Matt Bieber's writings on OCD & mental health
All in the Family – Writing About Relationships and OCD - Recently, I wrote an essay in which I referred to my mom as a “deeply neurotic” woman. I didn’t feel entirely comfortable doing so; part of me suspected that the phrase would bother her. But this feeling was confusing.
Quitting the Race (Letters to a Young Child, Part 2) - Dear – When I was a boy, I wanted to be president. I thought I should be. Not because I was uniquely talented – though Mom was pumping plenty of that in my ear – but because, deep down, I believed that it would make my life worthy.
Rap, Black Suffering, and OCD - So you love rap – but you don’t listen to it anymore. Just – ambiently. Like, if it’s on at a party or in someone’s car, I get excited. I mean, the lyrics are almost uniformly boring. Of course they’re often magnificently clever and crazily inventive, but they’re usually about one thing.
Letters to a Child I Might Have One Day (Part 1) - Dear – I don’t know what to call you, because you haven’t been conceived yet. I don’t know if you ever will be. But I know that if I your mother and I do create you one day, I’ll want to be able to say some things to you.
Is Being Mean to “Hillary Clinton” Different Than Being Mean to Hillary Clinton? - Dear – In my last couple of letters, I’ve been pretty nasty toward Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, and some of our other presidential candidates. Aren’t I being hypocritical here? I’m always yammering on about compassion, after all.
Just the Right Amount of Contempt: Or, What Digital Nomads Taught Me About Politics - Dear – This past week, your uncle Dan was in town to run his annual conference for digital nomads and location-independent entrepreneurs. These folks make their living on the internet – finding ways to monetize small corners of the universe, and using their income to fund travel and exploration.
Hillary as Black Hole, Bernie as 19th-Century Throwback, Author as Inebriated - I opened up. I found my own life interesting, my feelings worth talking about. Much of the time, I don’t. I’m too used to the scenery. N asks me about my day, and I’m unsure what to say
Andrew & Matt's recommended readings on OCD & Mental Health
http://59minutedevelopment.blogspot.com/ - Blog by Maria A. May, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, works as a senior program manager for the Social Innovation Lab and Microfinance Programme at BRAC. She previously worked with Harvard's Global Health Delivery Project and co-authored a book with BRAC Health Programme titled Making Tuberculosis History: Community-based Solutions for Millions. Raised in southern California and North Carolina, Maria's passion for social issues was influenced by her grandmother who taught English as a second language. This inspired Maria to volunteer at a local middle school and further developed her commitment to social justice and education. During her time at Harvard College, Maria changed her major from statistics to sociology after working with juvenile offenders, which deepened her understanding of poverty and wellbeing.
https://ericcmiller.com/ - Eric C. Miller is a faculty member in the Communication Studies department at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where his work largely focuses on the intersection of religion and politics. Over the past decade, he has been actively engaged in reviewing books and interviewing authors for various online platforms and academic journals. In addition, he has written several articles and edited a couple of essay collections. He maintains a personal website to fulfill two main purposes. Firstly, it serves as a platform where he can organize and compile his numerous and systematic reading projects, and recommend notable books to others. He appreciates connecting with fellow book enthusiasts, especially those who share his reading interests. Secondly, the website provides a space for him to share his professional details such as his curriculum vitae and publications, making his work readily accessible to anyone interested.
https://ocdtalk.wordpress.com - Janet Singer is a mother who has navigated through the complexities of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with her son. The family faced many challenges in finding the most effective treatments and programs. Since then, she has become an advocate for OCD awareness, promoting the message that even severe OCD is treatable with the right approach, primarily exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. To protect her son's privacy, she operates under a pseudonym. She is the author of the book, Overcoming OCD: A Journey to Recovery (Rowman & Littlefield, January 2015), which tells her family's story and includes expert commentary from Seth Gillihan, PhD. She is regularly published on Psych Central and various other web platforms, and she has delivered keynote speeches at OCD and NAMI conferences. Her son Dan, once severely impacted by OCD, is now a college graduate, working in his chosen field and fully embracing life, symbolizing that recovery and triumph over OCD is possible. While she possesses significant knowledge about OCD, she clarifies that she is not an expert. She advises anyone dealing with this disorder to seek a competent therapist who specializes in treating OCD.
Phentermine-topiramate for OCD - Treatment with phentermine-topiramate led to notable decreases in weight, body mass index, frequency of binge-eating episodes, and overall clinical severity. It also contributed to reductions in the psychopathology of eating disorders and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive behavior.
