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The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought
An intimate look at the power of intrusive thoughts, how our brains can turn against us, and living with obsessive compulsive disorder
Have you ever had a strange urge to jump from a tall building or steer your car into oncoming traffic? You are not alone. In this captivating fusion of science, history, and personal memoir, David Adam explores the weird thoughts that exist within every mind, and how they drive millions of us toward obsession and compulsion.
Adam, an editor at Nature and an accomplished science writer, has suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder for twenty years, and The Man Who Couldn't Stop is his unflinchingly honest attempt to understand the condition and his experiences. What might lead an Ethiopian schoolgirl to eat a wall of her house, piece by piece, or a pair of brothers to die beneath an avalanche of household junk that they had compulsively hoarded? At what point does a harmless idea, a snowflake in a clear summer sky, become a blinding blizzard of unwanted thoughts? Drawing on the latest research on the brain, as well as historical accounts of patients and their treatments, this is a book that will challenge the way you think about what is normal and what is mental illness.
Told with fierce clarity, humor, and urgent lyricism, this extraordinary book is both the haunting story of a personal nightmare and a fascinating doorway into the darkest corners of our minds.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2014
725 people are currently reading
15105 people want to read
About the author
David Adam
4 books49 followersDavid Adam is a best-selling author and an award-winning journalist, who covers science, environment, technology, medicine and the impact they have on people, culture and society. After nearly two decades as a staff writer and editor at Nature and the Guardian, David set up as a freelancer in 2019.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author on Goodreads with this name.^^^
Librarian's note: There is more than one author on Goodreads with this name.^^^
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 682 reviews
February 9, 2015
I like to wash my hands a lot, I admit it. I prefer a tidy home, and if my desk is a mess I have trouble concentrating at work.
I have frequently joked that I have OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), usually as a way to laugh off my sudden bouts of cleaning and organizing.
But after reading this book, I think I shall retire that joke. I don't have OCD, and for that I am grateful. People who suffer from OCD are living in a hellish state — they cannot control their obsessive thoughts, and their thoughts fuel their compulsive actions, and their actions continue to feed their thoughts. It is a vicious, miserable cycle.
When David Adam was 19, his OCD kicked into high gear and he became obsessed that he had been infected with HIV. Any time he saw blood, or had a scratch on his skin, or he rubbed his eyes, etc., he would worry for hours that he had caught the virus.
People with OCD can obsess over a variety of things, it isn't just hand-washing and germs. Part of this book is David sharing his story about OCD, but most of the text is like a psychology primer on the disorder, with dozens of case studies and a discussion of how OCD has been studied and treated over the centuries. Most of the research was interesting, but I would have preferred more details on David's experience. (In fact, the ratio of memoir-to-research was so skewed that I was puzzled why my public library cataloged this book in biography, when it really should be in the mental disorders section. But I am a librarian, and this is the kind of thing I obsess about.)
For me, the big takeaway from this book is that it is common to occasionally have intrusive thoughts, such as "What if I jumped off the roof? What if I punched that person? What if I drove my car off the road?" But most of us are able to shake away those thoughts. We don't jump, we don't punch, and we can control our impulses. But some people can't shake away those thoughts, and they can lead to misery.
David eventually sought help for his disorder, but only after living with OCD for about 20 years. When he had a child, he realized he wanted to change his life. What worked for David was a combination of therapy and psychotropic medication. But he still has intrusive thoughts — he is just better at dealing with them.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology, or if you know someone who suffers from OCD. I found it helpful in better understanding their condition.
Favorite Quotes
"I was told as a child that I thought too much. But I liked to think. I liked to roll ideas around my head, to test some to destruction and to rehearse my lines. OCD robbed me of that pleasure. My thoughts became the enemy within."
"I can't think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I've thought about OCD a lot ... People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity, a mark of genius or an inconvenient side effect of some greater function."
"The mind and the brain are not so separate after all. Change the mind and you can change the brain. It worked for me."
I have frequently joked that I have OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), usually as a way to laugh off my sudden bouts of cleaning and organizing.
But after reading this book, I think I shall retire that joke. I don't have OCD, and for that I am grateful. People who suffer from OCD are living in a hellish state — they cannot control their obsessive thoughts, and their thoughts fuel their compulsive actions, and their actions continue to feed their thoughts. It is a vicious, miserable cycle.
When David Adam was 19, his OCD kicked into high gear and he became obsessed that he had been infected with HIV. Any time he saw blood, or had a scratch on his skin, or he rubbed his eyes, etc., he would worry for hours that he had caught the virus.
I obsess about ways that I could catch AIDS. I compulsively check to make sure I haven't caught HIV and I steer my behaivor to make sure I don't catch it in future. I see HIV everywhere. It lurks on toothbrushes and towels, taps and telephones. I wipe cups and bottles, hate sharing drinks and cover every scrape and graze with multiple plasters. My compulsions can demand that after a scratch from a rusty nail or a piece of glass, I return to wrap it in absorbent paper and check for drops of contaminated blood that may have been there ... My rational self knows that these fears are ridiculous. I know that I can't catch AIDS in those situations. But still the thoughts and the anxiety come.
People with OCD can obsess over a variety of things, it isn't just hand-washing and germs. Part of this book is David sharing his story about OCD, but most of the text is like a psychology primer on the disorder, with dozens of case studies and a discussion of how OCD has been studied and treated over the centuries. Most of the research was interesting, but I would have preferred more details on David's experience. (In fact, the ratio of memoir-to-research was so skewed that I was puzzled why my public library cataloged this book in biography, when it really should be in the mental disorders section. But I am a librarian, and this is the kind of thing I obsess about.)
