Dr. David Tolin comes to VH1 with a stack of professional achievements under his belt — he’s a board-certified clinical psychologist who founded the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living, he teaches at Yale and recurred on A&E’s Hoarders. Most importantly for our purposes, he’s heading VH1′s own The OCD Project, which places six people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder in a house in an attempt to treat and control their disorder. Along the way Dr. Tolin will use exposure therapy on his patients, which forces them to confront their fears in what may appear to be outlandish ways.
All this season, Dr. Tolin will be checking in with this blog for episode-specific interviews. Our introductory one for The OCD Project premiere is below. In it, Dr. Tolin talks about bringing therapy to reality TV, the up- and downsides of treatment in the presence of cameras, the thought process behind exposure therapy and why he won’t be surprised if people laugh at this show (at least at first).
I talked to Dr. Drew a lot about the process of bringing Rehab to TV and found that he thought the TV aspect was actually helpful in some ways. I wonder if there was any advantage that you found doing this treatment in front of cameras?
I do think that most of the people in the program were really jazzed about the possibility of helping to raise awareness of this illness. I think all of them have this thing in common, and for the longest time, they thought they were the only one. They thought that there was just something deeply wrong or crazy about them and that nobody would ever understand what they were going through. As they realized that this is an illness, it has a name – OCD – and that there were other people who were struggling with it, I think they felt a lot better. They got the bug to share that information with other people. So I think in some ways it was helpful because everybody in there felt like they were working for a dual purpose.
Was that your main motivation to be involved in a TV show about OCD, as well?
Absolutely. I am a scientist at heart. Typically, when you see a psychologist on TV talking about OCD, mostly what they’re doing is dispensing common-sense advice. I have no beef with common-sense advice, I’m a big fan of common sense, but it is important for people to know that treating mental illness is far more complicated than that, that there are some really specific things that you need to do in order to get the symptoms under control. One of the ideals that really appealed to me was being able to disseminate information about evidence-based treatments to the public, to let people know that there is a science to this and science has come up with some very useful things to do for the treatment of mental disorders.
You’re referring specifically to exposure therapy, right?
In this case, it is exposure therapy. I can tell similar stories about other mental disorders. It is not only exposure therapy. There are some very specific ways to treat depression. There are some very specific ways to treat alcoholism and substance abuse and there are some very specific ways to evaluate those problems as well and we tend not to show those things on TV. I like the idea that on this show we brought in state-of-the-art real, valid assessments of OCD and we brought in evidence-based treatments. And from my perspective I think that is one of the main things that is really new about this program.
I feel like The OCD Project works so well as a reality show because the exposure therapy looks so outrageous. Reality TV tends to set people up in more or less ridiculous situations without announcing its intentions to any great degree. Here, the ridiculous-looking situations are part of the treatment and there is no curtain you’re hiding behind.
I’ve had some people watch the supertrailer and ask me, “Is that played up for television? You don’t really do all those things in your own practice do you?” The answer is: it wasn’t played up. This is actually how we treat OCD. It is not done for reality TV. Yes, the treatment does look pretty nuts some of the time, but that is really what it takes for people to get better when they have OCD. We wanted to show that entire process, warts and all. It is different than a lot of reality situations in that we didn’t set up crazy situations for the sake of being crazy, nor did we set them up for the sake of making fun of people on the show. We were designing these experiences for the people so they can learn to overcome their fears.
Oh, I wasn’t implying that you’re out to make fools of these people, just that what we’re seeing is outrageous, just not outrageousness for outrageousness’ sake.
Exactly. That is one of the things that makes the treatment of OCD so interesting: often you have to do some very weird things in the purpose of being helpful.
On the flip side, was there anything about building a show around this that put the treatment at a disadvantage?
Absolutely. There were some times when I wished cameras weren’t around. I think there were some personal details that some people were reluctant to share with me because they didn’t want to share them with America. These details later on became important clinically. Therapy is a tricky process. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. I think the more we employ our science, the better chance we have of having it work. But at the same time, it’s also important that any therapy be based on a very strong, very trusting, very private relationship between the therapist and the patient. And the more you weaken that bond, the more problems you can get in that process of therapy. I do think there were times that the presence of cameras made it difficult for patients to feel really comfortable sharing every detail with me.
Did they overcome that or was that something that just fell to the wayside?
