Chris talks with Dr. David Barlow, one of the world's foremost experts on the treatment of psychopathology, and leading experts in the area of disordered anxiety. Chris and Dr. Barlow discuss his Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders, along with both the overlap of the anxiety disorders and their effective treatments. The all-important emphasis on behavior-change takes center stage as they talk about the Unified Protocol, and evidence-based psychotherapy. 

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At the request of a listener, Chris revisits the mosquito analogy, and explains "the moral of the story." Punchline is: you can tolerate more discomfort (in the context of OCD, more anxiety) than you give yourself credit for. The emphasis in the mosquito bite analogy is get rid of the itch by whatever means necessary. But it is the scratching-behavior that keeps the itching going. The real question is, How can you stop scratching?

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Chris moves past the theoretical skills "out there," and discusses getting started with exposure therapy. The key phrase is, "start small." Grow in experience and confidence. 

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Chris sits down with Jason Adams to discuss the complexities of parenting young children while simultaneously dealing with OCD. Chris and Jason talk about finding resources and encountering treatment, and ultimately discuss Jason's new book, OC Dad: Leaning to be a Parent with a Mental Health Disorder. 

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Chris takes on the question of, Why does exposure therapy work for some people, but not for me? It's a common question; and, in many cases, the answer is actually pretty simple. Adequate exposure therapy includes prolonged and repetitive exposure to targeted, anxiety-produces objects and situations. And adequate exposure therapy means response prevention. 

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Chris discusses a study published in the early 1980s the results of which have gone on to confirm the most effective treatment available for OCD - Exposure with Response Prevention. Response prevention is the general topic of the podcast. But what is exposure therapy? 

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Chris administers the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-II (YBOCS-II) Severity Items on the podcast. Listeners can measure their own symptom-severity on this validated 0-50 scale. He then goes over the "YBOCS Cheat Sheet" to orient listeners to the most direct "route" to a subclinical score on YBOCS-II. Wanna a good score on YBOCS-II? The Cheat Sheet will help you get it.

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Chris responds to a listener's questions about whether he can confirm an OCD-diagnosis for a listener, commenting on presentation and history of symptoms. Further, he discusses the nature of compulsive patterns and good treatment for OCD. 

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Chris talks with Dr. Eric Storch, a leading OCD-treatment specialist, and one of the psychological scientists who developed the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the gold-standard tool for assessing OCD-symptoms. Chris and Dr. Storch discuss the concept of the "YBOCS Cheat Sheet," along with some of the processes that collectively form the Exposure and Response Prevention protocol.

Thanks, Dr. Storch for sharing your time and expertise with us!

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