"Hoarders" can't stack up to "OCD Project's" humanity

Joanne Ostrow

If you've seen one hoarder, you've got the idea.

As the A&E series makes clear, there's a deep-seated inability to let go that typifies those out-of-control collectors of junk and daily ephemera. It's a real pathology, but it's not ideally suited to television. "Hoarders," in its second season, tends to be repetitious.

The camera wallows in the accumulation and records the interpersonal angst the mess causes; an intervention by a therapist helps reveal the illness and remove some of the clutter. The letting go is considered a breakthrough, a professional organizer sometimes helps with logistics, and the crew moves on.

That's not how "The OCD Project" on VH1 works. This new series bears all the hallmarks of obscenely voyeuristic "reality TV" — including a house temporarily shared by eccentric characters caught at their worst — but then it takes a turn. You think it's going to mark a new low in titillating TV, and it ends up being surprisingly (perish the thought) educational.

"The OCD Project" airs in a three-hour prime-time block on Thursdays, with repeats including today at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 10 p.m. An array of symptoms is dealt with one by one, as six patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders endure what the host/therapist David Tolin promises will be "the toughest three weeks of their lives."

Tolin is a board-certified clinical psychologist, founder of the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital. He teaches psychiatry at Yale's School of Medicine and has a recurring gig on "Hoarders."

As a cable TV host, he's direct, forceful and telegenic in a tough-love way..." More

Treatment to solving obsessive-compulsive disorder as agonizing as condition on VH1's 'OCD Project'

DAVID HINCKLEY

"The OCD Project," Thursday night at 10 on VH1

The best part of this new VH1 show about treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is that, in contrast to most reality programs, the featured subjects don't look even a little bit happy to be here.

When C-list celebs sign up for rehab shows, or civilian contestants risk humiliation on other reality shows, you often get the idea that they've calculated the pluses and minuses and decided that being on television outweighs any other consideration.

That may also be true here. But it doesn't feel that way. It feels like the six people who are undergoing tough-love OCD treatment on this show agreed to expose themselves in very unflattering ways because they're running low on both options and time.

Kristen, 28, who is phobic about "contamination," says she spends up to six hours a day washing her hands, sometimes until she rubs the skin off.

She works as a banker, but human contact, needless to say, doesn't come easily to someone who uses hand sanitizer every time she has to shake hands. So she lives in a bubble, literal and figurative. While it's a well-sanitized bubble, the 28-year-old also calls it "a lonely world."

Cody, 18, is home-schooled because his life revolves around various rituals. He estimates 60% of his day is rituals. It takes him an hour to turn a computer on or off.

Traci needs two hours to perform the rituals that get her out of bed. She's obsessed with the idea that if she doesn't perform these and dozens of others during the day, her 9-year-old son will die.

So even though her fears are more about herself than her son, he's imprisoned by them. She won't let him out of the house, for instance, because he might breathe "bad air."

While OCD is a casual punch line to much of the world, it's a life-changer to these six people, and not in a good way. The host, Dr. David Tolin, warns them that they won't enjoy his methods of taking their lives back...." More

More on Dr. Tolin, the show and watch the premiere: here

The OCD Project challenges six severe OCD sufferers to face fears in a bold move to better their lives

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder of the brain where people experience obsessive thoughts, images, ideas or impulses – and they can't get past them. The day-to-day existence for severe OCD sufferers is dire. Untreated, they lead lives of self-punishment, fear and isolation that can result in job loss, broken families, bankruptcy and in some cases death.

"The OCD Project" challenges six severe OCD sufferers to face their fears in a bold move to better their lives by participating in twenty-one days of all-immersive therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention. World-renowned anxiety specialist Dr. David Tolin facilitates this proven treatment that encourages patients to face their worst fears in an attempt to stop the vicious cycle of the disease in eight, hour-long episodes. "The OCD Project" is set to premiere Thursday, May 27th at 10PM. To get a preview of the upcoming season, watch "The OCD Project" trailer on VH1.com. ..." More

Refining the diagnostic boundaries of compulsive hoarding: A critical review

By: Alberto Pertusa , Randy O. Frost, Miguel A. Fullana, Jack Samuels, Gail Steketee, David Tolin, Sanjaya Saxena, James F. Leckman, David Mataix-Cols

