Las Vegas magician who suffered from OCD. His web site features his autobiography, video clips of a Jane Pauley interview, and an audio course he's developed for overcoming anxiety disorders.

Movies

• As Good As It Gets (IMDB) - Jack Nicholson as Melvin and Helen Hunt as Carol. (Quotes and sound bites from the movie.) Melvin:

  Some of us have great stories. Pretty stories, that take place at lakes, with boats and friends, and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good.

• Dirty Filthy Love (Wayback Machine) (IMDB) - "an offbeat romantic comedy ... [about] a man with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Tourette's Syndrome negotiating his way through divorce and redundancy." From Roger Darlington (Wayback Machine): "The piece was co-written by actor Ian Puleston-Davies who suffers from OCD himself."

• Matchstick Men (IMDB) - stars Nicolas Cage as a con man, Roy, who suffers from OCD, Tourette's, and other anxiety disorders. The plot has an interesting twist at the end. The OCD seems a little contrived and is inconsistent in places, but how can you not like Cage!

• The Tic Code (IMDB) - is about a 10-year-old aspiring jazz musician with Tourette's. I haven't seen the movie yet.

• Unstrung Heroes (IMDB) - is based on Franz Lidz's memoir of his family. I haven't seen the movie yet, but the two uncles apparently suffer from OCD. (A review of another Lidz book says Uncle Arthur was a hoarder.)

• Blue Skies Are a Lie - written and directed by Gregory Ruzzin. Screened by the OCF at the First Annual Mental Disorders Film Festival, the movie is about an agoraphobic who is also apparently obsessed with "keeping files on the earth's destruction" (Wayback Machine).
• It's Not Me -- It's My OCD - a documentary about OCD. (ISBN: 1-58140-338-0)
• Red Light August (IMDB) - a 30-minute "story of Boothe, a reclusive young painter suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)". (OCF review)
• The Surface (Wayback Machine) - a short film by Adam Bernard about a teenager with OCD. (OCF review)

Multimedia

• "Closed In" - "Experimental Narrative about OCD Shut-in". (QuickTime movie; filmed by Nathan Heartman)
• "React - "an ocd person learns to overcome". (QuickTime movie; produced by Nathan Springer.)

• NOBODIES - podcasts from Jason and Kelli; they occasionally talk about Kelli's OCD.

People

• 12 obsessive celebs - a life less disorder-nary - lists 12 celebrities and the nature of their OCD. The celebrities include Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba, Billy Bob Thornton, David Beckham, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Gascoigne, Jane Horrocks, Natalie Appleton, Fred Durst, and Woody Allen.

• "Fiona Apple and the horrors of OCD" - the musician. "But real OCD is, as Apple herself pointed out, a debilitating problem that can ruin your life."
• "Denise Richards Is A Happy Germ Nut" - the actress.
• Howard Stern and Stuttering John (Wayback Machine) both suffer from OCD.
• Marc Summers - "The Sultan of Slime", despite his OCD!

Radio

• BBC Radio 4 - All in the Mind - Dr. Raj Persaud explored OCD in the April 10, 2002 airing of the program (available in RealAudio format). He talked with someone about First Steps to Freedom and with Dr. Isobel Heyman about OCD in children.
• "Obsesive Compulive Disorder" [sic] - "Chris [Moyles] talks to Jimmy Carr about OCD. (MP3 from The Breakfast Show, 2005-11-15)
• Ireland's RTÉ Radio 1:
  • "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" - was the subject of Olan McGowan's very interesting Outside the Box show on May 9, 2006. McGown interviews soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife, both of whom suffer from OCD, and OCD professionals Leslie Shoemaker (counseling psychologist and advisor to OCD Ireland) and Sinclair Hamilton (psychotherapist and advisor to OCD Northern Ireland).
  • On the November 1, 2006 broadcast of The Tubridy Show, Anton Savage interviews Leslie Shoemaker (see above), Dr. Martina Gibbons (cognitive psychotherapist and director of the Out and About Association), and an OCD sufferer, David Quinn. The OCD segment begins about 32 minutes into the one-hour show and lasts for about 17 minutes.
  • "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" - is a poignant and informative program (MP3) in Ella McSweeney's Mind Matters series. The OCD professionals featured on the May 11, 2007 show are Leslie Shoemaker (see above) and Paul M. Salkovskis, Ph.D. (clinical psychologist and researcher).

