I am looking for a Biofeedback/Neurofeedback practitioner in Greater 
Manchester (UK), or as near there as possible.  Does anybody know of one? 
Especially one who knows something about treating Obsessive-Compulsive 
Disorder or similar conditions, such as (for instance) phobias or Tourette's 
Syndrome.  I have been trying to find one for a while now but don't really 
know where to look.
Many thanks,
A. B.

From top sports performers to successful businessmen to research
scientists - they all have one thing in common: A willingness to
perfect the smallest details.

I would argue that many of life's more successful people have a small
level of OCD in their make-up - indeed, some may have full blown OCD,
such as David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Jonny Wilkinson, to name but
3 highly successful sportsmen who's obsessive practicing and drive has
bought them fame and riches - on the darker side though it has also
brought them unhappiness as they strive to control some of their small
obsessions, and prevent them taling over their lives.

My question is this:
Is a minor level of OCD vital to success in the modern world, given
the competition and the level of tunnel vision necessary to succeed in
our society's sense of the word.

Some examples could be;
The lawyer who works 16/18 hours a day.
The businessman who spends massive amounts of time researching
The scientist who becomes so embroiled in his work he forgets to eat
The Doctor who can't rest until he makes the right diagnosis
The sportsman or woman who practices minor skills for hours after
everybody else has gone home

There are probably many more examples that people on ATS could name,
and I'm sure we all have our odd little habits - but for most of us,
these do not take over our lives, and nor do we channel things into
other types of obsessive behaviour. But I think it is without question
that some do - so is this what can help make a successful person? This
minor level of OCD?

We're not talking full blown OCD here, but rather a minor level of it.

Excuse me, but what is ATS?  And did you mean to post this as a reply to my 
question about Biofeedback?  (I've found somewhere now, by the way.)

It's an interesting point.  But there is "obsessive" concentration on 
something you actually want to do, and there are the so-called "obsessions" 
of OCD where somebody cannot help worrying about something although they 
don't want to.  I honestly don't know whether the two are related or not. 
My OCD is rather unusual in that I don't have "obsessive" thoughts as such 
with it, only compulsions.  So I couldn't say from my own experience, 
although from what I've read the two things don't seem always to go 
together.  Do you have OCD yourself?

One thing that occurs to me is that the tremendous powers of concentration 
you describe are actually better known as a feature of autistic spectrum 
disorders, rather than OCD.  In fact this "symptom" in autism is known to 
professionals as an "obsession" with a topic... but meaning something quite 
different from an "obsession" in OCD!  Psychologists, what can you do with 
'em!  As a matter of fact people with autistic spectrum disorders have a 
higher incidence of real OCD.  So there is plenty of room for confusion.

Nice to see somebody else in these groups.  I thought they were both dead.
A. B.