Serving the community since 1999

Specializing in OCD and related conditions

In-Person and Online Therapy
Individual & Group Therapy

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:

OCD and Anxiety Disorders

The APA is considering changing the name of this category to Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.  This seems completely unnecessary, but harmless.  For years there have been reports that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was going to be removed from the Anxiety Disorders category, and reclassified in its own category.  The rationale for this idea was that OCD had been found to have a neurological basis.  That would have been spectacularly ridiculous.  It seems likely that, in time, researchers will discover that many, if not virtually all of the conditions in the DSM have some neurological basis.  The DSM-IV made quite clear that its focus was not on the cause of the disorders it classified, nor on the treatment of those conditions, but rather on the presenting symptoms that define the conditions.  Certainly, one of the primary defining characteristics of OCD is anxiety.  We have treated hundreds of individuals with OCD over the years, and I can comfortably say that the one thing that absolutely unites every single one of them is this – they are highly anxious about their obsessive and compulsive symptoms.

Panic Disorder

Currently, the DSM-IV lists two options for those with Panic Disorder

  • Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
  • Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia

The DSM-IV also lists Agoraphobia Without History of Panic Disorder as a separate condition.  The APA is wisely considering condensing the two separate diagnoses of Panic Disorder into one, classified simply as Panic Disorder.  However, they are also planning to maintain Agoraphobia as a separate condition, but minus the “…Without  History of Panic Disorder” appendage.  This is utter nonsense.  In years of treating people with anxiety, I have never once seen a client who experienced Agoraphobia without having panic attacks.  While the theoretical possibility exists of someone having Agoraphobia without having panic attacks, the role of Agoraphobia in that person’s life would be to avoid experiencing a panic attacks.  Even in their new description of Agoraphobia, the APA refers to the fear of “panic-like symptoms” and “anxiety about having a panic attack, panic-like or other symptoms”.  The continuing inclusion of Agoraphobia as a separate condition is pointless and will unnecessarily complicate the diagnostic process.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Body Dysmorphic Disorder is currently classified as a Somatoform Disorder, along with Hypochondriasis, Somatization Disorder, Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder, Pain Disorder, and Conversion Disorder.  The APA is recommending two noteworthy changes for the classification of BDD.  First, it is suggesting that BDD be moved from its current category of Somatoform Disorders into the new category of Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.  I couldn’t agree more.  BDD has much in common with OCD and, very little in common with most Somatoform Disorders.

The second proposed change is to add a specifier for Muscle Dysmorphia, in which an individual’s obsession is that his or her body is too small or is insufficiently muscular.  The rationale provided by the APA is that Muscle Dysmorphia has differences from other forms of BDD, specifically higher rates of suicidality and substance abuse, and that the specifier will thus have clinical utility.

Hypochondriasis

The new DSM-5 is proposing to dramatically alter its conception of Hypochondriasis, which, as noted above, is currently classified as a Somatoform Disorder.  The plan is to combine four of the Somatoform Disorders – Hypochondriasis, Somatization Disorder, Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder, and Pain Disorder –into a new condition called Complex Somatic Symptom Disorder (CSSD) Conversion Disorder would remain a separate Somatoform Disorder, and BDD, as noted above, would be moved to the new Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders category.

I would argue that Hypochondriasis is phenomenologically distinct from Somatization Disorder, Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder, and Pain Disorder, and that combining it with these conditions ignores that reality.  Simply put, Hypochondriasis is not about the vague physical complaints, pain, or pseudoneurological symptoms seen in these other conditions.  Hypochondriasis is about the abject terror that one has a disease, illness or medical condition that will either result in death, or at the very least a miserable, pain-filled life.  In other words…Hypochondriasis is an anxiety disorder. In fact, the APA is suggests in this revision of the DSM that the fears experienced by those with what has heretofore been called Hypochondriasis now be called “health anxiety”.  As such, it would more appropriately be classified in the new Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders category.