Theater

• The Intelligence of Jenny Chow (Wayback Machine) - a play by Rolin Jones about a teenage computer guru with OCD. (Review)

Television

• Monk - is a humorous TV series starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, a detective with OCD. Check out the on-line game, "Germicide. The message board includes discussions of OCD.

And don't forget the cartoons! In one of Nickelodeon's Rugrats episodes (#59B, "Mr. Clean"), Chuckie won't play in the trash with the other babies because of his fear of germs. At the end of the show, however - realizing that life's too short, I guess - he does a little exposure therapy of his own, plunging into the trash and having fun.

And Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory! The following posting to the alt.tv.dexter-lab news group was apparently referring to Episode 35 of the second season (#48 in the series), "Pslyghtly Psycho" (Wayback Machine):

I just saw one of the most incredible segments on Dexter's Laboratory. In it, the mother is deprived of her gloves and told to relax by her kids and husband. This has to be one of the most perceptive looks into obsessive-compulsive disorders I have ever seen. The creators of this show should be proud. (thread)

Comedy Central's adult-oriented Crank Yankers puppet show includes OCD Ken (voice of Kevin Nealon):

Here's suprwmn3000's account (Wayback Machine) of Saturday Night Live's "Compulsion" commercial:

Did you ever see the SNL take-off on Calvin Klein's "Obsession"? Nora Dunn is the main character, Phil Hartman the narrator and I can't remember the rest but it is priceless! Done just like the CK commercial of the time, shot with black & white backgrounds and I remember a couple of the lines because they were sooooo funny:

"If keeping a clean house is a crime, then let me be guilty!" (Nora Dunn?)

"Somewhere between cleanliness and godliness lies Compulsion, the world's most indulgent disinfectant. From Calvin Kleen." (Phil Hartman?)

Humor

Psychological disorders are not to be taken lightly, but, like some, I am a strong believer in laughter being the best medicine (or at least up there with the SSRIs!). Different people have different senses of humor, however, so skip this section if the thought of OCD jokes bothers you.

"I can't marry someone with OCD, because then he wouldn't be able to carry me over the threshold!" (My daughter, when she was 10 or 11, and who had trouble crossing thresholds.)

• The Ask Fluffy Archives - treating Feline OCD with Purrzac!
• Attainable Affirmations!
• Dr. Katz: Cyber-Therapist (Wayback Machine) - includes a couple of OCD references.
• Exceptional Learner (Wayback Machine) - the web site for an education course taught at Bowling Green State University, had some OCD links and a brief review of As Good As It Gets. It was a serious site, but I, at least, had to laugh: my page is listed as "created by the Alex Measday Organization"! I accept compliments wherever I can find them and no matter how untruthful!
• Johnny Depp Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - reveals a top-secret memo about a disorder, JDOCD, found only among Johnny Depp fans. A sharp increase in the incidence of JDOCD was noted in July 2003, coincidentally the same month that Pirates of the Caribbean was released. One doctor has reported some success with Exposure Response-Prevention (ERP) therapy in the form of repeated viewings of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• Mensans and Their Obsessions - a must read! Mensans with OCD get together and compare their symptoms; from coping with round waffles to turning upside-down cakes right-side up, it'll have you "rolling on the floor with laughter".
• "Oh, What a Beautiful OCD Morning!" - sung to the tune from the Oklahoma! musical.
• "The Plague of Tics" - is a reading by David Sedaris from his book, Naked. The passage chosen is a semi-humorous, semi-serious description of his childhood struggles with OCD. (MP3 and RealAudio formats)
• "Pooh Suffers 'Psychological Problems'" - Winnie the Pooh obsessed with honey?
• Smiles For You - check out #70. (I think it's #70 ... maybe I better count again!)
• 10 Signs That You Might Be Obsessive-Compulsive (scroll down) - by S. Michael Pettey.

• Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
• Managed Care Jokes - from Northern County Psychiatric Associates (see Doctors and Clinics).

• Forrest Maready's The OCD Alien - "An Alien Observes the Human User Experience". OCD-related postings are found under OCD & the APE-heads. (APE stands for Adult Picky Eaters, referring to people with food- and diet-related OCD.) Forrest's postings, on both OCD and non-OCD topics, are hilarious and will be sure to brighten your day. Go read.

Some additional humor collected over time:

Neurotics build castles in the sky, psychotics live in them, OCD'ers clean them, and psychiatrists collect the rent.

"There's nothing wrong with you that can't be cured with a little Prozac and a polo mallet." (Woody Allen in Manhattan Murder Mystery)

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.

I am going to the Orlando [OCD] conference. I went to the one in San Jose. I wonder if the hotel people have complained about us after we left town. Can you imagine the water bill with all the showers? Or the extra toilet paper and soap? Do they get extra questions and little reminders about needed repairs from us checkers? They might like some of us though, if we obsessively clean or tidy up the lobby. (Cherry Pedrick in an OCD-L posting.)

How can you tell if there's an OCDer attending a Catholic church? ... There is soap near the Holy Water! (Courtesy of One Cool Dude, Wayback Machine.)

I have both ADD and OCD. Which means I keep forgetting to check. (Courtesy of standup comic Erik Passoja.)

Unintentional OCD humor, but not a bad idea! Or maybe it would just make things worse for "checkers" ... :(

Perhaps one should build such a web-server into each stove and into the bath, so that people can use their cell phone on holidays to check repeatedly (every three minutes?) if they really turned their stove off. ("A Web-Server in Forth", by Bernd Paysan.)

Inspiration

A new category - I'll have to go back and seek out other inspirational pages I've visited in the past!

• Doctor Curt: Motivation (Wayback Machine) - motivational quotes.
• OCD-Plus Inspirations - inspirational quotes.
• Peter's Laws: The Creed of the Sociopathic Obsessive Compulsive - is listed at joke sites all over the Internet, but it's more inspirational than funny.
• "Mental Health for Teens: Positive Ways to Cope!" (Wayback Machine) - by Elizabeth Drucker.
• Surviving My Thoughts (Wayback Machine)

• "Hell To Pay" - a song by Jeff Healey that reminds me, at least, to count my blessings.

Jackie's signature line, from an OCD-L posting:

Face the sun, and the shadows will fall behind you.

Miscellaneous

• Dr. Henrietta Leonard - the noted pediatric OCD/TS researcher - RIP.

• Diseases Explained Online - sells wall posters, patient booklets, and leaflets about various diseases.
• Frequently Asked Questions About Women's Health - has an OCD article. (Compiled by the National Women's Health Information Center.)
• Steve George - has a large list of OCD links.
• MentalHelp.net: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - has some useful information on OCD, as well as a wider range of mental health-related resources at the home page.
• OCD World: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - is one of a series of United Kingdom web pages: "www.disorder-world.org.uk". Aside for some brief information about each specific disorder and the lists of recommended books, the sites share the remaining content: user's stories, forums/journals (which require registration to read), resources, etc. The "Find A Therapist" (United Kingdom only) feature is not free, although the payment (£40!) can apparently be applied to your first visit to a therapist found via this method.
• WebMD - searching on "ocd" produces a long list of brief articles or abstracts and archived chat room messages.

• Clean Hands Campaign - is a public education campaign sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. "According to the CDC, the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others is to clean our hands."
• HyGenius - is a commercial "state-of-the-art hand washing control and verification system".