For me, the big takeaway from this book is that it is common to occasionally have intrusive thoughts, such as "What if I jumped off the roof? What if I punched that person? What if I drove my car off the road?" But most of us are able to shake away those thoughts. We don't jump, we don't punch, and we can control our impulses. But some people can't shake away those thoughts, and they can lead to misery.
David eventually sought help for his disorder, but only after living with OCD for about 20 years. When he had a child, he realized he wanted to change his life. What worked for David was a combination of therapy and psychotropic medication. But he still has intrusive thoughts — he is just better at dealing with them.
It's not often possible to cure OCD in the conventional sense. Even on the drugs and after [behavior therapy], if they work, then for most people it's a bit like being a recovering alcoholic. You are always a certain number of days past your most recent obsessive-compulsive episode. You are always one drink from disaster. Most people with OCD can't be cured, but they can be helped to manage their condition and they can be helped to feel better. In many cases, they can feel much better. I feel much better. But I will probably always have OCD. The psychiatrists who helped me have warned that it will be a lifelong struggle.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology, or if you know someone who suffers from OCD. I found it helpful in better understanding their condition.
Favorite Quotes
"I was told as a child that I thought too much. But I liked to think. I liked to roll ideas around my head, to test some to destruction and to rehearse my lines. OCD robbed me of that pleasure. My thoughts became the enemy within."
"I can't think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I've thought about OCD a lot ... People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity, a mark of genius or an inconvenient side effect of some greater function."
"The mind and the brain are not so separate after all. Change the mind and you can change the brain. It worked for me."
June 21, 2015
This book took me a few months to read partly because I was writing down quotes as I read it. I hand wrote 31 different quotes from the book in a notebook I keep for that purpose. One of the quotes was an entire page from the book.
I heard about this book from a friend who texted me to listen to NPR for a book talk with the author. The interview was really interesting so I decided to check the book out from the library. I have dealt with OCD most of my life. I found this book to be a great comfort, partly because it is nice to know that I’m not alone, and also because I find the science and whys of OCD and mental health fascinating.
The following are my thoughts and insights from the book for anyone who is interested. I am more open and honest in this review than I have ever been before. I am writing mostly for my own record but you are welcome to see some of the things that I have learned.
The author says, “Like the shape of the letter C in OCD, compulsions are open to the world; they offer a handle on the condition. And like the shape of the letter O, obsessions are sealed off.” (p.32) I agree with this. I have no trouble mentioning to people my compulsion to pull out my hair. I am embarrassed by it and wish that I didn’t do it but I often share this weakness. On the other hand I am selective about sharing my obsessive thoughts.
I really appreciated the author sharing examples of obsessive thoughts of a variety of individuals in his book. Their obsessions all seemed equally ridiculous on the surface but I know that they are real to these people. My obsessive thoughts aren’t something I tell many people and you will be able to see why. I have had several different experiences with obsessive thoughts. One of these occurred just after my older twins were born. I was in the nursery feeding them soon after they were born and had a random thought of what if I killed them. My reaction to this thought was immediate. I was terrified and in a panic. I was caught completely unaware that I wanted to do something like that. The author says, “Just to think these thoughts is enough to make us question who we are.” (p.21) It was so real. This thought led to over two years of constant anxiety and fear. I was always questioning myself.
On the outside people with OCD seem very normal but on the inside they are anything but normal. The author explained, “Child birth can worsen OCD in women who already have this condition . . . The obsessions that strike new parents who develop postnatal OCD take a particularly distressing form . . . Outside their heads, none of this happens. People with OCD do not act on their intrusive thoughts. But the new parents who develop OCD don’t know that. “(p. 128-9) I confided in Brad that I was having these thoughts but only when they were at their worst. It was when I would be thinking, "just do it and get it over with" that I would break down and tell him, though there wasn't anything he could do. Most of the time I didn’t say anything but it was always present. I was always worrying about it. After a couple of years Brad suggested I go and talk to someone. At my appointment my first explanation wasn’t “I think I want to kill my children” but it was “I sometimes have thoughts about running my car off the road.” Both were true but the second was much less difficult to admit.
At that appointment the doctor explained that I had OCD and then explained what happens in the brain. He described thoughts in the brain as ideas that just glide by but sometimes one will get snagged and when it does it sends up red flags and you react as if it was real. Once the thought was there I could not get it out. The author used the analogy of broken brakes in a car. The more you resist the worse it becomes. My doctor told me that people with OCD never act out their thoughts – ever! He said I would never kill my children. I can’t tell you the weight that was lifted off of me to find out that I wouldn’t actually hurt my own children. It seems so illogical now but it didn’t feel that way. I felt so free and so much relief!
The author of the book suffered from obsessive thoughts about getting HIV. The author explained his moment of release from his thoughts so beautifully and very accurately. He said, “Boom. The total perspective vortex fired up. My consciousness soared above my fears, as a camera draws out from a single house on a map to show the street, the town and then the surrounds and countryside. Previously, my OCD interfered with this process. No matter how much I tried to make the camera pan out, the irrational fear stayed in view, like a dirty smudge on the lens. Now the risk of HIV from all those unlikely routes shrank as I rose above to see them in their proper context. “ (p. 217) This is how I felt when I was reassured from my doctor that I would never act out on my thoughts. I felt uplifted and free.