Apparently, the framers of the new DSM-5 agree that this is at least a possibility, as they note in their description of CSSD that “if patients present solely with health-related anxiety in the absence of somatic symptoms, they may be more appropriately diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder”.  Agreed.

Trichotillomania

The APA is considering two changes for Trichotillomania.  First, renaming the condition simply as Hair Pulling Disorder.  The Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC), the largest advocacy and education organization in the world for this condition, has long proposed a name change along these lines.  The primary goals of the name change would be two-fold.  First to reduce confusion about the nature of the condition – let’s face it, as a name, Hair Pulling Disorder is a lot more to the point.  And second, to remove the stigma associated with the condition by virtue of the “-mania” part of its current name.  Hair pulling has nothing to due with “mania” or Bipolar Disorder, so this name change intuitively seems like a good idea.

The other change that the APA is recommending for Trichotillomania is to reclassify the condition in its planned new category of Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.  If this new category indeed gets formed, then this would be a far more appropriate place for Trichotillomania than its current home in Impulse Control Disorders, where it resides with Pathological Gambling, Pyromania, and Intermittent Explosive Disorder, none of which have any relationship whatsoever to Trichotillomania.

Skin Picking Disorder

Finally, the APA is beginning to pay attention to Skin Picking Disorder (aka Dermatillomania), which the proposed DSM-5 succinctly (if incompletely) describes as “recurrent skin picking resulting in skin lesions”.  Currently, there is absolutely no mention of skin picking as a condition in the DSM-IV. It is as if it doesn’t exist, which would be news to the hundreds of people who have sought treatment at our center for this condition.  Many people believe their skin picking is a symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), primarily because that is what they have previously been told by well-meaning, but misinformed therapists.  While skin picking has certain obsessive and compulsive features, and qualifies as an Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorder,  it is quite different from OCD.  In fact, the condition with which Skin Picking Disorder has the most in common is Trichotillomania.

As a result of its non-existence in the DSM-IV, treatment centers that specialize in treating this heretofore unnamed, but fairly common condition, utilize various different names for it, including:

  • Compulsive Skin Picking
  • Chronic Skin Picking
  • Neurotic Excoriation
  • Dermatillomania
  • Pathogenic Excoriation

Psychologist James Claiborn wrote a great article about this condition a few years back aptly titled “Skin Picking: A Disorder in Search of a Name”.  Hopefully, the APA will soon rectify this problem.  My only complaint is that rather than classifying Skin Picking Disorder in the DSM-5 as a codable disorder (and thus covered by insurance), the current proposal is to list it in the Appendix for Further Research.   While this condition certainly merits further research, it is hardly an unknown entity.  If the APA, as planned, creates a new category called Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, then this is where it belongs, right along side Trichotillomania.

Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS)

Like Skin Picking Disorder, the APA has long ignored Olfactory Reference Syndrome, which the proposed new DSM-5 perfectly describes as “preoccupation with the belief that one emits a foul or offensive body odor, which is not perceived by others.”  And like Skin Picking Disorder, the main problem is that the APA is planning to list ORS in the Appendix for Further Research.  We have treated many people with this condition over the years, and it is clearly an Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorder with a strong anxiety component.  As such, it belongs in the new Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders category.

The above are just a few of the many changes proposed by the APA for the upcoming revision to the DSM.  There are many other changes related to conditions that are not directly associated with OCD or other anxiety-based conditions.  The APA is accepting comments on the revisions until April 20, 2010.

•Tom Corboy, MFT, is the director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, a private, outpatient clinic specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions. In addition to individual therapy, the center offers six weekly therapy groups, as well as online therapy, telephone therapy, and intensive outpatient treatment.  To contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles, click here.

7 Comments

  • What about Parental alienation syndrome. This is a very real condition that needs to be recognized in the new DSM so that judges, lawyers and legislators can finally have the tools to fight this disorder that affects so many children and their targeted parents.

