More than anything, you want to be able to unlock the secrets of OCD, understand the cause of your child’s bizarre symptoms, and help your child break free of these disruptive, relentless thoughts and actions.

In her landmark book, Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dr. Tamar E. Chansky creates a clear road map to understanding and overcoming OCD based on her successful practice treating hundreds of children and teenagers with this disorder.

In Part I, Dr. Chansky “cracks the code” of the peculiar rules and customs of OCD ― the handwashing, tapping, counting, and so forth. She explains how OCD is diagnosed, how to find the right therapist partner, and how to tailor treatment options to your child’s needs. You’ll learn how powerful behavioral modification can be and when medication can help.

In Part II, you’ll learn how not to be pulled in by your child’s debilitating rituals at home or at school, how to talk to your child about the “brain tricks” OCD causes, and how to create an effective OCD battle plan that will empower your child to “boss back” the OCD monster. You’ll also learn how to cope in moments of crisis.

Part III offers specific advice for how to help your child handle the most common manifestations of OCD such as fears of contamination, checking, getting things “just right,” intrusive thoughts, and more.

Part IV is an indispensable guide to additional resources, including books, videos, organizations, and websites. Filled with Dr. Chansky’s compassionate advice and inspiring words from the many children with OCD whom she has helped, this book will be your lifeline.

Battling back from OCD is hard work, but with the comprehensive, proven guidance in this book, you can help your child reclaim a life free from its grip.

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is available at amazon.com and other stores.

“As a concerned parent of a child with OCD, I highly recommend Tamar Chansky’s book Freeing Your Child From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

“This book is packed full of useful advice and practical methods that are easy to understand. You get the feeling the author understands what you are going through and gives advice on how to take care of yourself so that you can better parent your child. A must read.” (Mother of a teen with OCD)

Six million Americans suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and they know firsthand the often devastating effects it has on their lives.

Some symptoms, such as the nagging feeling you have left the stovetop burner on, can be mildly distracting. Yet others, like compulsive hand washing, the inability to throw anything out, or nerve-racking feelings of guilt, can be completely paralyzing and make it nearly impossible for sufferers to lead healthy lives.

Dr. Baer gives readers the tools to assess their own symptoms, set goals, and create therapeutic programs for themselves. He also helps readers differentiate between OCD and other psychological illnesses such as depression.

From the latest treatments to important facts on the medications currently available and how they work, Getting Control is thorough, concise, and positive — a lifesaver for anyone whose well-being is affected by OCD.

Lee Baer, Ph.D., is an internationally known expert in the treatment of OCD and related disorders. He is an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and the director of research at the OCD unit at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as the OCD Institute at McLean Hospital. Dr. Baer is the coeditor of the leading textbook on OCD, now in its third edition.

Getting Control: Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions is available at amazon.com and other stores.

Six million people in the United States have OCD; the fourth-most common mental disorder. OCD is more prevalent than more visible disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and panic disorder.

This is the first self-help book specifically written to people with compulsive checking. Research indicates that CBT alone is as effective for treating OCD as combination treatment using medication and CBT.

Overcoming Compulsive Checking is available at amazon.com and other stores.

Lori’s comment: This book has some great ideas for checking exposures. Many of the exposure exercises would also be good for those with mainly obsessional OCD. I also like his discussion about “awareness,” which gives step-by-step instruction for how to face anxiety in a way that will create habituation. It is straightforward, understandable and easy to read.

In the first book to fully examine obsessive bad thoughts, Dr. Lee Baer combines the latest research with his own extensive experience in treating this widespread syndrome.

Drawing on information ranging from new advances in brain technology to pervasive social taboos, Dr. Baer explores the root causes of bad thoughts, why they can spiral out of control, and how to recognize the crucial difference between harmless and dangerous bad thoughts.

From Publishers Weekly

Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychologist Baer (an associate professor at Harvard) turns the spotlight on a little-known but common form of obsession, “bad thoughts.”

According to Baer, these “intrusive” thoughts fall into a few basic types: violent, sexual and blasphemous words, and images of a religious nature. Borrowing from Edgar Allan Poe, Baer blames such mental torment on “the imp of the perverse,” that little devil inhabiting all human minds, cross-culturally and across time, “who makes you think the most inappropriate thoughts at the most inappropriate times.”

For most people, the imp proves no more than a “fleeting annoyance” most of the time, but for Baer’s patients, these impish thoughts create extreme fear, guilt and worry. Attempting to suppress them only makes them stronger, leading the afflicted to avoid places, people and situations that provoke them.

A new mother who obsessively thinks about harming her infant, for example, may increasingly avoid daily caretaking activities. Tending to be perfectionist and “overly conscientious,” these people are highly unlikely ever to act on their bad thoughts, Baer explains.

The most successful treatment, he says, involves desensitizing individuals by increasingly (and safely) exposing them to the situations that provoke their “bad thoughts”; cognitive therapy is also helpful for many patients…. With an easy-to-read style, Baer offers a comprehensive and accessible look at this fascinating topic.

The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts is available at amazon.com and other stores.

Dr. Aureen Wagner brings you the latest scientific advances in the treatment of OCD along with her many years of experience in treating children and teenagers.

Using the metaphor of the Worry Hill, for which she has received international recognition, she presents a powerful step-by-step approach that countless children have used successfully to regain control from OCD. She provides parents and children with the blue print to take charge of and master OCD.

What to Do When Your Child Has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions is available at amazon.com and other stores.