I am no longer plagued by these obsessive thoughts but I feel a slight anxiety when Brad is out of town. I know my triggers and I am careful to avoid them. I know now that if I see a news article about someone who kills their children that I shouldn’t avoid it and throw up protective walls around myself. Instead I glance at the article, read a little bit to acknowledge it and then move on. I let the thoughts pass over me.
The author says, “He touched also on the darker side of OCD – the terror of thoughts he cannot control. He said: ‘One is constantly striking deals with oneself. ‘” (p. 246) This idea of striking deals with yourself is something I experienced when dating Brad. Dating Brad was a horrible experience for me and I am amazed that we are even married. Early on when we started dating I had the thought “what if he isn’t the right one for me.” I reacted to this like it was revelation from God. The author has a whole chapter about how religion complicates and increases OCD in people. I could not let go of the thought that Brad wasn't the person I was suppose to marry yet we had only started dating when the thought first came. While we dated I was constantly striking deals with myself. I felt like two different people. I would always tell myself that I would break up with Brad the next day just to keep the panic at bay. When I didn’t break up with him the next day the cycle would start all over. I met with my religious leader weekly to deal with these thoughts. I believe the only reason we got married was because of trusted family and friends who pushed me to hold on. I also went to counseling and eventually got on medication. I wish the counselor had told me I had OCD but he didn’t. It’s a miracle we are married but I am VERY grateful that we are. I am happily married. Yet even after nearly 18 years I am still sensitive to comments about revelation and marriage.
I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell’s book DAVID AND GOLIATH. He talks about how people can become stronger from their disabilities. I do not think this is the case with OCD. The author agrees. He says, “I can’t think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I’ve thought about OCD a lot . . . People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a break, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity.” (p.264). I am sympathetic and understanding of those who have OCD but that is about all.
My OCD started in 4th grade. I was terrified of going to 6th grade at the middle school. I wish there had been more information about OCD available at that time. We had no idea why I was so afraid. My parents did the best they could to comfort me and sent me to a school counselor. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I realized where my fear came from. I was visiting two friends’ home when their older brother ran in screaming for someone to call 911 because a car had hit a boy. The boy who was hit (and eventually died from his injuries) lived down the road from my house and was in 6th grade. I was at this same house not long after the accident when my fears began. My realization in college was that I must have been scared I would die in 6th grade. I think that is why I was afraid. Even with this realization I still did not know I had OCD. The author says, “about half the people with OCD can pinpoint a specific trigger event, a trauma that led to obsessions and compulsions.” (p. 165) This would be the event that started mine.
Today I am not troubled by obsessive thoughts but I have the compulsion to pull out my hair. I wonder if I pull out my hair to keep obsessive thoughts at bay? I don’t know. There is still so much to learn. I do know that I would rather be bald in the future from pulling my hair out than have obsessive thoughts. Each has been equally terrible.
There are so many more quotes that I didn’t share but this review is already really long. It was a fascinating book and I appreciated learning more about OCD.
I heard about this book from a friend who texted me to listen to NPR for a book talk with the author. The interview was really interesting so I decided to check the book out from the library. I have dealt with OCD most of my life. I found this book to be a great comfort, partly because it is nice to know that I’m not alone, and also because I find the science and whys of OCD and mental health fascinating.
The following are my thoughts and insights from the book for anyone who is interested. I am more open and honest in this review than I have ever been before. I am writing mostly for my own record but you are welcome to see some of the things that I have learned.
The author says, “Like the shape of the letter C in OCD, compulsions are open to the world; they offer a handle on the condition. And like the shape of the letter O, obsessions are sealed off.” (p.32) I agree with this. I have no trouble mentioning to people my compulsion to pull out my hair. I am embarrassed by it and wish that I didn’t do it but I often share this weakness. On the other hand I am selective about sharing my obsessive thoughts.
I really appreciated the author sharing examples of obsessive thoughts of a variety of individuals in his book. Their obsessions all seemed equally ridiculous on the surface but I know that they are real to these people. My obsessive thoughts aren’t something I tell many people and you will be able to see why. I have had several different experiences with obsessive thoughts. One of these occurred just after my older twins were born. I was in the nursery feeding them soon after they were born and had a random thought of what if I killed them. My reaction to this thought was immediate. I was terrified and in a panic. I was caught completely unaware that I wanted to do something like that. The author says, “Just to think these thoughts is enough to make us question who we are.” (p.21) It was so real. This thought led to over two years of constant anxiety and fear. I was always questioning myself.
On the outside people with OCD seem very normal but on the inside they are anything but normal. The author explained, “Child birth can worsen OCD in women who already have this condition . . . The obsessions that strike new parents who develop postnatal OCD take a particularly distressing form . . . Outside their heads, none of this happens. People with OCD do not act on their intrusive thoughts. But the new parents who develop OCD don’t know that. “(p. 128-9) I confided in Brad that I was having these thoughts but only when they were at their worst. It was when I would be thinking, "just do it and get it over with" that I would break down and tell him, though there wasn't anything he could do. Most of the time I didn’t say anything but it was always present. I was always worrying about it. After a couple of years Brad suggested I go and talk to someone. At my appointment my first explanation wasn’t “I think I want to kill my children” but it was “I sometimes have thoughts about running my car off the road.” Both were true but the second was much less difficult to admit.
