Additional Free/Low Cost Treatments Options for OCD and Anxiety

Hi Everyone,

After publishing a recent blog post I realized I’d overlooked some potentially helpful resources and also failed to highlight some of the very useful aspects of one of the organizations that I had recommended.

The first resource I failed to mention in my previous post was Reid Wilson, PhD. and his work is just too good to not mention. His website anxieties.com has many helpful resources, links to numerous free videos and he also offers some courses at a very modest fee. In addition to writing several books on anxiety disorders, he has a YouTube channel which has gathered most of his free videos, all of which are worth checking out. I especially like the video series he developed to accompany his latest book Stopping the Noise in Your Head which is called The Noise in Your Head. Much of my own thinking and the ways I treat anxiety and OCD have been influenced by Reid Wilson. One of the main ideas I have gotten from him and his work is the value of not just doing exposure work but deliberately seeking out opportunities to face what you fear and be uncomfortable and then welcoming and even embracing the anxiety/discomfort that will come as you do the exposure work. Another therapist whose book I recently read put it this way “You have to feel in order to heal”.

I also failed to mention Emma McAdam, LMFT. Her website has lots of helpful, and mostly free, resources about a variety of mental health topics. She has an extensive array of videos available on her YouTube channel. Though she has published many videos on anxiety, I especially liked one of her recent videos entitled Mindfulness for Anxiety. 

The other resource that I didn’t fully explain is the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Foundation (IOCDF). It is such a useful site I thought it worth discussing further. It is a fountain of free resources for understanding and managing OCD. For example, there are numerous articles written by world experts on OCD in the section entitled “Learn About OCD” on topics such as What is OCD? What Causes OCD?, Subtypes of OCD and many more. If you’re seeking a therapist to help with your OCD they have an extensive international listing of potential therapists to choose from in their “Find Help” section. You simply put in your location and click “Find” to access 1969 therapists, 455 support groups and 200 clinics and programs from around the world (though most are from the US). If you or a loved one has OCD or an OCD related disorder then you might want to consider attending the annual OCD Conference. This year it will be held July 8 -10 in Denver, CO. 

I’ve attended many conferences over the years and the one put on by the IOCDF, I think, is one of the best. There is always an array of useful and up to date presentations and workshops, but what is truly unique about this conference is that it is open to anyone to attend. Most conferences are only open to professionals, but the IOCDF conference welcomes everyone. There are, of course, programs for professionals, but there are always presentations and workshops for adults, adolescents and children who are suffering from OCD and OCD related disorders as well as their families and loved ones. I have had a number of my clients attend and they always return raving about their experience. I plan to attend and if any of you happen to attend and are comfortable, please look me up and say Hi.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of any help. If you know of anyone who might benefit from reading this post please forward it to them. And if someone forwarded this to you and you’d like to subscribe to my blog, you can go here.

Stay safe,

Dr Bob