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 cleanAnother sufferer must check her stove hundreds of times daily to make sure she has turned it offAnd one woman, in an effort to ensure that her eyebrows are symmetrical, finally plucks out every hairAll 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.