At that appointment the doctor explained that I had OCD and then explained what happens in the brain. He described thoughts in the brain as ideas that just glide by but sometimes one will get snagged and when it does it sends up red flags and you react as if it was real. Once the thought was there I could not get it out. The author used the analogy of broken brakes in a car. The more you resist the worse it becomes. My doctor told me that people with OCD never act out their thoughts – ever! He said I would never kill my children. I can’t tell you the weight that was lifted off of me to find out that I wouldn’t actually hurt my own children. It seems so illogical now but it didn’t feel that way. I felt so free and so much relief!
The author of the book suffered from obsessive thoughts about getting HIV. The author explained his moment of release from his thoughts so beautifully and very accurately. He said, “Boom. The total perspective vortex fired up. My consciousness soared above my fears, as a camera draws out from a single house on a map to show the street, the town and then the surrounds and countryside. Previously, my OCD interfered with this process. No matter how much I tried to make the camera pan out, the irrational fear stayed in view, like a dirty smudge on the lens. Now the risk of HIV from all those unlikely routes shrank as I rose above to see them in their proper context. “ (p. 217) This is how I felt when I was reassured from my doctor that I would never act out on my thoughts. I felt uplifted and free.
I am no longer plagued by these obsessive thoughts but I feel a slight anxiety when Brad is out of town. I know my triggers and I am careful to avoid them. I know now that if I see a news article about someone who kills their children that I shouldn’t avoid it and throw up protective walls around myself. Instead I glance at the article, read a little bit to acknowledge it and then move on. I let the thoughts pass over me.
The author says, “He touched also on the darker side of OCD – the terror of thoughts he cannot control. He said: ‘One is constantly striking deals with oneself. ‘” (p. 246) This idea of striking deals with yourself is something I experienced when dating Brad. Dating Brad was a horrible experience for me and I am amazed that we are even married. Early on when we started dating I had the thought “what if he isn’t the right one for me.” I reacted to this like it was revelation from God. The author has a whole chapter about how religion complicates and increases OCD in people. I could not let go of the thought that Brad wasn't the person I was suppose to marry yet we had only started dating when the thought first came. While we dated I was constantly striking deals with myself. I felt like two different people. I would always tell myself that I would break up with Brad the next day just to keep the panic at bay. When I didn’t break up with him the next day the cycle would start all over. I met with my religious leader weekly to deal with these thoughts. I believe the only reason we got married was because of trusted family and friends who pushed me to hold on. I also went to counseling and eventually got on medication. I wish the counselor had told me I had OCD but he didn’t. It’s a miracle we are married but I am VERY grateful that we are. I am happily married. Yet even after nearly 18 years I am still sensitive to comments about revelation and marriage.
I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell’s book DAVID AND GOLIATH. He talks about how people can become stronger from their disabilities. I do not think this is the case with OCD. The author agrees. He says, “I can’t think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I’ve thought about OCD a lot . . . People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a break, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity.” (p.264). I am sympathetic and understanding of those who have OCD but that is about all.
My OCD started in 4th grade. I was terrified of going to 6th grade at the middle school. I wish there had been more information about OCD available at that time. We had no idea why I was so afraid. My parents did the best they could to comfort me and sent me to a school counselor. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I realized where my fear came from. I was visiting two friends’ home when their older brother ran in screaming for someone to call 911 because a car had hit a boy. The boy who was hit (and eventually died from his injuries) lived down the road from my house and was in 6th grade. I was at this same house not long after the accident when my fears began. My realization in college was that I must have been scared I would die in 6th grade. I think that is why I was afraid. Even with this realization I still did not know I had OCD. The author says, “about half the people with OCD can pinpoint a specific trigger event, a trauma that led to obsessions and compulsions.” (p. 165) This would be the event that started mine.
Today I am not troubled by obsessive thoughts but I have the compulsion to pull out my hair. I wonder if I pull out my hair to keep obsessive thoughts at bay? I don’t know. There is still so much to learn. I do know that I would rather be bald in the future from pulling my hair out than have obsessive thoughts. Each has been equally terrible.
There are so many more quotes that I didn’t share but this review is already really long. It was a fascinating book and I appreciated learning more about OCD.
April 11, 2014
How many times have you said 'Oh, I'm a little bit OCD about that'? Maybe, like me, you like to hang out the washing using certain coloured pegs for certain garments, or maybe you have to have all your Coca Cola cans facing the same way in the fridge (just like David Beckham). Most of us have a few little rituals that we carry out, but most of us don't let the thoughts about our rituals, or what would happen if we didn't do them, take over our lives. Most of us don't have OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, we just have a couple of little quirks.
David Adam is a science journalist, he has suffered from OCD for twenty years. He is tortured by his thoughts, he is convinced that he will catch AIDS. He is also a very intelligent man who realises that his thoughts and actions are intrusive and are affecting his daily life far too much.
The Man Who Couldn't Stop is a mix of personal story from David Adam, the results of research from all over the world, and stories of actual patients and how they have reacted to treatment. The author perfectly blends the scientific, the medical and the real life cases together to produce an easy to read, informative, at times sad, and often humorous look at this peculiar illness that affects so many people.
Cases of OCD have been reported for centuries, some were dismissed, some were treated - often with surgical interventions which are recounted here in much detail, and will shock. Like all mental illnesses, debates and discussions will rage for many years to come. It is interesting to read the evidence for the scientific causes, the medical causes and the possible genetic causes of this illness, which, putting aside the quirky and the funny, really can be life-changing and so debilitating for sufferers.