• Dr. Magoo's Case #4: Just Checking (Wayback Machine) - was one of 7 informative, on-line case studies for an undergraduate psychology class at Dalhousie University. Each case study, including this one on OCD, had separate pages for an overview of the case, diagnosis, epidemiology, family and social factors, biology, normal development, treatment, references, and related cases.
• "How does paruresis differ from OCD?" (Wayback Machine) - was a posting on an IPA Talk Forum about Avoidant Paruresis (Bashful Bladder) and OCD.
• Mental Disorder and Seven-Eleven: Brain Freeze Without the Slurpee (Wayback Machine)

• Miguel Irizarry - displays artwork by a Puerto Rican artist with serious physical problems, as well as OCD.
• Magic Stream - an on-line journal "combining an [sic] holistic approach to health, nutrition, and psychology with emotional wellness". It has a page of links to OCD sites, as well as stories about depression and other disorders.
• Kate Majewski (Wayback Machine) - has good taste in literature and an interest in OCD research.
• Obsessive/Compulsive - no relation to OCD.
• Obsessive Compulsive Fund (Wayback Machine) - asked for artwork, proceeds from the sale of which would benefit OCD somehow or another. The page has a copyright date of 1994.
• Past Life Research and OCD

Treatment

Behavior Therapy

• "How to Choose a Behavior Therapist" - read this article by Dr. Michael Jenike before choosing or visiting a behavior therapist.
• "What to Look For in a Therapist for OCD" - is another useful article posted by Lori Riddle-Walker, a behavior therapist.

• Anxieties.com - is a self-help site run by Dr. Reid Wilson, co-author with Dr. Edna Foa of Stop Obsessing! How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions. Although Dr. Wilson hopes you'll also buy the book, the web site contains detailed (and readable) instructions for the treatment program (OCD) advocated in the book. A very useful site - visit it. (And buy the book!)
• OCD Center of Los Angeles (OCDLA) - was founded by Tom Corboy, MFT, and specializes in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for OCD and related anxiety disorders. The web site provides excellent overviews of OCD and related disorders, CBT, and the Center's own treatment and support programs. In addition, the site has links to organizations, research centers, clinics, and support groups around the world - well, at least in the USA, Canada, and the UK!
• OCD HOTLINE - is operated by Dr. Steven Brodsky, a clinical psychologist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for OCD, phobias, and panic disorder. A unique feature of his site is reflected in its title: you can submit questions to him by E-mail or by phone and receive confidential replies.
• OCDCentre - treats OCD using a program developed by India Haylor and Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz (of Brain Lock fame). Individual treatment programs can be conducted on-line, by telephone, or in person. The center also has a companion blog, OCDCentre Blog. (London, UK)
• San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy - has some useful articles on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for OCD, trichotillomania, depression, and panic disorder.
• Your Greater Good - "a joint outreach project of author Jeff Bell and The Anxiety Center of Sacramento, aiming to offer a new perspective on proven strategies in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety-related conditions."

• Boss Back OCD - "We focus on an evidence based treatment method for mastering OCD: CBT and ERP." The home page is a little busy, but if you take your time, you can find useful information about and links to useful information about treating OCD, especially childhood OCD, with behavior therapy. There is an associated Yahoo! on-line forum, BossBackOCD. Of special note on the web site is the offering of an inexpensive but nice-looking computer program, BossBack Journal™, that is especially aimed at recording and monitoring the progress of an individual through his/her CBT/ERP program. Originally written for a child with OCD, the Windows-only program seems (to me at least!) like it would be helpful for adults as well.

