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Intro: An intense fear of germs, constant hand washing, ritualistic checking to make sure appliances or lights are turned off. These are some of the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. The disorder often begins in childhood, and for some kids it completely controls their lives. But a new study at Mayo Clinic shows that a specific type of behavior therapy called exposure therapy can help reduce children's OCD symptoms more than medications.
| Video | Audio |
Total running time 1:36 |
WHEN 18-YEAR-OLD PAUL JOHNSON SINGS, HE CAN ALMOST ESCAPE THE TORMENT OF OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. |
Paul Johnson Has OCD |
"IT SEPARATES MY OCD FROM ME AND MAKES ME BE FREE." |
| FREE FROM DEBILITATING FEARS ABOUT GERMS AND GETTING SICK. | |
Paul Johnson |
"I'D DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID EVERY SINGLE TYPE OF GERM I COULD POSSIBLY COME IN CONTACT WITH." |
| THE HOURS PAUL SPENT WASHING OVER AND OVER, ONLY MADE HIS ANXIETY WORSE. | |
Paul Johnson |
"MY MIND WOULD JUST GO AROUND IN CIRCLES ON ME THINKING OF EVERY POSSIBLE WORRY." |
Standup Vivien Williams Reporting |
BUT FACING THE WORRIES AND FEARS, NOT TRYING TO WASH THEM AWAY, IS WHAT'S HELPING PAUL GET BETTER. DR. STEPHEN WHITESIDE CALLS IT EXPOSURE THERAPY, AND A REVIEW DONE BY HIS TEAM AT MAYO CLINIC SUGGESTS IT REDUCES SYMPTOMS MORE THAN MEDICATIONS. |
| Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. | "ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 100 HOW NERVOUS DO YOU FEEL?" |
| Paul Johnson | "PROBABLY A 75 OR 80." |
| PAUL'S NERVOUS NOW BECAUSE HE'S ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE AN EXPOSURE. PAUL'S AFRAID HE'LL LOSE HIS SIGHT IF HE TOUCHES THE BELONGINGS OF SOMEONE WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. SO DR. WHITESIDE WIPES A TISSUE OVER OBJECTS OWNED BY SUCH A PERSON. THEN HE ASKS PAUL TO RUB THE TISSUE ON HIS FACE. | |
Paul Johnson Dr. Whiteside |
"RUBBING IT ON MY EYES WOULD BE HARDEST FOR ME." |
| BUT PAUL DOES IT WITHOUT WASHING. AND HIS ANXIETY LEVEL GOES DOWN BECAUSE THE EXPOSURE HELPED HIM REALIZE HE WON'T, IN FACT, LOSE HIS SIGHT. | |
| Paul Johnson | "I NEVER BECAME BLIND AND I FELT SO GOOD AFTERWARDS." |
| ALMOST AS GOOD AS PAUL FEELS WHEN HE SINGS. | |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. |
Tag: Dr. Whiteside says that exposure therapy is not a cure for OCD, but it gives people the tools they need to keep the disorder under control. It may not work for all patients, but the Mayo study suggests that it leads to more symptom improvements than do medications.
Paul uses exposure therapy whenever his OCD flares. And it's working. He's recently graduated from high school and has earned a music scholarship at a very competitive college in the Midwest. For more information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, log onto our Web site at ...
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