Upside of OCD - by Michael Alcée (Hardcover)

About the Book

Using vivid case examples, practical exercises, personal anecdotes, and inspiring stories, The Upside of OCD integrates the best of what's already out there for OCD treatment with a new relational twist that will take your treatment to a whole new level.

Book Synopsis

Using vivid case examples, practical exercises, personal anecdotes, and inspiring stories, The Upside of OCD integrates the best of what's already out there for OCD treatment with a new relational twist that will take your treatment to a whole new level.

Review Quotes

Drawing upon his extensive clinical experience and scientific research as well as his musical creativity, Dr. Michael Alceacute;e has written a most unique and highly compelling re-examination of obsessive-compulsive disorder, exploring not only the burdens of this state of mind but, also, its potential benefits. A hugely clever reframing of this aspect of human psychology, I warmly recommend this book to fellow mental health professionals and, indeed, to all members of the general public!

Far from a trite treatise on what it means to have OCD, psychologist Michael Alceacute;e offers a deeply wise and compassionate voice for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as for OCD, itself. Rather than simply seeing OCD as ldquo;sound and fury, signifying nothing, rdquo; Alceacute;e explains that there is meaning to be found, hidden powers to reclaim. An indispensable book for anyone struggling with OCD, or who loves someone struggling with OCD.

If OCD impacts your life in some way, then this book is a must-read. Bringing together evidence-based research with impactful and often personal stories, Alceacute;e invites us to fundamentally rethink the nature and approaches to OCD. Everyone with OCD should have a wise, insightful champion like Alceacute;e.

It#39;s about time somebody brought the human being back into OCD. In this readable and entertaining book, Michael Alceacute;e has put the suffering person at the center of the complex phenomenon we have simplistically reified as ldquo;OCD.rdquo; His chatty, personal writing style has a serious, scholarly intent. Pitched directly to sufferers, the book reframes, with creativity and verve, the nature, function, and meaning of their symptoms. I recommend it to anyone who has struggled with ruminative thoughts and mandatory actions and also to anyone interested in a refreshingly new exploration of obsessive and compulsive psychology.

Michael Alcee#39;s intriguing exploration of OCD#39;s gifts offers a new perspective on a disorder often simplistically treated as uniformly negative. The Upside of OCD is a provocative read in the best sense and a welcome addition to a growing literature on thriving in an age of flux and angst.

This book is a love letter to OCD sufferers. Offering added depth to the exploration of the OCD experience, The Upside of OCD makes a great companion to evidence-based treatments like ACT and ERP.

About the Author

Michael Alcée, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in Tarrytown, NY, and mental health educator at the Manhattan School of Music. He is the author of Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist and 2019 winner of the American Psychological Association's Division 39 Schillinger Memorial Award. Alcée has been a TEDx speaker and organizer and regular contributor at Psychology Today along with contributions to NPR, The Chicago Tribune, and The New York Times, among others.