Talking Back to OCD

Starred review from January 1, 2007
According to March (chief of child & adolescent psychiatry, Duke Univ. Medical Ctr.), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be fought with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which retrains the brain. This readable book, based on March's manual for therapists, "OCD in Children and Adolescents", is for young people with OCD and their parents. In an encouraging tone, March explains that OCD is a "brain hiccup," and he provides neurological causes for the disorder. The majority of the book details a system of eight steps to follow within a time frame of three to five months. The first part of each step specifically addresses the child; the second part is aimed at the parent. Both parts include particular considerations for teenagers as well as tips on how a therapist can help. Worksheets, graphs, and quotes are scattered throughout; an appendix covers how to find a therapist, and additional resources are listed. There are other books on OCD for parents, such as Aureen Pinto Wagner's "What To Do When Your Child Has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions", but this is the only title aimed at both the sufferer and the parents; its emphasis on OCD as an illness motivates the child and parents to isolate OCD from the individual. Highly recommended.Janet Clapp, Athens-Clarke Cty. Lib., GA

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