Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty, Updated Edition

Very pleased with this book. Will recommend.

Simply the best book i have read about OCD (I have suffered since I was a kid). CBT and general mindfulness books are all very well but they don't to the heart of the problem as clearly as Grayson. Accepting uncertainty as he describes it is hard but it's the only way - you can't 'reason' your way out of something as illogical as OCD.

A good book in starting treatment for OCD and it is very informative. Can be useful when doing self directed ERP as it can be quite expensive. However... I feel DR. Grayson is very Doom and Gloom in his approach to writing this book - almost as if you just have to live with this forever youre stuck with it - this isnt the case. I feel the book is slightly outdated in some ways and although its definitely a good starting point and useful resource its very important that you draw your own conclusions from anything you read in relation to OCD while also maintaining a disciplined approach to your treatment - I understand ERP can be tough but I feel as though this book almost eludes to the fact that by doing ERP youll become a different person.

This was a big one. Amount of knowledge on the subject by the author is absolutely enormous! The book was good but there are some things I have against it. There is no mention whatsoever (exactly like in 'The Imp of the Mind') of any negative effects of the exposure therapy. I would recommend to anyone considering this therapy to read the scientific research which showing potential worsening of condition due to this form of therapy. Secondly I've counted all the forms which needed to be completed and got up to 11. Hope I didn't miss any. That’s quite a lot form filling. On top of that there is the script which one needs to create, then listen to it for at least one hour every day and amount of other the extra work. It seems to be an overkill for me but for desperate people this might be potentially the only way forward. I much prefer Jeffrey Schwartz' 4 Steps method which he described in his both books: Brain Lock and You Are Not Your Brain, which I've found more accessible and been working great for me to overcome any intrusive/obsessive thoughts. I've read this book only because it was advertised to be a class better than Jeffrey Schwartz's books. For me it wasn't. Maybe I'm just not a fan of completing tens of forms, lists, markings, scorings, measurings, and all of what you normally have to do in CBT.

I genuinely say this, the book is the turning point of my Life. I was trying to fight my OCD before, but this book gave me the right directions to achieve my goals. And this book is great for Non-OCD sufferers too because somewhere in life, we all deal with un-certainity & fear in life and it gets the best of us. Exposure & response therapy is excellently explained with directions how to apply it in your life. Must read for OCD sufferers out there as this will give you ammunition to fight with your OC-Demon!! All the best & stay strong. One way or another, it'll go!

Honestly one of the best books on OCD I have read. Grayson’s suggestions are effective and evidence based. They are also comprehensive and nuanced. For example, he doesn’t neglect the “cognitive” part of CBT, and addresses cognitive disortions. Yet he shows us how does this without falling into reassurance. Also, he is not against medication for those who need it, unlike some other OCD psychologists. Overall a very thorough, effective and balanced book. In conjunction with therapy, it really helped turn my life around!

era un libro para regalar pero la persona que se lo ha leido lo ha valorado como muy bueno, interesante y bien escrito

I've read numerous books on OCD and anxiety, including "Getting Control" and "The Imp of the Mind" by Lee Baer, "You Are Not Your Brain" by Jeffrey Schwartz, "Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts" by Clark and Purdon, and "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" by Claire Weekes. I recommend each of these books in their own way, especially "The Imp of the Mind" and "Hope and Help for Your Nerves". Each one has helped me recover from a period of anxiety. However, Dr. Grayson's book is on another level. I'm an OCD sufferer, having gone through many different forms over the years, including Harm-OCD, obsessing about obsessing, health concerns, Relationship OCD, and others. Other books were good, and they provided a lot of good reassurance, but as you may know, with OCD, reassurance isn't always a good thing. I found little to no reassurance in this book, instead I found strong motivation, tools for recovery, and resources to support me in the process. Dr. Grayson is a big proponent of Exposure and Response Prevention, the "gold standard" of OCD treatment today. In a way, there's quite a bit of "tough love", but that's exactly what we need. And at the risk of sounding less OCD and more schizophrenic, it's like Dr. Grayson could read my mind. So many times he said "You're probably thinking..." or "You know that...", and he was almost always right. He has a deep, deep understanding of the OCD mind. His understanding was more evident than any other author I've read. While reading previous books, I ignored exercises because I thought they were silly, contrived, or unnecessary. He addresses this mentality, and I found myself doing all of the exercises. The exercises are mostly very useful. He really lays it all out. He does a brief overview of OCD, but doesn't belabor it - after all, most of us who are reading this book know about it first-hand. He describes the various manifestations and related disorders, how their presence can present challenges, and how those challenges can be overcome. It's true that it's all treated mainly the same way, but it's naive to deny that there are unique challenges to each theme. He helps the reader design individualized recovery plans through numerous exercises. He addresses family and friends, teaching them how they can best support their loved ones with OCD. He lays out a clear plan to avoid major relapses and stay "better". Finally, he leaves the reader with resources for further help, including information on support groups, organizations, therapists, etc. He takes all of this complicated material and makes it easy - learn to live with uncertainty, and your life will improve. I'm confident in saying that this is the best book on OCD I've ever read. I absolutely recommend it to both the individual just learning about OCD and the learned, experienced individual. I will need to reread this one, but more importantly I will use its tools to beat my OCD.

Very good for people in their OCD Recovery!