• Anti-Zwangs-Training - "Ein virtueller Co-Therapeut für die Behandlung von Zwangsstörungen". This appears to be computer-asssisted behavior therapy featuring the animated "Brainy". Programmed by Andreas Seebeck for Dr. Christoph Wölk. The web site has links to videos of TV shows that discuss the therapy program and there is a demo movie of the computer program by itself. All in German, unfortunately for me!
• BossBack Journal™ - is an inexpensive but nice-looking computer software aimed at recording and monitoring the progress of an individual through his/her CBT/ERP program.
• OC-Fighter: Online OCD Treatment - CCBT (Computer-aided Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), derived from the Maudsley BTSteps program.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy for Spider Phobia - describes computer-aided exposure therapy for various phobias. Of special interest is the story of "Miss Muffet", whose OCD revolved around spiders. (University of Washington, Human Interface Technology Lab)

Medicines

• OCD Medication: Adults - answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about OCD drugs, by Dr. Michael Jenike.
• OCD Medication: Children - is an in-depth introduction to the use of drugs to treat OCD in children. (Compiled by J. Jay Fruehling, M.A.)

• eMedExpert.com - Comprehensive Information on Prescription Drugs - is, as it says, a source of comprehensive information on drugs. The site also has some interesting articles, such as, for example, "Comparison of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)". (Like other articles of this nature, the author(s) quickly slip into using the generic names of drugs, so I found myself frequently referring back to the brand name equivalencies at the beginning of the article.)

• Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (AzCERT) - is "an independent research and education center whose mission is to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce adverse events caused by drug interactions and drugs that prolong the QT interval". The site has a detailed list of drugs for which prolonged QT intervals or Torsades de Pointes have been reported as side effects; a second list is of additional drugs - potential triggers - that susceptible patients should avoid.

• Celexa (citalopram HBr)
• Paxil (paroxetine HCl) - the "Paxil Mental Health Weather Station", with panic disorder represented by a severe lightning, depression by relentless rain, and OCD by a swirling hurricane! (Warning: Beware of Paxil withdrawal; if you're going off of Paxil, do so very gradually. See Quitpaxil.info for more information.)
• Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride)

Neurosurgery

• Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery Cingulotomy Unit (Boston, MA, USA)
• Neurosurgical Medical Clinic, Inc. - has OCD in its list of neurosurgical diseases, but the link takes you to a non-existent page. (San Diego, CA, USA)
• "Psychosurgery: Remembering the Tragedy of lobotomy - lists a number of articles when you search their archive for "obsessive-compulsive disorder". The site used to host "Psychosurgery for obsessive-compulsive disorder - concerns remain" (PDF) (Wayback Machine) - by Susanne Bejerot in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (2003: 107: 241-243).

Brain Stimulation

"How could I possibly be depressed after becoming a human transistor? I think I've finally found meaning and purpose in life."   -  jczer68 on Digg

• "New Methods of Brain Stimulation (ECT, MST, TMS, VNS and DBS) Are Improving OCD Research and Therapy" - Mark S. George, M.D. reviews various forms of "minimally invasive brain stimulation" (MIBS) techniques. (CNS Spectrums, 2000)

• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
  • "Deep Brain Stimulation as Depression Treatment" - is a Slashdot discussion (April 27, 2006) about "the application of DBS therapy in the treatment of intractable depression and OCD". The discussion is very interesting in that it includes (i) postings from people who don't know much about depression and OCD, and (ii) responses from people who live with these disorders every day. Naturally, there are a number of comic references to Marvin, the depressed robot in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
  • "Electromagnetic Stimulation Shows Promise For Treatment-Resistant Depression"
  • Medical University of South Carolina

• Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
  • VNS Therapy - sponsored by the manufacturer of the device.
  • Medical University of South Carolina

Alternative Therapies

Look before you leap!

• Inositol
  • Inositol - an overview.
  • "Inositol and Trichotillomania" - is a slightly expanded version of a similar article about inositol and OCD. (Dr. Fred Penzel)
  • The Inositol Reports (Wayback Machine) - is a collection of three papers that describe studies of Inositol in the treatment of depression, panic disorder, and OCD.