    Reply
    • Hi Joanne,

      Thank you for your comment.

      I do not know much about Parental Alienation Syndrome, other than brief news items I have read over the years. I know that the APA is accepting comments on the proposed changes, so this might be an opportunity to visit their site and voice your concerns.

      Tom

      Reply
    • I’m glad the article is helpful. Thank you for your kind words.

      Reply
  • I don’t know about the new category for skin picking. I am a skin picker and I’ve always viewed it as a compulsion, something I just can’t stop myself from doing repeatedly. I would never have connected it to anxiety. I tend to do it when I’m relaxing, watching television most often. Unless you’re thinking it is an underlying anxiety that you don’t necessarily feel or notice?

    Reply
    • Hi Wendy,

      Thank you for your comments about skin picking.

      You raise a good point. We have had many clients over the years who report a similar pattern of frequently picking while relaxing. However, many of these same clients also report that they pick more when anxious. The proposed name of possible new category is Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, which is far broader than the current Anxiety Disorders classification.

      Regardless of the classification issue, I am glad that the APA is finally beginning to recognize this condition. As I noted in the article, there is no mention of skin picking in the current DSM, as if this condition simply doesn’t exist.

      Reply
  • Thanks for this very simple explanation. My partner has OCD, agoraphobia and depression. I was wanting to learn about anxiety in general, so this was a great overview

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Note: Comments are limited to a maximum of 750 characters. Your email address will not be published.

