Obsessed

Helen is a single mother of three who suffers from OCD, which is making a nightmare of her life. Her anxiety was heightened when she lost her father in a car accident. She feels anxiety while driving her car and feels a need to put on her father's bloodied clothes he died in. Meanwhile, Scott can not let a trash can inside his home, no pictures on his walls, will wash his hands 50 times each day and sleeps on a sofa so that he won't need to make his bed each day.

Nicole has an incredibly unique type of obsession that keeps her from being able to enjoy time with her mother and brother. If their hands aren't the way she wants them to be, she has a panic attack. And when her mother says any word with a "K" sound, Nicole has to make a strange noise with her throat. Meanwhile, Trina has constant violent thoughts that torment her, such as "Could I hurt my best friend?" and "What if I harmed that man?" These horrible thoughts pop into her head with such consistency that she's begun to believe they could come true.

Nidia obsessively washes herself and has been hospitalized twice due to her OCD. Her shower ritual is so extreme that there's a possibility she could pass out in the middle of it. Her problem has taken over her life and her husband's life as well, and is threatening their marriage. Meanwhile, Rick fears death and aging. His obsessive workouts reduce his anxieties about death, but they've made it impossible for him to get on with his life or spend time with his wife and daughter.

Russ is an extreme hoarder. He has completely filled up his apartment, forcing him to sleep outside. He's also afraid that the Fire Department will come to his house and he won't be able to clean enough in time to pass inspection. If this happens, Russ fears he'll become homeless. Meanwhile, Karen is plagued by her obsessive thoughts about death. She is constantly afraid that either she or someone she loves will die in an earthquake, in a car accident, or be brutally attacked.

Shannon is a hypochondriac with an intense fear of death. She avoids driving on the freeway for fear she'll spontaneously combust or go blind. Through CBT, Shannon will try to overcome her dread of driving so she can take her autistic child to a ranch for kids with special needs. Meanwhile, Todd has an obsessive compulsion to pull out his own hair. He spends his days writing obsessive thoughts on the walls and pulling hairs off his face and head. CBT is his last hope.

Traci struggles with both germaphobia and claustrophobia. She is constantly cleaning and is frightened to get on an elevator. She can't even enjoy home-cooked meals without fearing illness. Meanwhile, Judi is a hoarder. Losing her father at an early age, getting divorced, and having her only son leave home have caused an emptiness in her life that she tries to fill by accumulating piles of clutter.

Cindee is obsessed with exercise and spends many unhealthy hours on the treadmill, at the gym, or with her free weights, leaving little time for her family. Meanwhile, Graham fears contamination and washes his hands up to 150 times a day, damaging his relationship with his wife and child.

Chad, a rock musician, is plagued with performing rituals that take up most of his waking hours. He fears that if he doesn't perform his rituals correctly, something terrible will happen to him or his family. Meanwhile, Nicole is obsessed with thoughts of her daughter getting kidnapped or dying.

Sharon obsessively taps and counts and suffers several major panic attacks a week. She believes her rituals protect her cancer-stricken mother. Meanwhile, Patricia constantly fears that she'll die a sudden death from heart attack or stroke, or that she'll get a deadly illness. She's also afraid of hospitals, which makes it impossible to support her husband as he gets treatment for his multiple sclerosis.

Al and his two daughters, Tammy and Jodi, each suffer from agoraphobia. Al has been virtually homebound for 30 years. Tammy is afraid of leaving her 20-mile safe zone. And for Jodi, the problem is literally a matter of life and death--she can't go over a bridge she needs to cross to get desperately needed medical care for her son.

Mark obsessively taps and counts, believing that it protects his family from harm and even death. Sarihn obsessively cleans her kitchen and bathroom to get rid of germs, particularly bodily fluids, and wears black latex gloves in public. Her OCD has cost her a music career, and keeps her from having an intimate relationship with her boyfriend.

Margaret, a mother of a terminally ill child, has become debilitated from extensive tapping compulsions and a fear of food contamination. She eats only an apple every two days, and recently had a heart attack. Meanwhile, Amy is a perfectionist whose cleaning rituals take precedence over taking care of her son.