Case Study 3: Bert is 40 years old and works on an assembly line in a brush factory. He is terribly afraid of being contaminated by germs. He avoids shaking hands with others. He won’t eat in the cafeteria. He has trouble leaving the bathroom because he isn’t sure he has washed his hands well enough.

Bert has a bad case of obsessive compulsive disorder. He repeatedly washes his hands in an attempt to "wash off all the germs." He is constintely paranoid about getting dirty. He is trying to prevent a bad situation from happening. More recently, effective psychologic and pharmacologic treatment methods have been recognized. Medications that inhibit serotonin reuptake have been found to be effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In general, therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder must be based on several factors. It is important to remember that, in most cases, symptoms will be reduced but not eliminated.

Katharine McPhee.

Katharine McPhee was the famous singer who was a runner up in the 2005 American Idol Contest. She was born in Los Angelas, California and moved to Sherman Oaks neighborhood at age twelve. Her mother was an accomplished vocal coach and singer in a cabaret. MchPhee grauduated from Notre Dame college after participating in swimming and becoming a Thespian. Katharine has been singing since she was two and was cast for Paramount Girls in 2007. She eventually married her boyfriend in 2008.

Katharine was persuaded by her family to audition for the 2005 American Idol contest. At her first audition, she sang "God Bless the Child" and was praised for her talent and originality. She subsequently advanced to the final rounds of competition. Along the way, she had her mistakes. For example, during one of her performances, she forgot the words to the song she was singing. Luckily, the judges still advanced her. She ended up as runner up in the competition.

At age 17, Katharine suffered from a serious eating disorder. For 6 years, she suffered from this problem. After her successful audition in San Francisco, she decided to get help. She checked into the Los Angeles's Eating Disorder Center of California, where she spent three months undergoing group and individual therapy six days a week. Katharine comments on how American Idol saved her life. If she had not auditioned and realized the seriousness of her problem, she would probably still be struggling with her disorder. While at the clinic, Katharine learned that there is not bad food - one only has to eat in moderation. She now lives completely free from bulimia.

http://caringonline.com/eatdis/celebrities_k.html#Kirsten

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_McPhee