By Dina Scolan Sleep is coveted, rejoiced, relished and enjoyed by us all.  After all we spend a third of our life in bed, and while there, we prefer to be asleep, right? The unfortunate reality is that for some, sleep is elusive. Chased and sought after but poorly attained. Many people struggle to fall asleep and to stay asleep....[ read more ]

Last Thanksgiving, my whole family gathered around a perfectly roasted turkey and a half dozen delicious, warm sides. All of the children and pets were calm and everyone as on their best behavior. The weather was chilly, but not cold. The day was cozy, peaceful, and perfect. I’m joking, of course. I have never had a Thanksgiving that perfect, and...[ read more ]

The therapists at OAC were busy this past Friday!  They were invited by Family Counseling Services in Aurora to provide continuing education training.  In the morning, Dr. Maha Zayed and Lauren Eldridge, LCSW provided a 3 hour presentation on exposure based treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Diroder.   Fifty therapists in the Western Suburbs attended the talk and appeared very interested in the topic.  They asked...[ read more ]

By Lauren Eldridge, LCSW CADC Here at The OCD and Anxiety Center, our intake department receives many calls from caring parents, seeking treatment for their child’s anxiety. It is not uncommon, during these initial phone calls to hear parents expressing concerns like these: “My son/daughter has tried therapy before, and it hasn’t worked,” or “We need to do something, but...[ read more ]

By Colleen Pipia, MA, LCPC, CADC Gratitude. The quality of being thankful. Showing appreciation. We are taught to never settle, always be working towards something greater and that we should always be striving for more.  Are there benefits to having goals and always striving for more? Yes, but we can also be grateful for what is and find contentment with...[ read more ]

It’s a not so well known mental health condition with a hard to pronounce name that has too many syllables, but for those who have it – it’s a great source of distress and suffering. Trichotillomania (also referred to as Trich), is a mental disorder characterized by the compulsive urge to pull out body hair. While most sufferers pull from...[ read more ]

By Ashley Butterfield, Psy.D Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images, impulses, or urges that can occur spontaneously or that can be cued by external/internal stimuli. Typically, these thoughts are distressing (hence “intrusive”) and tend to reoccur. They are predominantly associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but they are often seen amongst the symptoms of other anxiety disorders. Common themes of intrusive...[ read more ]

By Dr. Maha Zayed How did you choose your primary care physician? Did you find someone based on location, training, or word of mouth? When you go to that physician, do you often ask for a specific treatment, or do you accept what the doctor gives you? When most people go to the doctor, they often accept what is provided....[ read more ]

  Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is one of the most researched and effective treatments for anxiety-related disorders, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). ERP is based on the premise that by facing the fear (exposure) you will learn that you can handle the discomfort without engaging in the unhelpful...[ read more ]

Rounding out our very busy November of Networking and Outreach was the standing-room-only screening and panel discussion of the documentary, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety”. The OCD & Anxiety Center’s Ben Harris and Dr. Zayed collaborated with Fusion Academy-Oakbrook and Rogers Behavioral Health-Hinsdale to sponsor this great event! We had many members of the community participate, including parents of Fusion...[ read more ]