Recent Articles

  • The Invisible DisorderOCD: The Invisible Disorder
    Daniel Safavi, MA, AMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses the sometimes sensitive and extremely powerful use of disclosure of one's OCD, as well as some helpful guidelines when determining to self-disclose. […]
    4 Comments
  • Relationship OCD: Accepting the Unknown in RelationshipsRelationship OCD: Accepting the Unknown in Relationships
    Brandi Roberts MS, AMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, shares her personal experience and recovery from relationship OCD (ROCD), as well as discusses the dynamics and treatment of this very common OCD subtype. […]
    13 Comments
  • Go Big or Go Home: The Difference Between OCD and GADGo Big or Go Home: The Difference Between OCD and GAD (and My Experience with Both)
    Kristen Taylor-Ladd, MA, AMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses the differences between, and often co-occurring, afflictions of OCD and GAD, as well as shares her personal experience with and way to recovery from both of these conditions. […]
    8 Comments
  • Exposure and Response Prevention via TeletherapyExposure and Response Prevention: Is It Effective Via Telehealth?
    Chanel Taghdis, LMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses the efficacy of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and related conditions when conducted via teletherapy. […]
    No Comments
  • Response Prevention for OCD and Anxiety-300Mindfulness-Based Response Prevention for OCD and Anxiety
    Chris Cincotta, LMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses how to implement an effective mindfulness-based response prevention approach for the treatment of OCD and anxiety, and how to prevent mindfulness from becoming just another compulsion. […]
    10 Comments
  • OCD Center of Los Angeles - 2021 Online OCD Conference2021 Online OCD Conference
    Kelley Franke, Lauren McMeikan Rosen, Elena Fasan, and Mary Sponaugle of the OCD Center of Los Angeles will be giving three presentations at the Online OCD Conference being held October 8-10, 2021. […]
    No Comments
  • Trichotillomania: My Journey to Treatment and RecoveryTrichotillomania: My Journey to Treatment and Recovery
    Trichotillomania is a condition in which sufferers repeatedly pull out their hair. Chanel Taghdis, MA, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses her personal experience with, and recovery from, Trichotillomania, and how she treats clients struggling with this condition. […]
    22 Comments
  • Skills for managing COVID-19 and OCDHow Learning to Live with COVID-19 Can Help Kids Manage OCD
    Parents can teach kids skills to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic that have the added benefit of helping them cope more effectively with OCD. […]
    No Comments
  • When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and RecoveryWhen OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery
    Laura Yocum, Lauren McMeikan, and Kelley Franke of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discuss Relationship OCD (ROCD) at the Online OCD Conference on August 2, 2020. […]
    No Comments
  • Online therapy for OCD and anxietyQ&A: Online Therapy for OCD, Anxiety and Related Conditions
    An interview with Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, about the use of online therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions. […]
    12 Comments
  • Making Peace with Uncertainty: Living in the Midst of a PandemicMaking Peace with Uncertainty: Living in the Midst of a Pandemic
    When it comes to uncertainty and anxiety related to COVID-19, most of us don’t want to feel it. But resistance just makes things worse. […]
    23 Comments
  • Debra Dalton Stein, MFT ~ OCD Center of Los AngelesMy Journey to Becoming an OCD Specialist
    Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles describes her journey as a psychotherapist from working primarily with eating disorders, to becoming an OCD specialist. […]
    10 Comments
  • OCD vs. GADOCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference
    OCD is often misdiagnosed as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The OCD Center of L.A. reviews diagnostic & treatment differences between these conditions. […]
    28 Comments
  • Pure OPure O 101
    People with Pure Obsessional OCD ("Pure O") often feel overwhelmed by intrusive, distressing thoughts. Tom Corboy, MFT of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Pure O and its many permutations. […]
    86 Comments
  • Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, aka DermatillomaniaExcoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder, aka Dermatillomania
    Excoriation (Skin Picking) Disorder is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum condition in which sufferers repeatedly pick at their skin. Crystal Quater, MMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses her personal experience with, and recovery from, Excoriation Disorder, and how she treats clients struggling with this condition. […]
    78 Comments
  • OCD is Fake News: The brain is a machine for jumping to conclusionsOCD is Fake News
    OCD obsessions are just fake news that your brain makes up. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Helping clients in California and around the world since 1999. […]
    65 Comments
  • HOCD - 30 Things You Need To KnowHOCD: 30 Things You Need To Know
    HOCD is a type of OCD in which the individual obsesses about their sexual orientation. Here are 30 things you should know about HOCD. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    512 Comments
