Steven Brodsky
Psy.D.
Psychologist
Manhattan, USA
Answers questions in Anxiety · Social Issues · Trauma Therapy
About Steven Brodsky
Every one I see has OCD or Panic and I do this full time. I have been practicing for 30 years with 90% success. I have written or edited multiple books on OCD, anxiety, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I also use Schema Therapy to address many other personality and relationships issues, self-defeating behavior and thinking patterns that hold people back and hinder getting their core emotional needs met.
What I do
Do results matter to you? I am a psychologist specializing in OCD, Panic, Social Anxiety, and PTSD using DRUG FREE CBT-Exposure therapy. I do teletherapy in 43 states and in-person in New York and New Jersey. There is extremely effective therapy for these conditions. You can be very hopeful of overcoming them permanently if you get the RIGHT KIND of therapy. For more info, visit my web site www.OCDHOTLINE.com or call 212-726-2390.
My story
Every one I see has OCD or Panic and I do this full time. I have been practicing for 30 years with 90% success. I have written or edited multiple books on OCD, anxiety, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I also use Schema Therapy to address many other personality and relationships issues, self-defeating behavior and thinking patterns that hold people back and hinder getting their core emotional needs met.
Why life is worth living
I free people of crippling anxiety and avoidance and enable them to finally fulfill their personal and professional dreams, have friends and happy romantic and family relationships, advance in their careers, have children, and live meaningful lives.
Treatment Offered
Specialties
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Answered Questions(6)
REPLY TO YOUR QUESTION
Dear Dr. Brodsky, For the past few moments I have been plagued by uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. It started out with me fearing that I was gonna run people over with my car. I knew I wouldnt, but I would always fear that I would lost control over myself. While driving down residential streets, I sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road, if I see someone walking on the side of the street. This feeling has subsided to some extent, but it still exists. After that, I had this fear that I was gonna hurt others. That I would punch someone in the face, particularly someone smaller, and more defenseless then myself. These thoughts for the most part have left me, and I dont have to think about controlling myself or being aware of every single moment. Then I had the thought, that I might get brain damage, I read articles about brain damage which triggered this fear of getting hit in the head, I became even more cautious whenever I washed my head, I was constantly aware of how rigorously I was doing it. For one day, I had to worry about walking throught doors, making sure nothing touched my head. For a second there, I even became self aware whenever putting my headphones on, making sure my hands did not brush my temple instead of my ears. I dont feel that self aware of these actions anymore, I cant wear my headphones with easy. Then these thoughts (while still there to some extent), they started to get sexual. I got nervous when I saw some other guys at the gym. In a later incident, I started sweating profusely at the gym, and felt like I got really warm all of a sudden, and I could not concentrate on what I was doing, I was just going through the motions. At home, I guess you can say, I started to "test myself". Looked at pictures of the same sex, to see if they brought up any feelings. Even affected me when I started watching pornography, my concentration went away from the girl a lot. I guess its safe to say I am a porn addict. I watch too much, and I dont know maybe I am desensitized. I dont know if desensitization is something that leads to same sex fantasies, I am sure plenty of people watch too much pornography but it never leads them to even think about same sex fantasies. I thought that was me until a while ago. I felt like I started to get a strange feeling in my testicular region. But sometimes it was there in the presence of these fantasies. Sometimes it wasnt. Sometimes I got it when I was thinking of straight sex, and straight porn. Sometimes I even feel like I enjoy the same sex fantasies more. For 23 years of my life, I hadnt even thought about it, and now it brings up questions. Was I in denial the whole time. Did I subconsciously prevent myself from thinking these thoughts all these years. Throughout my time growing up and college, all I thought about in terms of romantic relationships and sex, was women. Now I feel like I am lost. Even when I look at a woman now, I think to myself, Am I attracted to her, or am I convincing myself that I am, just to make myself feel better. Maybe its both, I just dont know. These thoughts have made me avoid the gym sometimes, or I try to go at earlier or different times. The thoughts plague me everyday, I will even think of events in the past, that may somehow be an indicator, and then I realize it wasnt, and then I am relieved for a couple hours, until another thought pops up in my head. On some days I think there is just no way, I love women too much. But then other times I feel like I need to be honest with myself, and that maybe I am just not being honest. It even affects me when I jog around the park, I start to get these thoughts, and then I just lose the motivation to continue. I get filled with dread, shame, disgust. I feel unworthy and undeserving of anything. The only time the feeling subsides greatly is when I am in the presence of friends or close family, thats when I feel like myself. Every other time, its just me with my thoughts, trying to fight them off. I am emailing you today, because I read about you on Psychology Today. I thought maybe you would have some insight on this matter. Its all very stressful, as I am preparing for the most important exam of my life (the LSAT for law school). I wanted to put off any form of therapy until after I was done taking my exam, and was satisfied with my score, but now I dont know if I should hold off. I dont know if my sexual thoughts have any correlation to other thoughts or if thats just a personal matter of someone with an identity crisis or who has just not been honest with myself. Maybe you can help me figure out what are the potential possibilities for these thoughts. I understand expecting a consultation via email is not ideal, I am saving up money for actually therapy. I just need to express my thoughts, and get some opinion from someone who could potentially point me in the right direction. I greatly appreciate your time, and I apologize in the event that I completely wasted your time. Sincerely, Jacob email: kakabaka91@yahoo.com
