Book recommendation to support self-help/ERP please

[Darwinia]

Hello,

I'm looking for a recommendation for some kind of workbook I can use at home to take up my OCD recovery a notch. I went to the GP in 2018 when things had got out of control and was given a short course of low-dose citalopram which helped take things down a notch while I started work on understanding what OCD is and how to tackle it. I already had a counsellor who I have been seeing off and on over the past 20 years to support me through periods of depression, stress, anxiety, etc. so I have been using her as my support buddy in this process - sharing with her what I'm planning to do, reporting back on what I'm learning, exploring challenges I'm experiencing. She is not an OCD specialist but knows me and my history very well, supports me to do "experiments" to help me handle uncertainty and the risk that I may make mistakes, and I am extremely comfortable sharing with her anything that is shameful to me.   

I've been making really good progress, despite (or perhaps because of) the pandemic, have a fine-tuned sense of when something it is OCD or not and have managed to tick a lot of compulsions off my list - "is that someone's dead cat by the side of the road? Maybe, but I'm going to keep driving", "Did I smell gas in the street? Maybe, but I'm on my way to catch a train and if I don't do something about it, someone else will", etc. But I'm struggling now with the internal or less tangible stuff - checking memories, past decisions, re-evaluating judgements and then going online to get reassurance. In addition, my general anxiety has flared up (lots going on in my life at the moment) which is making me nervous of relapsing - just been prescribed a short course of meds again so will be back on track soon.

I want to take things up a notch and clear out these other issues but I would prefer to continue the supported self-help route. I don't really want to start with someone new and think I do quite well at pushing myself to work on myself. Has anyone else followed this path and do you recommend any workbooks?

I already have some excellent books on understanding OCD and mental health, and some basic strategies e.g. Brain Lock, Break Free From OCD and You Are Not A Rock but I think I'm looking for something like an OCD version of 'Mind Over Mood' - a great handbook for supporting CBT for overcoming depression, anger and anxiety.

Thanks in advance...

[Dakagraphics-David]

Hi there. Check out Rob Willson, and Rhena Branch. I also recommend my good friend  Marcus john Kim, Also Dr David Burns (Not me!).  Happy new year everyone!

David

[Darwinia]

59 minutes ago, Dakagraphics-David said:

Hi there. Check out Rob Willson, and Rhena Branch. I also recommend my good friend  Marcus john Kim, Also Dr David Burns (Not me!).  Happy new year everyone!

David

Thanks, I'll check them out. Happy New Year to you too.

[northpaul]

I have recently completed a course or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.  The book supplied with the therapy was Break Free From OCD (by Dr Fiona Challacombe and others). This book is also avalable in the shop on this site (with a good description of content).  I found this book was very useful as a tool for my therapy.

[Darwinia]

Thanks @northpaul I have that one already and found it useful to understand OCD at the start. Perhaps I should go back to it, two years on and see how to push myself further.

[GreenJet68]

Brain Lock by Jeffery Schwartz I found to be really useful for to convince myself that I was dealing with something medical rather than personal inadequacy. 

[Darwinia]

Thanks @GreenJet68 I bought that very recently on someone else's recommendation and from my initial "dip" looked pretty useful. Of course I also spent a whole evening last week checking to see if I really did have OCD or not...but realised that I'd just proven my point!

[Angst]

Hi Darwinia

I personally cannot think of an OCD manual like Mind over Mood. Most people recommend Break Free from OCD which you already have in your book arsensal. Perhaps a gap in the market. There is a very good week by week workbook for hoarding used in therapy on both sides of the pond which helps with ERP/behavioural learning.  But this doesn’t help! Programmed learning/ behavioural learning can help a lot it is used a lot in the education sector. As said, perhaps a gap in the market!

Edited January 2, 2022 by Angst

[Dakagraphics-David]

Anybody on here wanna have a go at writing one?

David

 

[Summer9173]

Overcoming unwanted intrusive thoughts by Sally M. Winston was amazing!! I had it on audio book from Amazon so I could listen to it through my headphones so I was completely engaged as though she was talking to me herself. It’s an incredible book and I highly recommend - especially if you have Pure O, harm OCD 

[OCD_Guy_UK]

I've just purchased Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by David Veale and Rob Wilson. It's quite comprehensive.