I don’t want to disclose too much because I think this issue does play out during the show. In one case we were able to get past it and move on and in another case, I’m not sure we were able to fully address it and it did create a complication.
You talk briefly on the show about the merits of group therapy. Was having six people with OCD, all with different issues, living together typical treatment? Was there any advantage or disadvantage to that?
There are advantages and disadvantages to every treatment choice we make, but I’m a big fan of group therapy. I use it in my own practice, as well. We’ve done it in our research program. I think that group therapy, when done right, gives people a very strong sense that they are not alone that there are other people who share this experience and it can often make them feel a whole lot better about the process. I also think it is helpful to give people the opportunity to kind of cheer each other on. I think the downside is that sometimes in group therapy you miss out on individual nuances that really aren’t shared by the group that could be important. We tried to strike a reasonable balance in this program by having the main therapy be group-based, but we also had individual check-in sessions with me. The other choice that comes up in the question is the residential treatment part of it. What are the merits of having people move in? There are three facilities in the country that do just this. One is at Harvard University. With regards to the residential treatment program, I think there is ample precedence for people doing very good OCD treatment in a residential setting. It is not always necessary. The program that I use at the Institute of Living is not a residential one. When you get into the more severe cases, I think a lot of people would make the argument that a residential treatment allows you to be much more focused, much more intensive, and to really immerse the person in the therapeutic experience and that may give you more bang for your buck.
Arine says she’s had OCD for seven years, which I thought this was interesting. I know that it’s weird to separate nature and nurture, but in your experience, is OCD one or the other? Is it a learned behavior or an innate sort of thing?
The onset of OCD is usually due to a combination of biological and environmental factors. A person with OCD typically has a certain a biological vulnerability to develop OCD. Their brain works in ways that makes it easier for OCD symptoms to develop. That may be something that is inherited and the person is born with. That does not mean they were born with OCD. It just means they are born with a style of brain functioning that is vulnerable to OCD. Then given the right combo of environment stressors, the symptoms of OCD blossom. In Arine’s case, I think we can point to a very significant stressor that was related to the onset of her OCD: the death of her father. That stressor probably wouldn’t have caused OCD if she didn’t have some kind of vulnerability to begin with.
How did you find these people?
Well, VH1 found them. I think one of the sources they used was the same source they used to find me, which is an organization called the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. The OC Foundation is a very helpful consumer and professional resource related to OCD.
The fact that these people are sharing one bathroom is no coincidence right?
It’s absolutely not a coincidence. There was more than one bathroom in the house. We locked up the rest.
And that’s their very first brush with the exposure therapy right? Because so many of them have issues with germs.
Well, it was really aimed at controlling it because we had a couple of people in there that we knew were going to be compulsive hand-washers. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t have to simultaneously monitor five different bathrooms to know where these people were. So the most straightforward thing to do was to limit it to one bathroom. There is nothing unusual about that. When you go to the residential treatment facilities, usually there’s only one bathroom, and typically it’s locked. You actually have to get permission to use it while somebody stands outside. That’s not at all unusual or played up.
Liz is there in the house to help and she is introduced as a former OCD sufferer. That made me wonder about the recovery rate.
It depends very much on how you define recovery. If you define recovery as an all-out cure, meaning that the person is absolutely free of OCD symptoms and those symptoms never return in any form, I’d say that rate is very low. This is a chronic illness. It is based on very real changes in brain function. On the other hand, if you take a somewhat broader view of recovery and you define it as a dramatic reduction in the symptoms of OCD, a noticeable decrease in the severity of obsessive thinking, a noticeable drop in the frequency of compulsive behavior, the elimination of substantial functional impairments and an overall improvement of the person’s quality of life, then I would say that the recovery rate is quite high. In fact, the best research that we have tells us that exposure-and-response has a recovery rate of any where between 70 and 75 percent. Again that is not a cure rate, but that’s people being noticeably better in their lives.
Is it kind of like addiction in that people aren’t necessarily cured – they spend their lives “recovering?”
I think that’s a good way of describing it. With OCD, certainly there have been some cases in which it has been flat-out cured and the person never has it again, but I think in most cases it’s best to think of this as a chronic disease that is managed in the same way that diabetes can be managed or hypertension can be managed. There is no reason that it needs to impair you or to mess up your quality of life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can ignore it. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone forever.