  • Doubt, Denial, and OCDDoubt, Denial and OCD
    A discussion of "The Denial Obsession" in OCD, in which sufferers obsess that they don't really have OCD, but are merely "in denial". By Lauren McMeikan, MA, and Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    166 Comments
  • Dermatillomania: A Skin Picker's Guide to the DermatologistDermatillomania: A Skin Picker’s Guide to the Dermatologist
    How one woman with Dermatillomania finally opened up to her dermatologist about her longtime struggle with skin picking. […]
    44 Comments
  • Imaginal Exposure for OCD and Anxiety - OCD Center of Los AngelesImaginal Exposure for OCD and Anxiety
    Imaginal exposure for the treatment of OCD and anxiety is discussed by Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    234 Comments
  • ROCD - Relationship OCDROCD: Relationship OCD and The Myth of “The One”
    ROCD (Relationship OCD) is an often misunderstood variant of OCD. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    694 Comments
  • Moral Scrupulosity in OCDMoral Scrupulosity in OCD: Cognitive Distortions
    A review of cognitive distortions seen in Moral Scrupulosity OCD, and a discussion of how to effectively challenge them. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    65 Comments
  • OCD in the Family
    One mom's story of her son's battle with OCD and its profound impact on their family, as told to Elizabeth Kassel, MSW, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    5 Comments
  • Scrupulosity in OCD: Cognitive Distortions
    A discussion of cognitive distortions in the religious Scrupulosity subtype of OCD. Part two of a multi-part series. […]
    40 Comments
  • OCD and Eating Disorders
    Diagnostic similarities and differences between OCD and eating disorders are discussed by Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, Clinical Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    6 Comments
  • Harm OCD treatment with ERPHarm OCD Treatment With ERP
    Harm OCD treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is discussed by Tom Corboy, MFT, Executive Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles . […]
    186 Comments
  • My Life with OCD
    The impact of OCD and related anxiety based disorders on the family is often overlooked. In this multi-part series, we present first-hand accounts of the ongoing impact of OCD, BDD, and Bipolar Disorder on one man and his family, as told to Elizabeth Kassel, MSW, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    18 Comments
  • Scrupulosity OCDScrupulosity: Where OCD Meets Religion, Faith, and Belief
    The Scrupulosity sub-type of OCD is discussed by Kevin Foss, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Part one of a four part series. […]
    222 Comments
  • Mindfulness for OCD and Anxiety
    Using mindfulness to enhance traditional CBT for OCD and anxiety is discussed by Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, Clinical Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    21 Comments
  • Hoarding, Cluttering, and Compulsive Shopping: My Childhood Story
    One woman's story of her life as the child of multiple generations of hoarders. […]
    12 Comments
  • Thought Action FusionOCD and Thought-Action Fusion
    Thought-Action Fusion is a frequent problem for those with OCD. This issue is discussed by Laura Yocum, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    27 Comments
  • OCD, Anxiety, and Resistance
    Resistance and acceptance in OCD and related disorders is discussed by the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    21 Comments
  • Harm OCD Treatment: Cognitive Restructuring
    Harm OCD is often misunderstood, but it can be effectively treated using an integrated treatment plan that includes Cognitive Restructuring. Part three of our ongoing series that explores "Harm OCD" and its treatment . […]
    102 Comments
  • OCD & Anxiety: Five Common Roadblocks to Treatment
    Learn the five common mistakes that interfere with successful treatment of OCD and anxiety. By Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, Clinical Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    26 Comments
  • Harm OCD Treatment: Mindfulness Based CBT
    Harm OCD is an often misunderstood condition that can be effectively treated using Mindfulness integrated with CBT. Part two of a multi-part series from the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    100 Comments
  • Skin Picking Disorder / Dermatillomania TreatmentDermatillomania / Skin Picking Disorder Treatment
    Treatment of Dermatillomania (Skin Picking Disorder) with CBT. Part two of a series from the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    164 Comments
  • Harm OCD: Symptoms and Treatment
    This is the first installment in a series of articles in which The OCD Center of Los Angeles demystifies both the symptoms and the treatment of Harm OCD. […]
    461 Comments
  • Orthorexia: Where Eating Disorders Meet OCD – Part 2
    Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness for the treatment of Orthorexia. Part two of a two-part series. […]
    18 Comments
  • Casey Anthony, Reasonable Doubt, and OCD
    Harm OCD and 'reasonable doubt' are discussed in relation to the Casey Anthony murder trial. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles.unbearable. […]
    10 Comments
  • ABCs of DermatillomaniaThe ABC’s of Dermatillomania / Skin Picking Disorder
    Symptoms and treatment of Skin Picking Disorder, also known as Dermatillomania. From The OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    208 Comments
  • HOCD / Gay OCD: Challenges to Treatment
