It'll be Okay: How I kept OCD from ruining my life
Shannon Shy joins host Mary Woods on August 17, 2009. Shannon Shy is a senior civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy and a retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, who will discuss his journey with OCD and his new book.
MANCHESTER, NH, August 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Host Mary Woods, of "One Hour At A Time" on VoiceAmerica's Health & Wellness Channel will be interviewing Shannon Shy. In 1997, while on active duty with the Marines, he was diagnosed with a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder or "OCD." His OCD had become so severe he became practically non-functioning. He constantly found himself in a seemingly endless loop of intrusive and irrational thoughts, mental anguish, physical pain, and odd behaviors. It got to the point where he secretly and repeatedly thought that suicide would be better than the anguish, embarrassment, and the pain. While he had suspected for several years that he had some disorder, he was afraid to admit it to anyone and afraid to be diagnosed. He had concluded that doing so would cause him to lose his career and his wife and two young sons.
Finally, after some nudging from his wife and a colleague and after one very memorable OCD episode, he called a psychiatrist. With the aid of doctors, medication, and behavioral therapy, he developed an effective behavioral strategy (what he calls "Ground Rules and Checkpoints") to manage his OCD. He now lives a very happy and productive life and has for many years--without medication and without doctors. OCD no longer adversely affects him.
This book is about how a young Marine officer, attorney, and family man faced and overcame a relentless "enemy" called OCD. It is a story about struggle, perseverance, and overcoming adversity. This book is not intended as medical advice. Rather, it provides hope, comfort, confidence and insight to some practical techniques for those suffering from OCD and for those trying to help someone with OCD.
One Hour At A Time airs live on Mondays at 3pm ET, 12pm PT on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel. All previous shows are available for download at any time in mp3 format from the show page. The One Hour At a Time show page be located at the following web address: http://www.modavox.com/VoiceAmerica/vshow.aspx?sid=920 Have a question during the show? The listener call in number is 1-866-472-5792.
About Mary Woods:
Mary is the CEO of WestBridge Community Services. She is also a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor with more than 25 years experience in substance abuse services and community mental health programs. Mary has conducted extensive workshops and trainings with a primary focus in Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change Theory and Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders. She is also a contributor to the development of the Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment Practitioners and Clinical Supervisors Workbook and Practice Demonstration Video. Mary was the Chairperson of the NH State Board of Licensing for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professionals. She has been a member of the NH Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor's Association since 1984, and has served as the Northeast Regional Vice President for the NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals, President of NAADAC and is currently past president of NAADAC.
About WestBridge Community Services
WestBridge specializes in helping and treating those that simultaneously suffer from mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. We employ integrated dual diagnosis treatment developed by the Dartmouth Center for Evidence Based Practices, which means that our therapies for mental illness and substance abuse complement and strengthen one another, rather than contradict each other. Our mental health residential treatment facilities are amazingly serene and comfortable, providing the ideal setting for effective rehabilitation. If you're currently seeking treatment for schizophrenia, drug addiction or any combination of mental illness and substance issues for yourself or someone you love, we encourage you to explore our site(www.westbridge.org) for more details. For further information, please contact us at 1-800-889-7871
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WestBridge Community Services
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