If you have OCD, you know that the stigma attached to mental illness can make it difficult to cope. Even though it is clear that OCD has biological roots, there are people who continue to believe that people challenged with mental illness should be able to “snap out of it.” Have you ever been discriminated against or stigmatized because of your OCD? What happened and how did you cope with it? Share your experience.

This past Monday’s episode of A&E’s Obsessed provided a really nice window into two OCD spectrum disorders; hypochondriasis and trichotillomania. While these illnesses are not technically OCD, they share many of the same symptoms of OCD including obsessive thoughts and compulsions. The main difference is that while obsessions and compulsions in OCD can relate to just about anything, obsessional thoughts in hypochondriasis relate almost exclusively to health concerns and in trichotillomania to hair pulling. It should be noted, however, that in addition to trichotillomania, Todd demonstrated more traditional symptoms of OCD including counting. What do you think of the show so far?

It is a fact of life that we will all experience stress from time to time. As you may know, learning to cope effectively with stress can go a long way to making your OCD symptoms more manageable and treatments more effective. Share how you cope with your OCD symptoms.

If you have OCD, you know that your symptoms can often get in the way of establishing and maintaining romantic relationships. Many people with OCD are single and those who are in a relationship or are married often report a significant amount of relationship stress. How has your OCD impacted your romantic relationships? Share your experience

Watching the second episode of “Obsessed” on A&E last night really reinforced the considerable variation with which OCD can manifest itself. Although there are many recognized OCD subtypes, just over half of people with OCD report obsessions and/or compulsions that are unique to them. This can be very painful for patients as they feel alone, embarrassed or isolated – even from others with OCD. How does your OCD manifest itself?

Last evening was the premier of A&E’s new series “Obsessed”; if you haven’t already heard of the show, it is chronicles the struggles of people with OCD (and other anxiety disorders) as well as follows them through treatment with cognitive-behavior therapy. Overall, I thought the show was quite engaging and did a really nice job highlighting the challenges faced by people affected by OCD. In particular, the show really captured how difficult – but effective - exposure exercises can be. I have high hopes that this show will go a long-way towards reducing the stigma associated with OCD and other forms of mental-illness.

Although there are many effective treatments available for OCD, not all treatments work for everybody. Unfortunately, for some people, no form of treatment seems to work. To combat this, a number of intensive residential treatment programs have been developed. Similar to an in-patient treatment program, intensive residential treatment programs provide a venue where people with OCD can full-time work with a variety of health professionals at getting better for up to 3 months. A recent study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has found that many people who do not respond to standard treatments do, in fact, make substantial gains following this type of intensive treatment program and that these gains are maintained over time. A list of intensive treatment programs within the United States can be found here.

A recent study appearing in the journal Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews suggests that childhood-onset OCD may be, in part, a development disorder. This study, which summarized the findings of a large number of neuroimaging studies, found that childhood-onset patients exhibited dysfunction of a specific brain circuit that was not apparent among adults who developed OCD later in life. This study is important as it suggests further research and attention is needed to tailor treatments for OCD that starts in childhood.

On Monday, May 25, 2009, A&E will be launching a new reality television show called “Obsessed” which examines the real-life struggles of people with anxiety disorders including OCD. Modeled after their popular show “Intervention”, this program will follow people with anxiety disorders as they undergo cognitive-behavior therapy to reduce and/or manage their symptoms. I’m very hopeful that this show will go far to illustrate the impact of anxiety disorders like OCD on both the affected individual and their family as well as to reduce the stigma associated with OCD and other forms of mental illness.

If you have OCD, you know it can be hard to know where to begin when considering the myriad of medications that are available. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners systematically reviewed all medications used for the treatment of OCD and based on their findings suggested that administration of Prozac and Zoloft should be the first-line prescription for OCD and augmentation with antipsychotic medications for treatment-resistant OCD.