Washing My Life Away: Surviving Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

by Ruth Deane

How many of us double check that we really have locked the door or switched off the iron? For some people, such mundane everyday worries can become life-ruining obsessions. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects one in fifty people and one of them was Ruth Deane. In this frank and personal account she shares her own experience as an OCD sufferer, from the first innocuous signs of onset to the devastating effect of the condition on her relationships with her family and friends, her self-esteem and her marriage. Ruth Deane takes the reader on a moving, honest and at times light-hearted journey, from washing her hands until they cracked and bled, to hospital admission and eventual management and recovery from OCD. This book offers hope and support to sufferers and an insight into the disorder for family, friends, professionals and all those who want or need to understand OCD and the recovery process.

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2005

Reviews

[James Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story of overcoming OCD.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll read any memoirs about mental health issues, which is why I picked this one up. Very short; you can read it in a couple of hours. Interesting, but I wish it had been longer.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. I'm so glad that the author shared her struggles. Very inspiring.

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