Read answer →I can help
Dr. Steven, my name is Alejandra and I haven currently started seeing a therapist for obsessive thoughts, anxiety and rumination. I have been told by the therapist that I show ocd tendencies. I believe I have Pure-O ocd because all of my obsession are mental. They range from obsessing over an underlying illness that I may have, to doubting my love for my partner, to questioning my sexuality-regardless of a completely heterosexual past/present, to the latest thing that has crossed my mind, fear of attraction to my own brother. It is horrible and these feelings make me feel extremely upset with myself and I believe along with the ocd/anxiety, there is mild depression. Yesterday, I had a good day, but today has been a setback. I am emailing you because ultimately, one of the most important things to me is my relationship with my boyfriend. He is so wonderful and when I am not doubting everything, I come to acknowledge how deep my love and affection for him is. My biggest fear I guess, is losing him to the ocd/anxiety. I lack hope and faith lately, which may be because of the depression. I know I am seeking reassurance, and I know that reassurance backfires... But I need some hope. Some motivation/advice/anything. I want to feel good, how I felt yesterday. And I want to feel secure with what I know I want and who I know that I am, without doubting every single thing. Help me keep my relationship/my sense if self. My boyfriend has always been there for me, and he brings out the best in me. I no longer want to be plagued with questions and "what if's."
Read answer →I can help
I have panic attacks and bad social phobia and I am addicted to valium and marijuana and I just found I am pregnant. I am probably about 7 weeks pregnant and I have been using my normal 60mgs a day the whole time and also smoking 5 or 6 joints every day. This pregnancy is accidental but abortion is not an option I would EVER consider. I know I need to tell a doctor about this but I am so scared at the thought of giving up the valium. I have tried before and it is HELL on EARTH when I try to stop. I do not have a doctor right now. I just took the pregnancy test this evening and I am still in shock. Have I done any damage to my baby yet from the marijuana and valium and will I have to stop valium all of a sudden or will I have to taper down? If I have to taper do you know how quickly I will have to do this. I am very scared at the idea of withdrawals because when I stopped completely a year ago I felt like I was going to die but I want to do the right thing.
Read answer →Help for OCD - Recommendations
I have OCD. A friend told me to check out something called the Mary Reed protocol. Basically she believes that OCD is caused by thin myelin covering nerve endings. According to this protocol, a specific program of foods and supplements are used to repair the myelin and to detox and improve liver and intestinal functioning and from what I have read it really seems to be helping a lot of people. I would like to get an expert’s perspective on this protocol. Is this something that makes any sense to a professional? Would you recommend its use?
Read answer →More info needed
I lost most of my belongings and when my apartment burned down in a fire started by the guy next to me who got a little bit exuberant with his deep frying and ignited the curtains when his French fry oil went up in flames. I had no renter’s insurance so I lost all my stuff and I have no money for a deposit on a new place so I have been living in a weekly rate motel while I try to save up to rebuild my life. The motel is a scary place. I am pretty sure the guy next to me deals drugs because he has a non-stop stream of visitors all night long. I cannot wait to get out of here but it will be at least another month before I can. I am generally a pretty high strung person but since the fire my stress levels have been through the roof and I have even had a few stress attacks that have left my gasping for breath. The weird thing now is that I also don’t feel like I am living inside my own body anymore. It is like things are happening to me but that it’s almost like they are happening to someone else and I am kind of just observing what’s going on. It’s like I am living in jello and it’s not real or something. It doesn’t sound that bad but it actually really sucks. Is this happening because of the stress I am under/ What can I do to not feel like this anymore?
Read answer →Do I have OCD?
I’ve always been a bit of a double checker of things, but it’s gotten to the point now that I have a lot of trouble leaving the house. I have these crazy worries that I left the stove on or the iron is plugged in or the electrical wire is dangling out of the socket. Before I leave the house and before I got to bed I have to check and recheck everything like 5 times – and I’ll usually end up getting out of bed or unlocking the door after leaving to go back and check things a few more times before I can reluctantly leave it alone. I used to really like to smoke marijuana but I had to give it up because it just drove my anxieties about this kind of stuff into super overdrive and I’d literally stay up for hours into night just so I could monitor the house so it wouldn’t burn down. If I use the stove at any point near when I have to go I have to check that it’s off and cooled down an insane number of times. I’ve told a few friends about what I go through and they laugh it off and say they do the same thing…but I don’t think they could to the same level, because I really have a hard time even leaving the house anymore. Oddly enough, if I am with someone else and they do the checking, I don’t worry at all and can leave without distress. I also brought it up with my doctor at a recent check-up but he said that people with OCD are much more affected and that my behavior remains within the normal range. He recommended relaxation exercises as a way to overcome compulsive feelings. Based on what I have described, do you think I have OCD? If so, will medication help me?
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