Is your job frustrating?
My job is very rewarding. I love my job. I just find OCD to be the most fascinating illness on the planet. This is the most interesting thing I ever studied or treated and as soon as I started meeting patients with OCD, I knew right away that is what I wanted to be doing. I also like this job because I like rewards and rewards are many when it comes to treating OCD. The nice thing is when I treat OCD, patients get better, and it is really wonderful to see someone get past their fears, rebuild their lives, and start to really live again. I think we’re going to see some of that in this program as well. I do think there are moments that I find frustrating. You’ll see no shortage of my frustration come up in the show. There are times when someone doesn’t seem as invested in their recovery as I am, or they seem to really want to get into arguments or work across purposes with me. But still, I overall like what I’m doing.
Obviously people watch reality TV to laugh at it. I wonder what you think about people watching this show and laughing.
Well, I think that it’s probably natural for people initially to look at the behaviors they see on the show and find them odd, or unusual, or even amusing. You know, this is really weird stuff and it’s not the sort of thing most of us are used to seeing. We’re typically not used to seeing somebody stand there for an hour turning off a light switch. We’re not used to seeing people scrubbing their feet in a bath tub for hours. We’re not used to seeing doctors that lick shoes. So I get it! I get it. If I weren’t in this field and I would probably watch that and say, “This is crazy!” I might even laugh as well. I do think, however, that as people get into it and they start seeing the humanity behind these people and how badly they’re really suffering and when they start watching me and they start seeing the method to the madness, I think they are going to find it…I hope they still find it interesting, but I think they will find it less amusing and more informative.
Are you ever taken aback? Even with all your experience, do you ever say to yourself, “This is crazy!” when you are faced with a particular patient?
I will admit I’m pretty tough to freak out. I’ve done so much. I have accompanied so many people on exposure therapy and I’ve heard almost everything. It’s pretty hard to ruffle me with the symptoms of OCD. Every now and again I’ll hear something new that takes me by surprise.
Any thing you can think of recently?
Let’s see. Everybody on The OCD Project was pretty straightforward. I wasn’t ruffled by them. I’m pretty hard to freak out at least with OCD symptoms. I can freak out about a lot of other things, but OCD doesn’t freak me out. Maybe the only thing I can think of is when I started treating hoarders. I used to be on A&E’s Hoarders, and I will say that some of those cases took me aback to see the absolute squalor in these living conditions: seeing dead animals being stored in freezers and things like that. There were some moments there that I was a little freaked out. But like anything else, exposure does tend to diminish your response so once you see something like that a few times, it really doesn’t bug you.
Related content
The OCD Project show page
The OCD Project videos and extras
Dr. Tolin’s official site
The OCD Project » Watch Video
| Episode | Type | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | Full Episode | Videos: Last Day of Treatment | 7/16/10 |
| 108 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 8 Bonus Clips | 7/15/10 |
| 108 | Show Clips | Videos: Last Day of Treatment Show Clips | 7/15/10 |
| 107 | Full Episode | Videos: Home Environments | 7/09/10 |
| 107 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 7 Bonus Clips | 7/08/10 |
| 107 | Show Clips | Videos: Home Environments Show Clips | 7/08/10 |
| 106 | Full Episode | Videos: Extreme Exposures | 7/02/10 |
| 106 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 6 Bonus Clips | 7/01/10 |
| 106 | Show Clips | Videos: Extreme Exposure Show Clips | 7/01/10 |
| 105 | Full Episode | Videos: The Hospital | 6/25/10 |
| 105 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 5 Bonus Clips | 6/24/10 |
| 105 | Show Clips | Videos: The Hospital Show Clips | 6/24/10 |
| 104 | Full Episode | Videos: Family Therapy | 6/18/10 |
| 104 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 4 Bonus Clips | 6/17/10 |
| 104 | Show Clips | Videos: Family Therapy Show Clips | 6/17/10 |
| 103 | Full Episode | Videos: Today It Begins | 6/11/10 |
| 103 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 3 Bonus Clips | 6/10/10 |
| 103 | Show Clips | Videos: Today It Begins Show Clips | 6/10/10 |
| 102 | Full Episode | Videos: What's Your Problem | 6/04/10 |
| 102 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 2 Bonus Clips | 6/03/10 |
| 102 | Show Clips | Videos: What's Your Problem Show Clips | 6/03/10 |
| 101 | Show Clips | Videos: Arrival Show Clips | 5/27/10 |
| 101 | Bonus Clips | Videos: Episode 1 Bonus Clips | 5/27/10 |
| 101 | Full Episode | Videos: Arrival | 5/24/10 |
| -- | Sneak Peeks | Videos: The OCD Project Supertrailer | 4/21/10 |
| More The OCD Project Episodes | |||
34 responses to to Examining The OCD Project With Dr. Tolin – Episode 1
While I was watching the first episode I was crying! My husband battles with OCD everyday and it’s very hard to see him like that! I’m glad there is a show that shows that there is hopre out there for them. Maybe this will teach people to stop using OCD as joke.
