Guest guest Posted July 11, 2000 Report Share Posted July 11, 2000 Hi list, I just finished reading " Passing for Normal " by Amy Wilensky. In it she describes having risk compulsions like my daughter's--driving through intersections w/her eyes closed, standing at the edge of subway platforms, etc. I was glad to read this since it seemed my child was the only one who had these types of compulsions. I liked this book because it seems to do a good job of describing the interior life of an OCDer, a frustrating mystery for this non-OCD mom. I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? I think someone thought the book overdone or exaggerated in some way, now that I've read it I'm curious! Kathy R. in Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 In a message dated 7/11/00 7:36:34 PM, klr@... writes: << I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? >> I read the Wilensky book a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it, I couldn't put it down. I don't remember what the criticism was either. I also read Kissing doorknobs and it was great. Another great OCD book was " just checking " . does any one have any other first person stories or novels to recommend? Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 Hi Kathy, I read this book and mentioned it here a few months ago. As I remember there was some criticism in the media about how she may have exaggerated some of her " story " or borrowed elements of other people's story and incorporated it into her own. But that didn't matter to me, since, as you say, it is such an interesting account of the interior life of an OCDer that I don't care where she learned all of it: the " truth " I like is her description of her thoughts and feelings. Another good one that describes the inner life of an OCDer is " Just Checking " . I forget get the name of the author but it was very good and I highly recommend it. Dana in NC Kathy wrote: > Hi list, I just finished reading " Passing for Normal " by Amy Wilensky. In > it she describes having risk compulsions like my daughter's--driving through > intersections w/her eyes closed, standing at the edge of subway platforms, > etc. I was glad to read this since it seemed my child was the only one who > had these types of compulsions. I liked this book because it seems to do a > good job of describing the interior life of an OCDer, a frustrating mystery > for this non-OCD mom. > > I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that > some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? I think someone > thought the book overdone or exaggerated in some way, now that I've read it > I'm curious! > > Kathy R. in Indiana > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and find your ancestors now. > Search over 550 million names and trace your family tree today. Click here: > 1/6254/7/_/531051/_/963362578/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > You may subscribe to the OCD-L by emailing listserv@... . In the body of your message write: subscribe OCD-L your name. The Archives, Files, and Features List for the may be accessed by going to , enter your email address and password, then point and click. Subscription issues, problems, or suggestions may be addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at harkins@... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 Hi Kathy - I read the book and enjoyed it a lot as well. My son Joe has just developed some risk compulsion also. The worst one is his need to walk across a very high beam in the hay mow of our barn. If he were to fall, it would be about 35 feet! I wonder what the ERP is for something like this. I'll ask his therapist tonight. To be continued.... Eliza in WI Wilensky book > Hi list, I just finished reading " Passing for Normal " by Amy Wilensky. In > it she describes having risk compulsions like my daughter's--driving through > intersections w/her eyes closed, standing at the edge of subway platforms, > etc. I was glad to read this since it seemed my child was the only one who > had these types of compulsions. I liked this book because it seems to do a > good job of describing the interior life of an OCDer, a frustrating mystery > for this non-OCD mom. > > I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that > some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? I think someone > thought the book overdone or exaggerated in some way, now that I've read it > I'm curious! > > Kathy R. in Indiana > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and find your ancestors now. > Search over 550 million names and trace your family tree today. Click here: > 1/6254/7/_/531051/_/963362578/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > You may subscribe to the OCD-L by emailing listserv@... . In the body of your message write: subscribe OCD-L your name. The Archives, Files, and Features List for the may be accessed by going to , enter your email address and password, then point and click. Subscription issues, problems, or suggestions may be addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at harkins@... . > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 Hi Kathy: I also enjoyed reading this book and getting a better understanding of the interior life of a person with OCD. It was a well-written book too! I also enjoyed " Prozac Diary " by Slater and " Emotional Overload " by ph Redden. The latter one was read by everyone in my family and I have tried to get extra copies to give away but can't get it from amazon. I bought it from the author at the OCF conference last year and hope he will be there this year to sell me more. Happy reading, aloha, Kathy (H) kathyh@... At 07:41 PM 07/11/2000 -0500, you wrote: >Hi list, I just finished reading " Passing for Normal " by Amy Wilensky. In >it she describes having risk compulsions like my daughter's--driving through >intersections w/her eyes closed, standing