    Common challenges seen in the treatment of HOCD / Gay OCD are discussed by the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Part four of a four-part series. […]
    441 Comments
  • Orthorexia: Where Eating Disorders Meet OCD
    Orthorexia is an eating disorder in which people obsess about eating only "pure" and "healthy" foods. By Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    12 Comments
  • Thought Suppression and OCD
    Thought suppression is a common feature of OCD, especially for those with Pure Obsessional OCD (sometimes called "Pure O"). […]
    23 Comments
  • HOCD / Gay OCD: Common Subtypes
    Common subtypes of HOCD / Gay OCD are discussed. Part three of a four part series. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    413 Comments
  • Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 2
    Treatment of Social Anxiety is discussed, along with its relationship with other OC spectrum disorders. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    10 Comments
  • Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 1
    Many people mistakenly think of Social Anxiety as nothing more than shyness. In this two-part series, the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Social Anxiety and its treatment with CBT. […]
    9 Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Research – Year in Review
    Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles reviews research studies published in 2010 related to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). […]
    4 Comments
  • Binge Eating Disorder / Compulsive Overeating and Its Treatment
    Binge Eating Disorder, also known as ‘”compulsive overeating”, can perhaps best be described as a condition in which one periodically consumes extremely large amounts of food. Kimberley Quinlan, MFT, Clinical Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses Binge Eating Disorder and its treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). […]
    7 Comments
  • Gay OCD / HOCD Treatment
    Treatment of Gay OCD / HOCD / Sexual Orientation OCD using CBT and Mindfulness is discussed by the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    196 Comments
  • Gay OCD / HOCD / Sexual Orientation OCD
    Symptoms & treatment of Gay OCD, also known as HOCD, or Sexual Orientation OCD. From The OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    748 Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Teens
    Increasing numbers of teens are having elective cosmetic surgeries to address body image issues, without fully considering the physical and psychological risks involved. […]
    No Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Body Image in the News
    A discussion of BDD and recent news reports about the condition. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Serving clients in California and internationally. […]
    1 Comment
  • Treatment of OCD and OC Spectrum Disorders in Children
    The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of OCD and anxiety in children and adolescents. […]
    No Comments
  • Trichotillomania, Skin Picking Disorder, and the Resistor’s High
    The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses treatment of Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder) and Dermatillomania (Skin Picking Disorder). […]
    8 Comments
  • Memory Hoarding in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    Many people with OCD engage in 'memory hoarding', a mental compulsion to over-attend to the details of an event, person, or object. Memory hoarding is done with the belief that the event, person, or object carries a special significance, and may be important to recall exactly as-is at a later date. […]
    263 Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 3
    An Australian pro boxer assaults a 70-year old man on a ferry boat and claims his OCD made him do it. Last of a three part series on OCD and the law. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 2
    A Kentucky man murdered his wife and then tried to claim that his OCD led him to kill her. Part 2 of a 3 part series. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    4 Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 1
    A Scottish man claims his massive child pornography collection is due to OCD. Part 1 of a 3 part series from the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    1 Comment
  • OCD Stockholm Syndrome
    Something akin to the Stockholm Syndrome occurs in some people who struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ). […]
    2 Comments
  • Athletes With Anxiety
    Mental health has long been shrouded in secrecy and shame. So when public figures like professional athletes actively seek help for anxiety, it is a sign of cultural progress. Here are some who have gone public with their struggles. […]
    1 Comment
  • Social Anxiety in Baseball Revisted
    This past week marked the arrival of the 2010 Major League baseball season. And as with last year, this season already has three developing stories of athletes dealing with Social Anxiety. […]
    No Comments
  • Treatment of OCD and Anxiety: A Brief History
    A look at how the treatment of OCD and related anxiety disorders has changed over time, especially the development of CBT and mindfulness for OCD. […]
    3 Comments
  • Tiger Woods, Sex Addiction, and OCD – Part 2
    Sex addiction is misconstrued by many to be a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This article reviews various factors relevant to determining what diagnosis might be more appropriate. Second of a two part series. […]
    4 Comments
  • Tiger Woods, Sex Addiction, and OCD
