What is OCD?
OCD is a tormenting disorder. Unwanted thoughts, called clinical obsessions, charge into the mind and won’t go away. They drive a person to perform repetitive acts, clinical compulsions, to get rid of them.
The Therapy of Trust
In CBT as normally practiced, the therapist teaches the OCD sufferer to question the truth of an obsession at the moment it strikes, and to replace it with a more logical and realistic assessment of the situation. In the therapy of trust, the emphasis is shifted. Rather than the rationality of an obsessional fear being questioned, it is who should take responsibility for it.
Three step method for Christian OCD sufferers to employ
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Recognize obsessions when they strike
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Transfer responsibility to God
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Prove your trust; resist compulsions
Books by Ian Osborn
My first book is a complete overview of OCD, including in-depth discussions of diagnosis, treatment, personality of OCDers, case studies, and historical references to the disorder.
“Dr. Osborn combines his talents as a historian, astute observer of mankind, and healer to craft a truly wonderful, compassionate book for the obsessive-compulsive community.” James Broatch, MSW, Executive Director, Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation.
This second book reviews the obsessional fears of several great Christian saints, and presents in detail a trust-based approach to OCD that can be employed by any believer.
“This extremely lucid and well-written book provides clear and profoundly useful evidence for the role of faith, hope, and love in the treatment of [OCD]. With extraordinary skill, Ian Osborn teaches us how God’s grace, Christ’s sacrifice, and the work of the Holy Spirit hold the key to overcoming this serious medical condition.” Jeffrey Schwartz, MD, research psychiatrist, UCLA, and author of Brain Lock: Free Yourself from obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
My latest book demonstrates how Martin Luther overcame a relatively serious case of OCD (scrupulosity) through employing Bible verses to accomplish what can be recognized in the present day as a form of exposure and response prevention therapy. It shows how OCD can lead a person to the truth of God’s word.
“Dr. Osborn brings the lens of modern psychiatry to the life experience of Martin Luther, demonstrating the role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in his beliefs, thinking, and scholarly works.” Laura Roberts, MD, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University. Editor in Chief, Books, American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