Accessible, well-written and fascinating, The Man Who Couldn't Stop is an honest account of living with OCD combined with research and historical fact.
David Adam is a science journalist, he has suffered from OCD for twenty years. He is tortured by his thoughts, he is convinced that he will catch AIDS. He is also a very intelligent man who realises that his thoughts and actions are intrusive and are affecting his daily life far too much.
The Man Who Couldn't Stop is a mix of personal story from David Adam, the results of research from all over the world, and stories of actual patients and how they have reacted to treatment. The author perfectly blends the scientific, the medical and the real life cases together to produce an easy to read, informative, at times sad, and often humorous look at this peculiar illness that affects so many people.
Cases of OCD have been reported for centuries, some were dismissed, some were treated - often with surgical interventions which are recounted here in much detail, and will shock. Like all mental illnesses, debates and discussions will rage for many years to come. It is interesting to read the evidence for the scientific causes, the medical causes and the possible genetic causes of this illness, which, putting aside the quirky and the funny, really can be life-changing and so debilitating for sufferers.
Accessible, well-written and fascinating, The Man Who Couldn't Stop is an honest account of living with OCD combined with research and historical fact.
February 27, 2016
O C D. Not only are the letters in the wrong order, but this condition is one of the biggest mental health issues affecting people after depression. Adam has suffered from this illness for a very long time now and in this book he uses all his journalistic skills to write an honest account of how it has affected him with his obsessions and compulsions.
To understand what makes people do the strangest thing he meets with other sufferers of the illness. There are all sorts of sufferers in the book, the hoarders, those that think that have passed on a terminal disease to others by just the merest touch and spend frantic hours decontaminating by washing. Others have to ensure that certain rituals or routines have been carried out before they can leave the house, and others again imagine that they have inadvertently run someone over whilst driving home. The thoughts that permeate the minds of these suffers can cause them to be caught in this vicious circle.
Adam meets with the latest experts and explains the most recent findings and treatments for those that suffer. He goes into some detail on the thoughts that made his OCD such a nightmare to live with. He describes the earlier treatments like lobotomy and electric shock therapy and brings us up to date with how they help suffers now.
The writing is simply honest and uncomplicated. Even if it doesn’t help those suffering he is hoping that it will bring some glimmers of light into the darker corners of the minds of those that suffer to those that have to care for them. There is humour occasionally but it is an enlightening book on this horrible mental illness.
To understand what makes people do the strangest thing he meets with other sufferers of the illness. There are all sorts of sufferers in the book, the hoarders, those that think that have passed on a terminal disease to others by just the merest touch and spend frantic hours decontaminating by washing. Others have to ensure that certain rituals or routines have been carried out before they can leave the house, and others again imagine that they have inadvertently run someone over whilst driving home. The thoughts that permeate the minds of these suffers can cause them to be caught in this vicious circle.
Adam meets with the latest experts and explains the most recent findings and treatments for those that suffer. He goes into some detail on the thoughts that made his OCD such a nightmare to live with. He describes the earlier treatments like lobotomy and electric shock therapy and brings us up to date with how they help suffers now.
The writing is simply honest and uncomplicated. Even if it doesn’t help those suffering he is hoping that it will bring some glimmers of light into the darker corners of the minds of those that suffer to those that have to care for them. There is humour occasionally but it is an enlightening book on this horrible mental illness.
March 11, 2014
Dr David Adam, a writer and editor at Nature, the world's top scientific journal has written an accessible book about Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. The book is part memoir – David has suffered from OCD- and part observation with many case studies, and stories of other OCD sufferers included in the book.
This book is easy-to-read, well-written, and interesting enough. The problem is that it meanders into medical territory, explaining possible reasons for the condition, and discussing different trials and treatments, without giving the reader any aha moment. I still don’t understand OCD. I don’t feel that I am any closer to after having read the book. I have merely observed David Adam giving a history of the condition.
I think this is a Malcolm Gladwell wannabe book. It falls far short of the engaging interesting style that Gladwell uses to get readers to think about problems. I am not sure who the target audience is for the book. It certainly was not me.
This book is easy-to-read, well-written, and interesting enough. The problem is that it meanders into medical territory, explaining possible reasons for the condition, and discussing different trials and treatments, without giving the reader any aha moment. I still don’t understand OCD. I don’t feel that I am any closer to after having read the book. I have merely observed David Adam giving a history of the condition.
I think this is a Malcolm Gladwell wannabe book. It falls far short of the engaging interesting style that Gladwell uses to get readers to think about problems. I am not sure who the target audience is for the book. It certainly was not me.
May 18, 2014
I gobbled up this book in less than a week - which is speedy for me, I'm a slow reader - after a friend gave it to me for my birthday.
Having suffered to a greater or lesser extent from OCD since I was a teenager, I fully recognize the peculiar and terrifying nightmare - or nightmares - it can suck you into, and, as a sufferer himself, Adam is unflinching about his own OCD (which in his case takes the form of a crippling fear of catching Aids) and also brings to bear the more objective eye of an experienced science journalist (he has written for the Guardian and for Nature).
Most importantly of all, he emphasizes that OCD is more than just keeping an overly clean kitchen, or having the occasional intrusive thought - though such feelings can be seen to be on a spectrum of OCD-like patterns of behaviour - and explains cogently how unpleasant and distressing thoughts can spiral out of control, and ruin people's lives. "Imagine that you can never turn it off" he asks of anyone who's ever described themselves as being "a little bit OCD" - but like another excellent book on mental illness, Andrew Solomon's "The Noonday Demon", this is a far from bleak account, and Adam accepts that his OCD is a permanent part of him, albeit one which has to be managed, and, importantly, encourages sufferers to seek help. As he writes here, we know so little of how the brain works, and OCD remains a frightening and mysterious condition, even to many medical professionals.
