Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Practical Tried-and-Tested Strategies to Overcome OCD (Class Health) [Paperback]

Frederick Toates (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002 | Series: Class Health

As many as 1 in 30 adults and 1 in 100 children currently suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is much more common than was previously thought, with up to 2 million people being affected in the UK. Sufferers experience intrusive thoughts and anxieties resulting in compulsive behaviour that can seem bizarre to those that have no experience of the disorder. Why would someone feel compelled to touch the four walls of a room in a clockwise fashion as soon as he enters it? Why would someone look at an object 3 times with his right eye, followed by his left eye?OCD sufferers are aware that these rituals are excessive and irrational, but they cannot control their behaviour. They are plagued by intrusive thoughts that they cannot banish from their mind and are often tormented by these thoughts which they find profoundly disgusting or upsetting. The cause of OCD is still not known, but it does appear to run in families and can occur together with other disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and Tourette s syndrome.Dr Frederick Toates, an experimental psychologist relates his own experiences of obsessional neurosis and his successful quest for a cure in th

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-written, enjoyable and thought-provoking book" British Journal of Clinical Psychology

About the Author

Dr Frederick Toates is a distinguished psychologist and Reader in Psychobiology at the Open University in the UK. He is the author of several books including Biological Psychology: an integrative approach. He suffered from OCD for many years, before overcoming it by means of the approach explained and made simple in this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Class Publishing; 2nd edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859590691
• ISBN-13: 978-1859590690
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,788,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique insight into OCD, January 13, 2005

By 

Kent Berridge (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Practical Tried-and-Tested Strategies to Overcome OCD (Class Health) (Paperback)

This is a superb and unusual book by Toates and Coschug-Toates. It combines the personal experience of life with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) together with sophisticated analysis of therapies and causes of the condition. Frederick Toates is both a respected neuroscientist and academic psychologist, and someone who knows personally what it is like to have and struggle for decades with OCD. Written together with his wife and fellow scientist, Olga Coschug-Toates, this book mixes cutting-edge science with personal insights into day to day dealing with the condition. That combination gives the Toates' book a unique authority and credibility. The first half of the book describes Toates life from first appearance of OCD symptoms to the present day. The second half takes a systematic look at current therapies, and at what works best. The book is a potentially invaluable aid to persons with OCD, as well as to scientists and clinicians interested in understanding it. Anyone who wants to know more about the experience, treatment, or science of OCD will find this book helpful.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable book from a unique perspective., May 12, 2005

By 

Mr. A. Fulwood (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Practical Tried-and-Tested Strategies to Overcome OCD (Class Health) (Paperback)

Dr Toates writes a remarkable book from the unique perspective of a psychologist and sufferer of the condition he writes about. A must read for anybody affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Ashley Fulwood, CEO of OCD-UK (www.ocduk.org)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating personal/ professional account, May 12, 2005

By 

scottw284 (Scotland, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Practical Tried-and-Tested Strategies to Overcome OCD (Class Health) (Paperback)

This book is guaranteed to be of interest to anyone suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, as well as for those living with sufferers. Dr Toates's combination of personal and professional insight into the condition makes for a unique and comprehensive read. The attention to detail in relation to subtle behavioural traits will have any sufferer saying "hey, I do that!" and it is this kind of approach that is so important in making people who live with the "secret illness" know that they're not alone.
Definitely a worthwhile buy.