OCD symptoms: the obvious (and the not so obvious)
Symptoms of OCD are everywhere. Turn on your television, and you’re likely to catch at least a fleeting glimpse of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Many popular TV shows feature characters with OCD (e.g., Emma on Glee, Monk), and it is through this lens that many members of the general population get their first exposure to OCD. Unfortunately, if your understanding of OCD is based solely on depictions in the popular media, you are likely to have a relatively limited (and perhaps, warped) sense of what OCD really is. The truth is that OCD symptoms can manifest in many different ways. Although some symptoms are more common (e.g., a fear about about germs or getting sick), other symptoms can be quite idiosyncratic and often go undetected by inexperienced psychologists. The unfortunate consequence of this is that many people with OCD don’t...
Read MorePalm Beach OCD support group
UPDATE (10/19/11): These free OCD support groups are now running in Palm Beach County, Florida (i.e., Palm Beach Gardens, FL). If you would like to receive email reminders about upcoming support groups, you can access our sign-up form here. See our events calendar for upcoming OCD support group meeting dates. So I’m thinking about starting an OCD support group in North Palm Beach. There are many details that would have to be ironed out (location, time, etc.), but I think it’s troubling that Palm Beachers have such little access to OCD-related resources. Possibilities for the location include Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno, or West Palm Beach. PBG is probably the front runner at this point. Obviously, all South Florida people are welcome. Whether you’re fighting OCD in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach,...
Read MoreThe beginning of something new
Welcome to my blog. My name is Steven J. Seay, Ph.d., and I am a licensed psychologist in Florida and Missouri. I am currently the Director of the Center for Psychological & Behavioral Science. Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to use this blog to offer a variety of useful resources for individuals experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Because obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has always been an area of primary interest for me, I will begin by adding blog posts focusing primarily on OCD and other related conditions. These conditions include compulsive hoarding and trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), as well as a variety of other conditions. I will discuss evidence-based treatments for these conditions, symptoms associated with these disorders, strategies for selecting a therapist, and a variety of other topics. If you are interested in learning more...
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