Having suffered to a greater or lesser extent from OCD since I was a teenager, I fully recognize the peculiar and terrifying nightmare - or nightmares - it can suck you into, and, as a sufferer himself, Adam is unflinching about his own OCD (which in his case takes the form of a crippling fear of catching Aids) and also brings to bear the more objective eye of an experienced science journalist (he has written for the Guardian and for Nature).
Most importantly of all, he emphasizes that OCD is more than just keeping an overly clean kitchen, or having the occasional intrusive thought - though such feelings can be seen to be on a spectrum of OCD-like patterns of behaviour - and explains cogently how unpleasant and distressing thoughts can spiral out of control, and ruin people's lives. "Imagine that you can never turn it off" he asks of anyone who's ever described themselves as being "a little bit OCD" - but like another excellent book on mental illness, Andrew Solomon's "The Noonday Demon", this is a far from bleak account, and Adam accepts that his OCD is a permanent part of him, albeit one which has to be managed, and, importantly, encourages sufferers to seek help. As he writes here, we know so little of how the brain works, and OCD remains a frightening and mysterious condition, even to many medical professionals.
October 29, 2015
Skatījos, ka esmu galīgi palaidies populārzinātnisko grāmatu lauciņā. Ja blogošanas pirmsākumos es populāro zinātni šķaidīju ar krievu fantastiskajiem bojevikiem, tad tagad esmu palicis gandrīz vai tikai par fantāzijas un zinātniskās fantastikas lasītāju. Un es nemaz neskaitu padomjlaiku sēriju ietvaros pārlasītās grāmatas!
Gandrīz katram cilvēkam laiku pa laikam galvā iešaujas kāda uzmācīga doma. Piemēram, stāvot uz klints malas, tilta vai augstas ēkas pēkšņi galvā iešaujas doma nolēkt zemē. Bet varbūt, paņemot virtuvē nazi, sākt domāt, kā būtu, ja es kādam ar to iedurtu, vai ar mašīnu iebraukt pretējā joslā. Cilvēka smadzenes ir sarežģīts orgāns, un šādas ideja ir darbības blakusefekts. Lielākoties mēs par šādām dīvainām domām pašausmināmies un aizmirstam. Taču gadās, ka no tām nav iespējams tikt vaļā. Grāmata ir zinātnes un personīgo pārdzīvojumu sajaukums, kurā autors mēģina izprast un izpētīt dīvaino domu cēloņus un to, kā tās noved miljoniem cilvēkus līdz apsēstībai un kompulsīvai rīcībai.
Sākšu uzreiz ar to, ka kā jau katru grāmatu, kas veltīta kādai medicīnas problēmai, arī šo vajag lasīt ar vēsu prātu un nenodarboties ar pašdiagnozi. Vajag jau arī atcerēties, ka autors ir tikai žurnālists ar obsesīvi kompulsīviem traucējumiem (OKT), tā latviešu valodā tulkojams OCD. Un tādēļ varbūt uzreiz nevajadzētu devi pieskaitīt pie tiem miljoniem, kuriem šī kaite piemīt. Grāmata sarakstīta visnotaļ aizraujoši un lasās pietiekami raiti. Vienīgais viena no pēdējām nodaļām, kur autors iedziļinās slimību klasifikāciju katalogā, ir patiesi garlaicīga. Var jau būt, ka cilvēkam, kas piesaistīts pie britu medicīnas sistēmas, šī lieta ir patiesi aktuāla, bet man tā šķita novirze no tēmas.
Tā kā grāmatas autora OCD izpaužas kā bailes saķert HIV, šī grāmata ir godīgs stāsts par viņa cīņu ar šo problēmu. Un pie reizes arī dot izpratni par sajūtām, kādas rodas cilvēkam, kurš tiek konfrontēts ar savu apsēstību. No malas lielākoties šķistu, kur ir problēma, tas ir neloģiski, pats tak redzi, cik tas ir stulbi, saņemies un viss būs kārtībā. Medicīnā ilgu laiku tas arī bija vienīgā ārstēšanas metode - ieteikt saņemties. Taču nav tā, ka cilvēks pats neapzinātos savas rīcības stulbumu, loģiski viņš to saprot, taču neko nespēj ar to padarīt. Ja OCD ļauj attīstīties, tad tā lēnām pārņem visu cilvēka dzīvi. Autors bieži vien gremdējas atmiņās par dzīvi pirms OCD, atminoties tos kā laikus, kad viņu vēl neuztrauca tādas lieta, vai uz durvju roktura nav svešas asinis.