PRX documentary on phentermine - Since its debut in 1959, the use of phentermine has experienced numerous peaks and valleys. Regardless of the hurdles and debates surrounding it, phentermine continues to be a crucial resource in managing weight loss when supervised by medical experts. The drug's history is also marked by several disputes with the FDA. In the process of drug development and approval, the onus falls on the drug manufacturer to verify the safety and efficacy of a new drug. This encompasses conducting pre-clinical investigations, which includes testing on animals, and subsequently executing three phases of clinical trials that involve human participants.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America - ADAA is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders through the alignment of science, treatment, and education.
Choosing Therapy on OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a neurobiological disorder affecting about 2.5% of the world population and is often misdiagnosed. Common symptoms include fear of contamination, fear of causing harm, sexual or violent obsessions, and a need for symmetry or a "right feeling". The disorder, regardless of its duration or severity, can be managed through therapy like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and sometimes anxiety medication, with online platforms like NOCD offering specialized OCD therapy.
Can Adderall Assist with OCD? Adderall is a stimulant medication primarily used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Though ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are distinct conditions, they can manifest similar symptoms, which can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. A study published in the Journal of Neuropsychology in late 2012 noted that confusion between OCD and ADHD was frequently seen during initial patient evaluations. Addiction to Adderall combined with OCD only adds to the risk. If you are or a loved one is in need of help or assistance in treatment, The Recovery Village can help. For prescriptions through Telemedicine, we recommend this guide. This guide suggests getting Adderall prescription online and then filling the prescription at CVS, RxOutreach, BlinkHealth, GoodRX etc..
Quora : What's a good over the counter Adderall alternative that is legal and reliable/ - Discussion on Quora forums regarding potential, natural Adderall alternatives
https://ocdtest.com/ - The most comprehensive OCD test on the internet
Natural Stimulants for focus - List of some commonly available stimulants, that might help focus issues and OCD.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-smart-drugs-pills-nootropics-company-high-pressure-deana-viano-cw5ve - Adderall alternatives getting popular at workplaces
Why are weight loss drugs so expensive? And the need of a campaign for affordable weight loss medications & treatments.
About
Matt Bieber - I’ve had obsessive-compulsive disorder for thirty-three years, and I’ve been writing about it for the past four.
You probably know the basics. Obsessive-compulsives experience torturously intrusive thoughts and fears – obsessions. These thoughts tempt us to engage in ritual behaviors – compulsions – in order to make the thoughts go away. Doing so, however, only strengthens the cycle.
For me, OCD is the background, the wallpaper, the atmosphere, and the lens – a world that is often so seamless and complete as to be indistinguishable from the real thing. It crops up everywhere – coloring my relationships, toying with my ambitions and desires, and colonizing past, present, and future. That’s why I write and podcast: describing my experience allows me to get some distance from it, to see the distortions that I take for clear sight.
But the psychological tendencies underlying OCD aren’t limited to those of us with diagnoses. In some ways, they’re widespread – a set of cognitive and emotional tendencies that infect our wider culture and politics. On occasion, I try to say something about these arenas as well.
Andrew : My name is Andrew and I'm the author behind 'Andrew's ADHD Blog'.
I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as an adult. The diagnosis was a revelation, a lens that brought my life into sharp focus. Suddenly, my quirks, struggles, and strengths had a name and it was like the pieces of an intricate puzzle had finally clicked into place.
On my blog, I'm sharing my experiences, insights, and the lessons I've learned along the way in my ADHD journey. I hope that my words will help others navigate their own paths with more understanding and less judgment. I believe that embracing our unique neurodivergent brains is essential for self-acceptance and empowerment.
In my professional life, I work as a psychologist and a mental health advocate, which provides me with a unique perspective on ADHD. My background allows me to understand the neuroscience behind ADHD, but it is my personal experience that truly fuels my passion and shapes my writing.
When I'm not writing or working, I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and bird watching. I also love experimenting with cooking and exploring new cultures through their cuisine. As someone with ADHD, I thrive on novelty and learning new things. This wide range of interests often informs my writing and helps me bring a diverse set of insights into my blog.
Through 'My ADHD Journey', I hope to break down stigmas, provide practical strategies, and create a community for people living with ADHD. Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been living with ADHD for a while, I invite you to join me on this journey. It's not always an easy road, but I promise it's an interesting one. Together, we can learn, grow, and celebrate our unique brains.