This is a great first book to read if you are just starting
to explore the world of OCD literature. It contains wonderful explanations of a
lot of key concepts in the realm of OCD self-help. Unfortunately, it was not
the first book on the subject that I read. By the time I read this book I had
heard most of the information before. That
being said, I would still highly recommend this book for anyone suffering from
OCD, particularly those who are relatively new to it and still have a lot to
learn.
The book recommends a pacing guide totaling 8 weeks, to give
adequate time to read the chapters, complete the exercises, and apply the
findings. I would seriously encourage putting a great deal of effort into these
exercises and taking them seriously. I have to admit that I did not
successfully do this myself, mostly because I had already done many of them in
other books and practices. But having done them all at some point or another, I
can honestly say that they are very helpful and worthwhile, especially if you
are using books as an alternative to actual therapy. David Clark and Christine
Purdon do an excellent job of outlining and explaining a lot of the practices
that I also covered with my therapist.
I think what makes Overcoming
Obsessive Thoughts such a great work is that it does a fantastic job of
exploring the many different ways in which OCD can present itself, while
simultaneously highlighting the underlying trends and themes that all of the
various presentations have in common. Many different examples of obsessions and
compulsions are described, along with the thought distortions that underlie
them. And then there are exercises that guide you in identifying your own
obsessions, compulsions, and thought patterns. The book really gives you all of
the guidance and information on OCD you could hope for from a therapist or
shrink.
One word of caution I would offer is that this is not really
a book for family members or friends of those with OCD who are trying to
understand the disorder. There are certainly sections within the book that
could provide useful information for these readers, but as a whole this work is
clearly directed at those who actually have OCD. The exercises and follow-up readings
would be very much lost on those who don’t have actual symptoms to observe. If
you are a friend or family member looking for reading material, there are much
better books to turn to before this one.
Overall, though, Overcoming
Obsessive Thoughts is a great resource and guide. Happy reading!
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