| The Manhattan Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Support Group |
| www.maaddsg.org |
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Our Goal Is To Offer Support And
Information To Adults In New York City And The Surrounding Communities With ADD/ADHD |
| We Are Not "Lazy, Crazy, Or Stupid" |
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| Coping Strategies |
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| Stephen Josephson, PhD, clinical psychologist |
| The issues confronting
adults with ADD rarely stop with the symptoms listed in ADD's official
definition. All too common are co-existing conditions, or "comorbidities."
One of these is known as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Classic OCD -- such as that which involves checking or washing -- is marked by troubling intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions) that result in repetitive actions (compulsions) in an effort to relieve anxiety. But other patterns can feature obsessions -- bodily obsessions, or romantic obsessions, or miscellaneous mental "noise" -- which may or may not be linked to a specific compulsion. Also noted: compulsions -- such as shopping, or shoplifting -- not preceded the behavior connected with hoarding, or the lack of behavior connected with cluttering; both are often publicly associated with OCD. Finally -- and adding even further to the confusion -- is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. OCPD can feature such traits as perfectionism; a craving to achieve completeness for its own sake; or an exaggerated sense of obligation. All these are sometimes grouped together under the umbrella term "obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders." This spectrum -- and its frequent overlap with ADD -- will be the topic of our next event. Leading the discussion will be psychologist Stephen Josephson. Dr. Josephson specializes in stress management and behavioral medicine. He ran the inpatient OCD unit at Cornell, supervised the sleep-disorders lab at Rutgers, advised a stroke-prevention clinic at Beth Israel, and led the hypertension program at the International Center for the Disabled. He has also served on the faculties of Cornell and Columbia medical schools. Dr. Josephson now directs Behavioral Medicine Associates (www.behavioral-med.com), a group practice with services ranging from hypnosis to sex therapy to brainwave biofeedback. |