Abstract:
Like most human behaviors, saving and collecting possessions can range from totally normal and adaptive to excessive or pathological. Hoarding, or compulsive hoarding, are some of the more commonly used terms to refer to this excessive form of collectionism. Hoarding is highly prevalent and, when severe, it is associated with substantial functional disability and represents a great burden for the sufferers, their families, and society in general. It is generally considered difficult to treat. Hoarding can occur in the context of a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Although it has frequently been considered a symptom (or symptom dimension) of obsessive–compulsive disorder, and is listed as one of the diagnostic criteria for obsessive– compulsive personality disorder, its diagnostic boundaries are still a matter of debate. Recent data suggest that compulsive hoarding can also be a standalone problem. Growing evidence from epidemiological, phenomenological, neurobiological, and treatment studies suggests that compulsive hoarding may be best classified as a discrete disorder with its own diagnostic criteria..." More

Website: David Tolin, Ph.D

Dr. Tolin is the founder and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living. He is also Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Tolin received his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, and completed a predoctoral internship at Tufts University School of Medicine/VA Medical Center, Boston.

A board certified clinical psychologist and expert on cognitive-behavioral therapy, Dr. Tolin is the recipient of the award for Distinguished Contribution to the Science of Psychology from the Connecticut Psychological Association. Since 2003 he has served as a principal investigator and scientific reviewer for the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Tolin is the author of over 100 journal articles and book chapters. He is co-author of the books Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding and Treating Trichotillomania: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Hair Pulling and Related Problems.

Dr. Tolin has been a recurrent guest on programs such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was a featured expert on the A&E series Hoarders, and will be featured in Summer 2010 on the VH-1 series The OCD Project.

Link: here

New Survey: From Dr. Tolin. Anxiety Disorders Center. The Institute of Living

My colleagues and I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in an exciting new research study on compulsive hoarding. We hope this internet-based study will help improve our understanding and treatment of compulsive hoarding.

Who can participate?
We would like to invite everyone whose life has been affected by hoarding. If you are a person who suffers from compulsive hoarding, or if you have a family member or friend with a hoarding problem, we would like you to participate. If you are a mental health worker or service worker who regularly comes into contact with people who hoard, we'd also like to invite you to participate.

How long will it take?
The questionnaire will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. Of course, individual times may vary due to differences in speed of reading and writing. Because this is on the internet, you can take a break at any time and come back to it. Just be sure not to close the webpage.

Will my answers be anonymous?
Yes. We won't ask you for your name or any other personally identifying information. Our program won't install cookies or other software on your computer. We won't give out any information about your participation to other parties. Therefore, you can rest assured that your responses will be completely private.

How will my participation help?
Right now, scientists and therapists know relatively little about compulsive hoarding. Your participation will go a long way toward helping us understand the scope and impact of this problem. That, in turn, will help us design better research studies and treatments for hoarding.

What will I get in return for my participation?
At the end of the survey, we will invite you to enter a raffle to receive one of 10 autographed copies of the new book Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding (Oxford University Press, 2007). You can also feel good about the fact that you are helping us learn more about hoarding, which in turn will help us develop more effective research and treatment.

How do I participate?Participating is simple. Just go to www.surveymonkey.com/hoarding and answer the questions on the page.

Can I invite my family or friends to participate too?Absolutely. Please feel free to forward this letter to anyone who you think might be interested in helping us learn more about hoarding. In addition, if anyone is reading this letter and has not received a copy of our email Hoarding Newsletter, please send an email to adcresearch@harthosp.org so that we can add you to our mailing list.

If you have any questions about this research, please feel free to contact Diana Harrington at 860-545-7039 or dharrington@harthosp.org.

Thank you in advance for your help and we look forward to learning more about your experiences.

Sincerely,
David F. Tolin, Ph.D.Director, Anxiety Disorders CenterThe Institute of Living

Workers train to help those with hoarding behavior

by Theresa Collington 

Dr. David Tolin, Ph.D. Director of Anxiety Disorder Center at The Insitute of Living was in the Bay area today for two workshops on Hoarding. The Department of Children and Families hosted a special seminar in training for service workers of adults and the elderly on hoarding behavior.

Compulsive hoarding, a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a common and sometimes severe mental health problem that affects adults in our communities.

Today's workshops reviewed the nature of hoarding, the mental health connection, and new research findings regarding brain function in people who hoard. The goal is to help local service providers better assist adults who may have a hoarding issue and to teach them how to to help people reduce clutter and to master the psychological underpinnings of hoarding behaivor..."  More