I wanted to say GOD BLESS YOU!!!! Finally some one is bringing OCD to the main stream. I am a mother of a child with OCD. He was initially diagnosed when he was 11 yrs old. His complete diagnoses was OCD, Territs, ADHD, A typical absent’ Seizures, and Right frontal lobe epilepsy. He is now 24yrs old, lives on his own, has a wife, a son, and job that is turning into his profession a painter. How did we get through it all? My GOD it was a scary ride, because even though this was not that many years ago, OCD/Territs were not that heard of, it was not talked about. First I took off work, and was on county %%)~!##_@#(%`%` istance, We both figured if we were going to attack these issues with as much passion we both shared it would be a full time commitment on my part.
We treated his Territs with herbal treatments : why because one of his OCD issues was around prescription medications. He could not pollute his body with something that was not drawn from mother nature. So we both studied everything out there about both issues. We looked at the scientific information, We looked at the emotional information, we looked at all possible solutions that might be offered no matter how far fetched they seemed at the time. We both settled on treating the OCD with cognitive behavioral therapy. My God was it hard to address every point of his life, everyday was addressing his motives and actions on a continues basis. We did it as a team. He only had one therapist that he jived with as a you boy and unfortunately being on %%)~!##_@#(%`%` istance you are in training programs for upcoming doctors and therapist. This therapist was completing his residency through the county programs. So when he graduated he moved out of state back home and my sons connection to a therapist was gone. He never allowed himself to connect to another one.
The Doctors and school teachers were the most difficult to get to follow what we had decided to do. The doctors all they wanted to do was poke at him with needles and the schools never could get all the teachers to read his Individual Education Program that I had designed for him. Heck when I say OCD, or Territs they said “what?” they all thought I was an insane over protective mother. It was a nightmare. I was at the school every day either meeting with a teacher who said my son was not applying himself, or he was day dreaming too much (a typical absent’ seizures can appear as though the person is not paying attention but in reality they are having a misfire in the chemical chain reaction in the brain. It’s a seizure without all the flopping around my son use to say.)Or I was addressing a bully issue, the other children was unmerciful, they got off tourting my son.
Through this I became a child advocate to help other parents tackle the maze of what is our public school system. My son he supported the kids of these parents that I helped. Telling them they were not alone, that they are normal kids they are just having a medical issue with the chemicals in their brains which can be treated with meds and/or therapy. Don’t get me wrong, I make my kid sound like a saint. He was no saint, he was a normal boy child and teenager and when the normal issues came up that every parent faced it was acerbated by these disorders. We argued, he yelled at me, I yelled at him. He was angry all the time, I was frustrated, I felt guilty, I was lost as to how to reach my son. The one thing though is we never gave up. Did he graduate from high school? No, he missed graduation by 5 credits. I mean no one in the school system could see the challenges he faced everyday. To have gotten as far as he did was a miracle in itself. No all they saw were those 5 credits missing. So he dropped out of school in a 5th year program. He tried drugs he tried drinking these issues away, but all that did was make him have seizures I mean the grand malls from the epilepsy.
But through love and devotion (yes tough love too, I did not coddle my son at all, it was stand on your own or fall, but your not going to lean on me your whole life. Our goal was to make sure he became a functional part of society.) We got through it. He took his Territs tick which was a facial & upper body contortion and turned it into a sniffle…. how? The doctors, therapist nor I know how, he did this on his own. He said applying the cognitive behavioral methods to the ticks. He eventually took the high school equalivancy test and passed.
See when you have both you are on a constant up and down cycle. One day your battling the Territs the next your battling the OCD. Then throw the others in the mix for fun. Yeah fun!!!