    Many people, including professional psychotherapists, incorrectly think of sex addiction as a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This article reviews the essential differences between these two conditions and, how therapeutic strategies used for the treatment of OCD are unlikely to be successful when treating sex addiction. First of a two part series. […]
    18 Comments
  • Latisse and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
    The drug Latisse is prescribed to lengthen eyelashes, but it has significant, under-reported side effects. This raises two questions - is Latisse safe, and does its marketing exploit women's body image concerns? […]
    2 Comments
  • Reassurance Seeking in OCD and Anxiety
    Those with OCD and other anxiety based conditions often seek reassurance that their unwanted thoughts and feelings are not a threat. The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses the problem of using reassurance seeking as an anxiety management strategy. […]
    92 Comments
  • Phobia Treatment in Unconventional Settings
    Traditionally, phobias have been treated in a therapist's office. But effective help for phobias can now be found in some very unexpected places. […]
    No Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Cosmetic Surgery
    Many with Body Dysmorphic Disorder turn to cosmetic surgery in an attempt to alleviate their insecurities. Unfortunately, there are plenty of cosmetic surgeons who are more than willing to cash in on those with this serious psychiatric condition. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD & Anxiety: The Year 2009 in Review
    OCD and anxiety were in the news throughout 2009. Here are our votes for the top stories of the year about OCD and related anxiety based conditions. […]
    2 Comments
  • Bizarre, Disturbing, Weird, and Unwanted Thoughts in OCD
    Everybody has bizarre thoughts. But people with OCD respond differently to these thoughts. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    26 Comments
  • Emetophobia treatment at the OCD Center of Los Angeles with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emetophobia and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    Emetophobia is the fear of vomit and/or vomiting. Tom Corboy, MFT, Executive Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses Emetophobia and its treatment. […]
    85 Comments
  • OCD and Mental Checking
    People with OCD often struggle with 'mental compulsions'. The OCD Center of Los Angeles explores how to manage this sometimes baffling problem. […]
    186 Comments
  • Cyberchondria: Health Anxiety in the 21st Century
    The twin explosions of television and the internet have spawned a sharp increase in Hypochondria, and spawned a new mental health issue - 'Cyberchondria'. […]
    8 Comments
  • Is Compulsive Overeating OCD?
    A discussion of compulsive overeating (aka binge eating) and how it differs from OCD. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Serving clients internationally. […]
    No Comments
  • Cy Young, Zack Greinke, and Social Anxiety
    Zack Greinke has overcome his Social Anxiety to become a superstar in major league baseball. […]
    No Comments
  • Exposure Therapy for OCD and AnxietyExposure Therapy for OCD and Anxiety
    Exposure therapy for OCD and other anxiety conditions is discussed by Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    46 Comments
  • Social Anxiety Research
    Recent Social Anxiety research is discussed by Tom Corboy, MFT, executive director of the CD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD Awareness Week
         […]
    No Comments
  • CBT and Evidence Based Psychotherapy
    Unfortunately, many psychotherapists dismiss evidence-based treatments such as CBT, instead choosing to do what feels comfortable for them. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD, Mental Health, and the National Health Care Debate
    A look at the national health care debate, especially as it pertains to OCD and related anxiety based conditions. […]
    No Comments
  • Childhood OCD, Strep Infections, and PANDAS
    There is a growing body of research that indicates strep infections are related to rapid-onset OCD in children. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD and the Swine Flu – Part 2
    Panic about the Swine Flu continues, despite facts that suggest there is no cause for increased concern. […]
    No Comments
  • 2009 Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation Conference
    A review of the 2009 Obsessive Compulsive Foundation conference. […]
    No Comments
  • New Trichotillomania Research
    A look at recent research related to Trichotillomania. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    No Comments
  • Parenting a Child With OCD
    Parenting any child is a full-time job. But parenting a child with OCD can be particularly challenging. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    No Comments
  • Social Anxiety in Baseball
    A look at the recent rash of pro baseball players struggling with Social Anxiety Disorder. […]
    No Comments
  • Michael Jackson and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
    A look at the sad tale of Michael Jackson and his mental health issues. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD and the Swine Flu
    The past few months have seen an avalanche of news stories on the Swine Flu, despite its relatively low impact in the US. […]
    No Comments
  • Meet the OCD Center of Los Angeles Staff
    Meet the OCD Center of Los Angeles Staff […]
    No Comments
  • Welcome to the OCD Center of Los Angeles Blog
    Welcome to the OCD Center of Los Angeles Blog […]
    No Comments

    
OCD Center of Los Angeles