What You Can Change _. And What You Can't - Martin E. Seligman [45]
Please answer each question by putting a circle around the “TRUE” or “FALSE” following the question. There are no right or wrong answers, and there are no trick questions. Work quickly and do not think too long about the exact meaning of the question.
1. I avoid using public telephones because of possible contamination.
TRUE FALSE
2. I frequently get nasty thoughts and have difficulty in getting rid of them.
TRUE FALSE
3. I am more concerned than most people about honesty.
TRUE FALSE
4. I am often late because I can’t seem to get through everything on time.
TRUE FALSE
5. I worry unduly about contamination if I touch an animal.
TRUE FALSE
6. I frequently have to check things (e.g., gas or water taps, doors) several times.
TRUE FALSE
7. I have a very strict conscience.
TRUE FALSE
8. I find that almost every day I am upset by unpleasant thoughts that come into my mind against my will.
TRUE FALSE
9. I worry unduly if I accidentally bump into somebody.
TRUE FALSE
10. I usually have serious doubts about the simple everyday things I do.
TRUE FALSE
11. At least one of my parents was very strict during my childhood.
TRUE FALSE
12. I tend to get behind in my work because I repeat things over and over again.
TRUE FALSE
13. I use more than an average amount of soap.
TRUE FALSE
14. Some numbers are extremely unlucky.
TRUE FALSE
15. I check letters over and over again before mailing them.
TRUE FALSE
16. I take a long time to dress in the morning.
TRUE FALSE
17. I am excessively concerned about cleanliness.
TRUE FALSE
18. One of my major problems is that I pay too much attention to detail.
TRUE FALSE
19. I can use well-kept toilets only with hesitation.
TRUE FALSE
20. My major problem is repeated checking.
TRUE FALSE
21. I am unduly concerned about germs and diseases.
TRUE FALSE
22. I tend to check things more than once.
TRUE FALSE
23. I stick to a very strict routine when doing ordinary things.
TRUE FALSE
24. My hands feel dirty after touching money.
TRUE FALSE
25. I usually count when doing a routine task.
TRUE FALSE
26. I take quite a long time to complete my washing in the morning.
TRUE FALSE
27. I use a great deal of antiseptics.
TRUE FALSE
28. I spend a lot of time every day checking things over and over again.
TRUE FALSE
29. Hanging and folding my clothes at night takes up a lot of time.
TRUE FALSE
30. Even when I do something very carefully, I often feel that it is not quite right.
TRUE FALSE
Each TRUE answer counts for 1 point. The most severe total score is 30. There is a Checking Scale (questions 2, 6, 8, 14, 15, 20, 22, 26, and 28) with a maximum of 9, and a Dirt and Contamination Scale (questions 1, 4, 5, 9, 13, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, and 27) with a maximum of 11. If your total score exceeds 10, you are in the range of clinically diagnosed obsessive-compulsives. If your Dirt and Contamination score is 2 or greater or your Checking score is 4 or greater, you are also within the clinical range. Scores this high mean you should have professional help. Later in this chapter, I will discuss what kind of professional help is best and how much change is likely to ensue.
There are two viable approaches to OCD: the biological and the behavioral. Each has a theory and each has evidence in its favor. Each has also generated a therapy that helps the majority of people with OCD. Neither is wholly satisfactory.
The Biological Viewpoint
Biological psychiatrists claim that OCD is a brain disease.
Their first line of evidence is that OCD, once in a great while, develops right after a brain trauma.
Jacob, eight years old, was playing football in the backyard. He collapsed and went into a coma with a brain hemorrhage. When he came out of brain surgery, which went very well, he was plagued by numbers. He had to touch everything in sevens. He swallowed in sevens and asked seven