The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing: The Experience and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

One boy spends six hours a day washing himself--and still can't believe he will ever be clean

Another sufferer must check her stove hundreds of times daily to make sure she has turned it off

And one woman, in an effort to ensure that her eyebrows are symmetrical, finally plucks out every hair

All of these people are suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), an emotionally crippling sickness that afflicts up to six million Americans. Cleaning, counting, washing, avoiding, checking--these are some of the pointless rituals that sufferers are powerless to stop. Now a distinguished psychiatrist and expert on OCD reveals exciting breakthroughs in diagnosis, succesful new behaviorist therapies and drug treatments, as well as lists of resources and references. Drawing on the extraordinary experiences of her patients, Dr. Judith Rapoport unravels the mysteries surrounding this irrational disorder . . . and provides prescriptions for action that promise hope and help.

Author: Judith L. Rapoport
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published: 12/03/1991
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.20w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9780451172020
ISBN10: 0451172027
BISAC Categories:
- Psychology | Psychopathology | Compulsive Behavior
- Psychology | Psychopathology | General
- Psychology | Mental Health

About the Author
Dr. Judith L. Rapoport is Chief of the child Psychiatry Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Mediacl School, she has been the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award from the U.S. Public Health Service and the Ittleson Prize in Child Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association. She lives with her family in Washington D.C.