Ja tev šķiet, ka laiku pa laikam uznākusi istabu kārtošanas lēkme, tad tu kļūdies. Cilvēks ar OCD reti kad tīrīs visu māju, viņš aprobežosies ar noteiktu vietu, tualeti, virtuvi vai istabu. Savukārt, ja tu kļūsti apsēsts ar domu par sienu un sāc to lēnām ēst nost, veltot šai nodarbei pāris stundas dienā, tad droši vari iet pie daktera, labi tas nebeigsies. Mēs visi laiku pa laikam nodarbinām sevi ar domām, vai es aizslēdzu mājas durvis, aizvēru logu? Tad nu parasti pie aizslēgšanas paraustām durvis un pārliecināmies, ka ciet un dodamies projām. Cilvēkam, kuram uzmācīga doma - ir ieslēgts gludeklis vai neaizslēgtas durvis, tikšana prom no mājas nav tik vienkārša, durvju pārbaudei tiks veltīts daudz laika, un beigu beigās viņš tik un tā nebūs drošs, ka viss ir kārtībā. Skarbākais, ko konstatēju izlasot grāmatu, ir, ka OCD var dabūt gandrīz jebkurš cilvēks, jebkurā savā dzīves posmā. Vakarā aizej gulēt kā normāls cilvēks un no rīta jau mazgā rokas desmitiem reižu, jo šķiet, ka tās ir netīras.
Ja ticam šai grāmatai, tad tādas īstas metodes, kā izārstēt OCD, nemaz nav. Dažiem tā pāriet, dažiem ar to ir jācīnās visu mūžu. Reizēm cilvēkus savs stāvoklis ir tik tālu apriebies, ka viņi ir gatavi netradicionālām ārstniecības metodēm, piemēram, izgriežot sev daļu no smadzenēm. Ja ticam autoram, tad viens OCD nomocīts cilvēks nolēmis nošauties. Tas nav izdevies, taču tā daļa smadzeņu, kas izšķaidīta pašnāvības mēģinājumā acīmredzot ir bijusi saistīta ar OCD izraisīšanu, un cilvēks šādā netradicionālā veidā pašizārstējies. Izklausās jau pēc pilsētas leģendas.
Grāmatai lieku 9 no 10 ballēm. Ja grib izlasīt, kas OCD patiesībā ir, un kā šie traucējumi ietekmē cilvēku dzīvi, tad noteikti rekomendēju izlasīt šo grāmatu.
Gandrīz katram cilvēkam laiku pa laikam galvā iešaujas kāda uzmācīga doma. Piemēram, stāvot uz klints malas, tilta vai augstas ēkas pēkšņi galvā iešaujas doma nolēkt zemē. Bet varbūt, paņemot virtuvē nazi, sākt domāt, kā būtu, ja es kādam ar to iedurtu, vai ar mašīnu iebraukt pretējā joslā. Cilvēka smadzenes ir sarežģīts orgāns, un šādas ideja ir darbības blakusefekts. Lielākoties mēs par šādām dīvainām domām pašausmināmies un aizmirstam. Taču gadās, ka no tām nav iespējams tikt vaļā. Grāmata ir zinātnes un personīgo pārdzīvojumu sajaukums, kurā autors mēģina izprast un izpētīt dīvaino domu cēloņus un to, kā tās noved miljoniem cilvēkus līdz apsēstībai un kompulsīvai rīcībai.
Sākšu uzreiz ar to, ka kā jau katru grāmatu, kas veltīta kādai medicīnas problēmai, arī šo vajag lasīt ar vēsu prātu un nenodarboties ar pašdiagnozi. Vajag jau arī atcerēties, ka autors ir tikai žurnālists ar obsesīvi kompulsīviem traucējumiem (OKT), tā latviešu valodā tulkojams OCD. Un tādēļ varbūt uzreiz nevajadzētu devi pieskaitīt pie tiem miljoniem, kuriem šī kaite piemīt. Grāmata sarakstīta visnotaļ aizraujoši un lasās pietiekami raiti. Vienīgais viena no pēdējām nodaļām, kur autors iedziļinās slimību klasifikāciju katalogā, ir patiesi garlaicīga. Var jau būt, ka cilvēkam, kas piesaistīts pie britu medicīnas sistēmas, šī lieta ir patiesi aktuāla, bet man tā šķita novirze no tēmas.
Tā kā grāmatas autora OCD izpaužas kā bailes saķert HIV, šī grāmata ir godīgs stāsts par viņa cīņu ar šo problēmu. Un pie reizes arī dot izpratni par sajūtām, kādas rodas cilvēkam, kurš tiek konfrontēts ar savu apsēstību. No malas lielākoties šķistu, kur ir problēma, tas ir neloģiski, pats tak redzi, cik tas ir stulbi, saņemies un viss būs kārtībā. Medicīnā ilgu laiku tas arī bija vienīgā ārstēšanas metode - ieteikt saņemties. Taču nav tā, ka cilvēks pats neapzinātos savas rīcības stulbumu, loģiski viņš to saprot, taču neko nespēj ar to padarīt. Ja OCD ļauj attīstīties, tad tā lēnām pārņem visu cilvēka dzīvi. Autors bieži vien gremdējas atmiņās par dzīvi pirms OCD, atminoties tos kā laikus, kad viņu vēl neuztrauca tādas lieta, vai uz durvju roktura nav svešas asinis.
Ja tev šķiet, ka laiku pa laikam uznākusi istabu kārtošanas lēkme, tad tu kļūdies. Cilvēks ar OCD reti kad tīrīs visu māju, viņš aprobežosies ar noteiktu vietu, tualeti, virtuvi vai istabu. Savukārt, ja tu kļūsti apsēsts ar domu par sienu un sāc to lēnām ēst nost, veltot šai nodarbei pāris stundas dienā, tad droši vari iet pie daktera, labi tas nebeigsies. Mēs visi laiku pa laikam nodarbinām sevi ar domām, vai es aizslēdzu mājas durvis, aizvēru logu? Tad nu parasti pie aizslēgšanas paraustām durvis un pārliecināmies, ka ciet un dodamies projām. Cilvēkam, kuram uzmācīga doma - ir ieslēgts gludeklis vai neaizslēgtas durvis, tikšana prom no mājas nav tik vienkārša, durvju pārbaudei tiks veltīts daudz laika, un beigu beigās viņš tik un tā nebūs drošs, ka viss ir kārtībā. Skarbākais, ko konstatēju izlasot grāmatu, ir, ka OCD var dabūt gandrīz jebkurš cilvēks, jebkurā savā dzīves posmā. Vakarā aizej gulēt kā normāls cilvēks un no rīta jau mazgā rokas desmitiem reižu, jo šķiet, ka tās ir netīras.