It was a long hard road for the both of us, but I look at him now and I am amazed every day. He gets up goes to work painting houses, he skis, he snowboards, he loves computer games and making computer art, he is a wonderful daddy and a wonderful compassionate husband. He makes me proud everyday! Yes we are very close, as you can probably tell. I never treated him like a kid or a disabled kid either. He was another human being who needed my help. We set the expiations and derived a road to get there. Are they all gone? NO you never are free from these issues, but you can live free by keeping a strong mind set and continuing to place reasonable goals for yourself and achieving them the best you can. NO ONE IS PERFECT! We all have some issues that we hide from the world, that’s what makes us humans. The Webster’s dictionary should define Human Beings as flawed creatures. Cause that’s what we all are. Just spend your life learning and moving forward and never looking back, well unless your children are grown and your as proud of them as I am.
I would never change a thing about my son, or our life so far because the trials we face everyday help define who we are tomorrow.
To all who suffer from these disabilities, be strong, love yourself, and keep moving forward everyday. My prayers are with all of you; your happiness is just around the corner and you can achieve your dreams.
My family and I are very interested in this show. We were discussing how it seems as if everyone in this world is a little bit obsessive compulsive about certain things, but doesnt mean they have OCD. I think this is a great show to inform people of the issue and show the difference between whats a healthty amount of “obsessiveness” and whts unhealthy. The only thing that is bothering me about the show is that the same first episode keeps playing. I dont know if thats because it only plays a new episode once a week, and if thats the case it would be good to know when it is so I can watch the next one!
Wow!!! This is amazing……OCD to me is not a joke and I feel like people think it is something cool. For example, my favorite comment “I am having an OCD moment.” Every morning when I wake up, I dread the thought of stepping my two feet on the ground, because I know that will start my compulsions. To get rid of some of my obsessions I normally just sleep….sometimes 20 hours a day. It is really sad. I am newly married to someone who loves me and understands my OCD, but I want to get better for him, so we can live a normal life. I pray everyday for more treatment options. God Bless all of you with OCD, I know and feel your pain <3
Hi, I have OCD since the age of 7 years old I have been through hell and back it’s strange untill yesterday I was telling my husband how it’s weird that nobody really does anything about OCD they talk about it on tv but there’s really nothing out there to help the people, I’m 45 years old now and I have 3 boys 20,16,13 and they have suffered alot, my husband his really my angel and my boys are my little angels they get very fustrated because of what I go through and my husband has spent thousands of dollars on me going to doctors because the ones that I find don’t take insurance and the ones that do take it are not very good at all.God bless all the people with OCD don’t ever give up be strong that’s what gets me through alot, some times I want to end it but then I look at my kids and I tell my self no don’t give up tommorow will be a better day trust me.
As a parent of an OCD child, I can attest that your show is the real deal. We had no experience with OCD when our son’s symptoms became debilitating. Your show will help a lot of people.
It may also make people think they can DIY exposure therapy. Don’t do that, people. Have an experienced pro conduct the therapy.
The first episode did not mention the use of medication in treating OCD. Using medicine is an important consideration when dealing with OCD. I hope future episodes address meds.
What about meds for OCD?
ok i just started watching this show earlier today…i myself have OCD, not to this level tho very minor compaired to these people. i have to say that kevin suscavage is absolutely psycho. he is beyound OCD, he needs serious psychologic help. the fact that he is on this show is rediculous…he belongs in a mental institution not on a OCD show for people with real obsessive compulsive problems. SEND HIM TO A LOONEY BIN!!!
It’s good to have a show where they are helping people with this type of thing. My uncle used to suffer from an OCD where he would wash his hands too much just like Kristen (spelling?} on the show. Good luck to everyone on the show and I just want to say that I think Traci is beautiful :-)
Whats up with that Kevin character? Did you see how he handled the door? It was freagin awesome….
I was glued to the set! I was seeing myself in some of these situations and it feels so good to know that I am not alone. It has always been so embarrassing to me. Over the years, I have learned to deal with it all by myself and the help of God. I have improved a great deal but still battle it everyday. Now I am seeing symptoms in my son and this has been very hard for me because I know what he’s going through and would never wish this on anyone. I am glad to see public awareness to OCD and am hoping to see that those who suffer from this will reach out for support and gain their life back. I wish I consulted a professional a long time ago.