at the edge of subway platforms, >etc. I was glad to read this since it seemed my child was the only one who >had these types of compulsions. I liked this book because it seems to do a >good job of describing the interior life of an OCDer, a frustrating mystery >for this non-OCD mom. > >I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that >some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? I think someone >thought the book overdone or exaggerated in some way, now that I've read it >I'm curious! > >Kathy R. in Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 I am reading the book now. Once I got past the first chapter (where she goes to the meeting), I found it to be very helpful. It's like I can get inside my daughter's mind for the first time...and begin to comprehend the enormity of what she has to deal with on a daily basis. Jay in Colorado Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2000 Report Share Posted July 12, 2000 Hi, I would like to know briefly about the book you have read " Passing for Normal " . Does it talk about about several rituals & compulsions for OCD people?I was ordering most of the books you recomended them for OCD parental list.If I can have some of the index subjects.My 16 years son with ocd had several rituals, finishes from one to have another. The main one from the very beginning & still going on since 18 monthes is his classmates, he thinks that they are all bad doing harm from him. When ever he thinks of anyone of them he is frustrated & depressed, beside other thoughts. Huda from Lebanon >From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> >Reply-egroups >egroups >Subject: Re: Wilensky book >Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 07:59:04 -1000 > >Hi Kathy: > >I also enjoyed reading this book and getting a better understanding of the >interior life of a person with OCD. It was a well-written book too! > >I also enjoyed " Prozac Diary " by Slater and " Emotional Overload " by >ph Redden. The latter one was read by everyone in my family and I have >tried to get extra copies to give away but can't get it from amazon. I >bought it from the author at the OCF conference last year and hope he will >be there this year to sell me more. > >Happy reading, aloha, Kathy (H) >kathyh@... > >At 07:41 PM 07/11/2000 -0500, you wrote: > >Hi list, I just finished reading " Passing for Normal " by Amy Wilensky. >In > >it she describes having risk compulsions like my daughter's--driving >through > >intersections w/her eyes closed, standing at the edge of subway >platforms, > >etc. I was glad to read this since it seemed my child was the only one >who > >had these types of compulsions. I liked this book because it seems to do >a > >good job of describing the interior life of an OCDer, a frustrating >mystery > >for this non-OCD mom. > > > >I remember some discussion about this book earlier on this list--and that > >some had criticism for it, does anyone remember this? I think someone > >thought the book overdone or exaggerated in some way, now that I've read >it > >I'm curious! > > > >Kathy R. in Indiana > > ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2000 Report Share Posted July 13, 2000 HI Huda: " Passing for Normal " describes one young woman's journey to recovery from her OCD and is a personal account. These kinds of books are helpful to parents who do not have OCD themselves. They teach us how our children with OCD are affected by their disorder(s). I found that reading self-help books and treatment manuals taught me more about what to do about my son's OCD. One of the best is " Getting Control " by Lee Baer. Now there are many good OCD books. Another one is " The OCD Workbook " by Bruce Hyman and Cherry Pedrick. My son, Steve, has also felt upset by classmates. Part of this was a symptom of his major depressive disorder when he felt no one liked him, a typical thought distortion among those suffering with depression. Another important part was that these classmates were " contaminated " and did not pass his OCD " hypermorality " standards. He worries about dying from brain damage and had magical thoughts that he would catch this from classmates who did not seem smart to him. If they were badly behaved, e.g. giving the finger to the teacher behind his/her back, he would consider them unacceptable and would obsess about them. OCD is so complicated and variable. Is your son getting any help for his OCD and depression Huda? Often the depression needs to be controlled before our kids can benefit from the CBT. Good luck, take care, aloha, Kathy (H) kathyh@... At 03:31 AM 07/13/2000 -0700, you wrote: >Hi, >I would like to know briefly about the book you have read " Passing for >Normal " . Does it talk about about several rituals & compulsions for OCD >people?I was ordering most of the books you recomended them for OCD parental >list.If I can have some of the index subjects.My 16 years son with ocd had >several rituals, finishes from one to have another. The main one from the >very beginning & still going on since 18 monthes is his classmates, he >thinks that they are all bad doing harm from him. When ever he thinks of >anyone of them he is frustrated & depressed, beside other thoughts. >Huda from Lebanon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2000 Report Share Posted July 13, 2000 Hi Kathy, I bought the following books: " When once is not enought, A boy who can't stop washing, OCD in Children & Adolescents; A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual " , & I have ordered now " The OCD Workbook " . Is the book Getting Control is better than these books? My Son thinks that all his classmates are dirty & contaminated, even the school & everything that is related to that school even the Busses. As I told you when anyone comes to his mind he feels that he is dirty & destructed by him or her because they exchange personality with them, they give him the bad things & take the good things from him & becomes depressed. Even if is enjoying his time with some friends, involantary thought comes into his mind & he is disturbed & depressed. He has been followed by his psychiatrist & his psychologist who is doing some therapy on him, but I don't think that he is helping him a lot. He use to see him once/week, lately he was seeing him once/month which is not enough certainly.There is not really a therapest on our country who can do CBT or E/RP. Nobody can envy the sort of life the whole family is living. Although his two brothers that are older than him are helping him & understanding the whole situation.End up now with many thanks, to meet you in another message. Huda, from Lebanon >From: Kathy Hammes <kathyh@...