• Cure OCD Naturally - using "Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)", "a form of psychological acupressure". A self-help book, 5 Milestones to a Cure to OCD, can be purchased and downloaded in PDF format.
• Dr. Fear - author of Curing Phobias, Shyness, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, apparently via relaxation techniques.
• Help-For Anxiety, Phobias, OCD and Depression - advertises a self-help book, Evolving Self-Confidence, that shows you how to overcome various anxiety disorders by increasing your insight into your problems and increasing your self-confidence. A free 40-page book, Anxiety, Phobias, OCD and Depression, can be downloaded in PDF format.
• The Kundalini Yoga Meditation Video for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - demonstrates various meditation techniques to treat OCD. (OCF review)
• Mary's Herbs & Iridology - takes a very sympathetic look at OCD and suggests dietetic and herbal remedies. Also visit the related OCD Free web site: "Alternative Treatments for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder".
• OCD, FOOD, EXERCISE
• OCD Hypnotherapy
• The Sams Center: Remedial Neurofeedback Training - biofeedback treatment for anxiety disorders, including OCD.
• Thought Field Therapy - think and tap? (TFT practitioners are found at various places on the web; the link is to a Skeptical Inquirer article, "Can We Really Tap Our Problems Away? A Critical Analysis of Thought Field Therapy".)
• When Anxiety Attacks - advertises a self-help audio course on overcoming anxiety disorders. An excellent phone interview with Christopher Gibson, Ph.D. (formerly of the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy?) about two-thirds of the way into the interview. Dr. Gibson provides a more nuanced view of the course than the testimonials on the web site do: he sees possibilities in the course as an adjunct to, not a replacement for, traditional treatment programs.

• Tics 'R Us - information about TS and research on TS compiled by Kevin J. Black, M.D., including "Habit reversal therapy (HRT) for Tourette syndrome".
• Tourette Syndrome Association
  • TSA of Greater Washington
• Tourette Syndrome "Plus" - Dr. Leslie Packer's extensive collection of TS information.

Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) and Similar Disorders

• Trichotillomania Learning Center:
  • Support Groups
  • Treatment Providers

Other Mental Health Resources

• Anxiety
  • Anxiety Treatment Australia - "provides information about anxiety disorders" and their treatment. Maintained by clinical psychologist Catherine Madigan, the web site also offers listings of psychology professionals and support groups in Australia. A sister site, Shyness & Social Anxiety Treatment Australia, focuses on social anxiety.
  • Facts for Health - an information resource for social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Freedom From Fear - anxiety and depression resources.
• Depression
  • COPE - "is a telephone-based eight week, self-help program for people with mild to moderate depression."
  • Depression Central - Dr. Ivan Goldberg.
  • Hypericum and Depression - St. John's wort.
  • McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web - features numerous articles, mental health news, message boards, a chat room, and more.
  • Pendulum Resources - "Bipolar Disorders Portal". A fantastic site.
• Humor
  • Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
  • Managed Care Jokes - compiled by Northern County Psychiatric Associates.
• Panic Disorder
  • Anxiety and Panic Pit Stop - "The Place to find what you want to know about mental illness". Small, and not growing!
  • the Anxiety-Panic internet resource (tAPir) - with an OCD page.
  • Anxiety-Panic.Com - a search engine for anxiety disorder resources, co-founded by ...
  • Arthur & Panic Disorder (Wayback Machine) - "The Experience and Essays of Arthur Anderson". An excellent site.
• Autism Today - "latest news and resources for autism and autism-related issues".
• Dr. Bob's En-psych-lopedia - has an impressive collection of mental health and psychopharmcology links.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - the EMDR Institute in Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
• Procrastination Research Group (PRG) - worth visiting when you get around to it!
• Psychiatric Drug Facts - Peter Breggin, M.D., the author of Talking Back to Prozac. This site presents alternate views of current psychiatric theories and practices.
• SelfhelpMagazine
• Telepsychiatry - information on telecommunications-based treatment of psychiatric disorders. The article includes a fair number of links to external telemedicine web sites. (American Psychiatric Assocation)
• Thyroid Disease - Mary Shomon's extensive collection of information and resources on thyroid disease.
• Web Manor's Rubber Room (Wayback Machine) - a great resource when it was still up. 1,001 links on various psychiatric disorders (including OCD) and on various family issues.