I’ve been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and OCD, and I really enjoyed the first episode of this show — I, like others who have commented on here, found myself in tears hearing of the trials of others. I used to carry my toothbrush around with me, because I had to brush my teeth and wash my hands immediately after I ate. I had to redo my hair 5-15 times every morning to make sure it was “perfect”. I had to rewrite my school notes if I made any error, or even if my pen blotted or a friend write or drew on them. I had trouble making friends because of my intense anxiety issues. I think that this show looks a little kitschy (like most reality shows), but I love how the different aspects of OCD (and the serious nature of the disorder) are being addressed.
I’m definitely sucked in to watch the season. I hope these six people really realize all the support they have — from family and friends, I’m sure… but also, through their willingness to display their efforts on TV, from strangers around the country. Your bravery and willingness to seek help is an inspiration to all of us who continue to struggle to overcome our individual problems. Thank you.
Why exactly was there a bug in only K’s bed and why was the door only set that way for him, interesting (just a thought). Lookin’ out
I believe that I have OCD, and watching this gives me hope that I may get over my issues. I am 25 and I have been scared of drains since i can remember, i am scared that it will suck me down to it because I am only scared of them when there is water over them. I can’t do dishes in the sink, I can’t swim in a regular pool, cause i don’t want to find a drain, or the jets or the holes that bring in the water to the filter. I have to stand as far back in the tub/shower as I can.
I have a child now, and she just recently outgrew her baby bathtub, so we are now bathing her in the regular tub, and I can’t even give her a bath because it just gives me so much anxiety to see her go near the drain. I can’t take her into a pool and stuff…I wish I could get help just like these people. because I know i would never be able to do it on my own.
Hello Dr. Tolin!
I was a bit hesitate to watch this because I don’t want it to turn into a freakshow. But so far I like it, especially because it shows several different kinds of OCD and dispels the whole “OCD=Cleaning/organizing” myth. I was a bit surprised that treatment was that crazy. For me, treatment wasn’t nearly as intense or strange. I mostly just did normal things that I had been afraid to do and did a lot of cognitive therapy. But I guess for serious symptoms you need serious treatment. I also didn’t any have repetitive compulsions though.
Also, I hope it will raise awareness about OCD, particularly” violent/sexual thoughts” and “hit and run” OCD. I had OCD for 10 years before I was diagnosed and I am a psych student and had read tons about the disorder, and still didn’t realize I had it! I had also been to several therapists and a psychiatrist before someone recognized it. I hope that a lot of people will see the show and go get treatment for their OCD. (the right treatment).
I am a bit concerned about the group therapy aspect and all the cameras. As you said, the most important part of treatment is having a strong relationship between client-therapist and it seems like that can’t happen on a reality show such as this.
Thanks for raising awareness! I hope everyone on the show gets better and continues treatment after they leave.
I watch the show every Thursday. I have suffered from “ordering”ocd for eight years. I take paxel and have been in therapy…I still cut my hair every day…hoping to make it “even.” i have no idea why I do it. My best friend is a therapist and says ordering is the hardest ocd to cure. i would love to know what Dr. Tolin thinks…I see no orderers on the show…one time I cut for 16 hours! I love it when people say, “Just don’t do it!”
In the late seventies, I had a number. My number was 10. I had to touch the jungle gym 10 times before leaving the playground. There were certain tiles I have to touch in class ten times with my toe before passing and if it didn’t feel right, I had to start all over. My fifth grade teacher was watching me with wide eyes and said “what is wrong with you”! I was so ashamed. I did not know what was wrong. The facial tics, squirming in my clothing and pulling it and adjusting it because it is touching me the wrong way. Having to be touched the right way and then the same on the other side to even it out or I am upset. It is so hard to resist the urge that I feel that I will burst out of my skin sometimes. The frustration level rises with stress and then I am so irritable that I grab pills or drugs legal or not to calm down it is so intense. So may people have asked me if I am ok or what is wrong. It has wrecked opportunities, kept me from staying in school and at jobs for long. My children 3 for 3 have suffered tics that are severe and my daughter cried so hard and asked for drugs to help her stop. My older son suffered severe problems. I don’t know if this show will give me insight on how to help myself but I do know I find myself bawling when I see the people on the show. I feel their frustration.