> >Reply-egroups >egroups >Subject: Re: Wilensky book >Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 08:24:41 -1000 > >HI Huda: > > " Passing for Normal " describes one young woman's journey to recovery from >her OCD and is a personal account. These kinds of books are helpful to >parents who do not have OCD themselves. They teach us how our children >with OCD are affected by their disorder(s). > >I found that reading self-help books and treatment manuals taught me more >about what to do about my son's OCD. One of the best is " Getting Control " >by Lee Baer. Now there are many good OCD books. Another one is " The OCD >Workbook " by Bruce Hyman and Cherry Pedrick. > >My son, Steve, has also felt upset by classmates. Part of this was a >symptom of his major depressive disorder when he felt no one liked him, a >typical thought distortion among those suffering with depression. Another >important part was that these classmates were " contaminated " and did not >pass his OCD " hypermorality " standards. He worries about dying from brain >damage and had magical thoughts that he would catch this from classmates >who did not seem smart to him. If they were badly behaved, e.g. giving the >finger to the teacher behind his/her back, he would consider them >unacceptable and would obsess about them. OCD is so complicated and >variable. > >Is your son getting any help for his OCD and depression Huda? Often the >depression needs to be controlled before our kids can benefit from the CBT. > Good luck, take care, aloha, Kathy (H) >kathyh@... > >At 03:31 AM 07/13/2000 -0700, you wrote: > >Hi, > >I would like to know briefly about the book you have read " Passing for > >Normal " . Does it talk about about several rituals & compulsions for OCD > >people?I was ordering most of the books you recomended them for OCD >parental > >list.If I can have some of the index subjects.My 16 years son with ocd >had > >several rituals, finishes from one to have another. The main one from the > >very beginning & still going on since 18 monthes is his classmates, he > >thinks that they are all bad doing harm from him. When ever he thinks of > >anyone of them he is frustrated & depressed, beside other thoughts. > >Huda from Lebanon > > ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2000 Report Share Posted July 14, 2000 HI Huda: All the books you have bought are very good. The first is a classic, the third is excellent and the second is the state-of-the-art manual of how to do CBT with children and adolescents. " Getting Control " is also an excellent book, it really helped me understand how to get started doing CBT with my son. The symptoms you describe are very common OCD symptoms and must be torture for your son. However he can recover from this and put OCD more into the background of his life. He is very lucky to have you and his two brothers to help him along. Yes I think once a month is not often enough for someone as bothered by OCD as you describe your son. Maybe there is a therapist in your country who might be interested in learning about CBT. You might want to post a note to " Ask the Experts " on the OCD web site and ask the docs there if they know of anyone suitable/possible in Lebanon. ALso you might want to contact your nearest university with a department of clinical psychology and talk to the clinical psychology professors if they want to help by supervising a graduate student who wants to learn to do CBT with your son following the March protocol which you can show them. For some of us we have to help to create a CBT therapist for our kids. Good luck, hope to read more from you here soon, take care, aloha, Kathy (H) kathyh@... At 10:25 PM 07/13/2000 -0700, you wrote: >Hi Kathy, >I bought the following books: " When once is not enought, A boy who can't >stop washing, OCD in Children & Adolescents; A Cognitive-Behavioral >Treatment Manual " , & I have ordered now " The OCD Workbook " . Is the book >Getting Control is better than these books? >My Son thinks that all his classmates are dirty & contaminated, even the >school & everything that is related to that school even the Busses. As I >told you when anyone comes to his mind he feels that he is dirty & >destructed by him or her because they exchange personality with them, they >give him the bad things & take the good things from him & becomes depressed. >Even if is enjoying his time with some friends, involantary thought comes >into his mind & he is disturbed & depressed. He has been followed by his >psychiatrist & his psychologist who is doing some therapy on him, but I >don't think that he is helping him a lot. He use to see him once/week, >lately he was seeing him once/month which is not enough certainly.There is >not really a therapest on our country who can do CBT or E/RP. Nobody can >envy the sort of life the whole family is living. Although his two brothers >that are older than him are helping him & understanding the whole >situation.End up now with many thanks, to meet you in another message. >Huda, from Lebanon > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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