I cannot even imagine what it would be like to live with OCD. I truly feel for all the patients going through all of this. I really hope they overcome their fears so they can finally live a normal life. I do have a question about Kristen, she can’t stand anyone touching her, or her touching anyone or anything because the minute it happens she has to wash her hands or sanitize her entire being. I noticed she has french manicured acrylic nails and her hair has been dyed.I am wondering how she managed to have this done? Does she do it herself or does she go to a specific person for which she asks to wear gloves or sanitize him/herself? Don’t give me wrong, I appreciate your hair and nails being done a woman has to look good and pamper herself to feel good but in this situation how is it possible? please explain. Thank you
I am so disappointed that VH1 didn’t do better research before choosing the OCD sufferers for this show! Kevin “Sage” Suscavage is an actor, and while it is ironically humorous that he could act his way onto a REALITY television show, it is still very disappointing in the end. It’s a cliffhanger now…I hope Dr. Tolin sees it for what it is. Really VH1? Have you laid off so many people that the research department couldn’t even do a simple google/youtube search? At least the “math teacher” part was somewhat truthful.
Kristen’s artificial nails totally contradict her claim that she needs to be clean all the time. They are disgusting and harbor all kinds of bacteria. Has anyone told her how disgusting they are?
I am so proud of VH1 for educating others about OCD. Ever since I was very young, I had thoughts that something bad would happen to me. In junior high, I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which worsened it over the years, causing me over to obsess about hurting myself or even dying if I moved in a potentially harmful way or exposed myself to germs. The bathroom was like a prison, keeping me occupied for hours as I went over my actions to make sure that I was “safe”. Throughout junior high and high school, I kept these thoughts from my friends but often felt like a freak. The OCD Project sensitively portrays real people like myself that have been to hell and back, and for this I am very thankful. P.S. I am now in college keeping both my OCD and fibromyalgia under control, so it does not control me.
Thank you, VH1! I have struggled with OCD since elementary school and having intrusive thoughts for as far as I could remember. In junior high I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which caused me immense pain throughout my body and made me feel fragile, worsening my OCD symptoms. I am so happy that VH1 honestly portrayed some extreme cases of OCD in a sensitive way. It is an inspiration to all, and makes me feel better knowing that I am not alone. P.S. I am now in college and both my OCD and fibromyalgia are much diminished and no longer interfere with my life.
the fact that this show has come out, makes me feel calm, to know that there is really someone out there that is helping those with OCD. A lot of people do not realize that OCD can cause some serious problems in a person. Like myself. The fact it will take me 20 mins or more to leave my house, i am late to a lot of events due to the fact i have to unplug everything in my house, check the stove, light switches, move things away from plugs and or any kind of electronic equipment, to having to do things until it feels right to me. there are many times where i have to or make the person driving turn around and go back to my house so i can repeat the routine i have just done before leaving. My fear of my house burning down, or something happening to my house while i am gone overwhelms me, there are times where i have to FORCE myself to keep going, going upon the words of my partner or friends that it’s going to be okay. I will break down and cry because i get so frustrated with this. This causes it hard for me to find work, and so on. I have not found anybody that can help me, usually doctors push pills at me, and i become a walking zombie. and the pills never worked. The Anxiety and the OCD together is unbearable. Need some sort of direction to go in here!
I am a “survivor” from a childhood that was painful and very difficult because my Mom has OCD.
The rituals, the washing hands, fear of germs, afraid of things that could happen, not throwing out items that might be needed someday, unable to have people in our home,etc…
My Mother, now 72, still affects my life with the OCD problems. I have had to learn to “work around” her issues,to be patient and try to understand she can not help the way she has to cope with life.
I love her dearly and do not blame her or hold resentment for things that happened through my childhood.
I view my Mother’s OCD as a horrible thief that robbed her from being able to have a normal happy life and it robbed her children. We all fell victims to this very sad anxiety illness.
Im trying to learn as mush as I can about OCD as I work through painful memories to better understand my life after being raised in an unstable environment by someone suffering from OCD and #@#`@`+`_&((%^@& ding.
I wonder if the OCD Project will address how OCD so strongly affects the loved ones in an OCD person’s life.
I find the show very accurate. I have two children with OCD. Their issues are quite different, however. One of my daughters started showing bizarre symptoms at around 8-10 years old and the other I didn’t connect the dots with her, so to speak. It was not revealed to me until another disorder evolved.
I wonder how much more prevalent this disorder is, but not discussed. I didn’t find much in the way of your type of treatment in our area in New England.
As a parent, the hardest thing for me was that there was no logic in the avoidance behaviors that were being done to avoid dangers, etc., and the lengths my daughter would go to in order to be able to complete her compulsions.
My name is mike. Iam form Mexico. I would like to talk to you about the program OCD.i was 18 years old and i was a perso who had a lot of dreams, i had recently got married with the woman that iam still married to now. Ihad a strange tragety that day. When i started to notice something strange in my mind.My mom and i thought that it was just my nerves.My panic started to increase each day, at the same time it also increased. Unforchantly in Mexco their are very little doctors that know about this issue.peaple just go to theirpest, socolagist,siceatrist.thinking that is the right thing to do. I really dont think that they are the right spicalist to go to.I would like to comment you on something that happen to me. their was a time that i was felling good like if nothing had happen. I thought that i was cured. I felt like the happest person in the world.That day I went to bed and then i woke up with the same feelings.I felt really bad, the same way that i did when it all started.Sometime i have bad thoughts in my mind that i cant get rid of and their are always their. I excerise a lot and i play sports when that happens, and it does help.That is the only thing that make me feel like iam myself again. Iam a hard worker i wake up every day to jog 6 to 8 miles everyday. Little by little i work hard to get those bad thought out of my head. IT helpes me a lot but at the same time i feel like iam in a routine, doing the same things over and over again. I also decated little time to my family.Iam a type of person that i will not fall back from anything i will strive to do what ever it takes to acomplish something. I would like to keep writing to you about what goes on throut my life, and the way i feel. I hope that you will take the time to read this and write back, you are diong a good thing by helping those peaple who really need you.I would like to keep talking to you sincearly mike…..
I have suffered with OCD since I was in 3rd grade. I remember when it started. I am now 39 years old and have written to many talk show, etc. asking for someone, somewhere to talk about what actually happens to someone who has OCD. thank you.
wow i am reading some of these comments on here. and it is truly amazing. i suffer from ocd every single day and it is truly exhausting! like many of you who has ocd i was in tears watching this show because i truly kno what these people go through. it is the saddest thing! im glad that vh1 has actually put a show about it. this show will give people some awareness to what ocd sufferers have to go through everday, and it gives me motivation to stop my ocd. IF all of these people can over come their ocd so can I! =)
I have ocd in which, among other things, I obsess about having perfect skin and that I can’t have any imperfections, globs of oil, extra thick hairs or disgusting cores underneath my skin. In order to get the imperfections out, I spend between 1-4 hours a day picking at my skin and I have sores and scabs on my face. It’s crazy and I’m so sick of it. It’s exhausting. Sometimes I avoid washing my face for days because I am so afraid of getting near a mirror. I just wish it would stop. Thank you so much for this show, I watch it and cry because I know what everyone is going through. I can’t seem to find much information on the treatment of my particular obsession. Have you ever come across people that continuously pick their skin?
I have OCD for so many years I can’t count when it started. I understand when he says that this is like a friend and it makes me feel better to do my rituals. Sometimes I do my rituals without even thinking who it may harm if I don’t do them or if I will be sick if I don’t do my rituals. I try to hide my OCD but can’t. My dad had OCD, my sister has it and my aunts. The count goes on. I count up to 25 if the count goes over 25 it is time for theraphy. When I go to theraphy they never dwell on my OCD. I take prozac for my disorder. How do we ever get our brains to do this. Why? does anyone have the answer to that question. If I don’t do my count and rituals right I get panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I have lived on medication for most of my adult life. This show seems like it could help but in only 3 weeks? Most of us have this disorder all of our lives and for it to go away in three weeks of exposure theraphy doesn’t sound right. I will keep watching.
My husband and I have a 2yr old who has OCD. What do should we do to help her.
Great show! How about a celebrity version of “The OCD Project”? I think QVC host Lisa Robertson would be a great “patient” for the show because of her compulsion to say “literally” every ten minutes on her QVC shows (every day), as well as her tendency to tug at her hair when she talks.
What a lovely day for a 2345562! SCK was here
What a lovely day for a 4316586! SCK was here