Ja ticam šai grāmatai, tad tādas īstas metodes, kā izārstēt OCD, nemaz nav. Dažiem tā pāriet, dažiem ar to ir jācīnās visu mūžu. Reizēm cilvēkus savs stāvoklis ir tik tālu apriebies, ka viņi ir gatavi netradicionālām ārstniecības metodēm, piemēram, izgriežot sev daļu no smadzenēm. Ja ticam autoram, tad viens OCD nomocīts cilvēks nolēmis nošauties. Tas nav izdevies, taču tā daļa smadzeņu, kas izšķaidīta pašnāvības mēģinājumā acīmredzot ir bijusi saistīta ar OCD izraisīšanu, un cilvēks šādā netradicionālā veidā pašizārstējies. Izklausās jau pēc pilsētas leģendas.
Grāmatai lieku 9 no 10 ballēm. Ja grib izlasīt, kas OCD patiesībā ir, un kā šie traucējumi ietekmē cilvēku dzīvi, tad noteikti rekomendēju izlasīt šo grāmatu.
January 4, 2015
A lot of people have misconceptions about what OCD is. Often, they are confusing it with OCPD, where we think of people being overly clean and keeping everything in order. Those with OCPD don't see it as irrational behaviour. OCD on the other hand is obsessing over intrusive thoughts and using compulsions to counteract them. Sometimes those compulsions are cleaning or order, but often not. The book goes into the difference and similarities between anxiety and OCD, which helps put it into context. However awful anxiety gets, there’s a logic to it, an immediate threat that our fight or flight instincts respond to. OCD is usually completely illogical, the sufferer’s obsessing over thoughts that contradict who they are.
Picking this up, I thought it was going to be more of a memoir than it actually is. David does cover his own story in part, but there’s a lot of science and history of OCD. It’s the kind of non-fiction book I am drawn to and enjoy. The book shows varied cases of OCD throughout history and many of the treatments used, some which did more harm than good. Freud is rather amusingly dismissed on several occasions.
The stuff about intrusive thoughts was really interesting. You know when something pops into your head and you’re horrified by it? How on earth could I think that and does it make me a bad person? Well, if you don’t get them, the chances are you’re a psychopath or lying. Most people manage to shake these thoughts free, but OCD sufferers latch onto them and can’t get them out of their heads.
David is both a science journalist and an OCD sufferer. He knows what he’s talking about both from personal experience and the research mentality his work gives him. He isn’t judgemental but he sets everything out straight. It’s a very accessible book to read too. His obsessive thoughts were focused on catching HIV, not through risky behaviour but just through everyday contact. He couldn’t shake the thought that there could be infected blood lying around. No matter how slim the chances, his brain wouldn’t be at peace. This was apparently a common OCD obsession in the 90s, when HIV was considered a horrible death sentence.
There’s some repetition in the first half but somehow it feels appropriate for the subject matter. I found the section on the history of lobotomies morbidly fascinating. Then there’s a great part that explains how drugs gets into your brain after taking a pill. Overall an enlightening and entertaining read.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Picking this up, I thought it was going to be more of a memoir than it actually is. David does cover his own story in part, but there’s a lot of science and history of OCD. It’s the kind of non-fiction book I am drawn to and enjoy. The book shows varied cases of OCD throughout history and many of the treatments used, some which did more harm than good. Freud is rather amusingly dismissed on several occasions.
The stuff about intrusive thoughts was really interesting. You know when something pops into your head and you’re horrified by it? How on earth could I think that and does it make me a bad person? Well, if you don’t get them, the chances are you’re a psychopath or lying. Most people manage to shake these thoughts free, but OCD sufferers latch onto them and can’t get them out of their heads.
David is both a science journalist and an OCD sufferer. He knows what he’s talking about both from personal experience and the research mentality his work gives him. He isn’t judgemental but he sets everything out straight. It’s a very accessible book to read too. His obsessive thoughts were focused on catching HIV, not through risky behaviour but just through everyday contact. He couldn’t shake the thought that there could be infected blood lying around. No matter how slim the chances, his brain wouldn’t be at peace. This was apparently a common OCD obsession in the 90s, when HIV was considered a horrible death sentence.
There’s some repetition in the first half but somehow it feels appropriate for the subject matter. I found the section on the history of lobotomies morbidly fascinating. Then there’s a great part that explains how drugs gets into your brain after taking a pill. Overall an enlightening and entertaining read.
Review copy provided by publisher.
November 9, 2021
"The more that we do something, the less sure we can be that we did."
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a silent thief which steals our time and energy and demands unwavering attention from us.
Imagine if you had a sudden urge to say a phrase in your head, or if you doubted your memory and went back to check on something you thought you had left unattended or if you thought you could harm someone and you must resist that temptation, what would you do? Now imagine if you were surrounded by this feeling ALL THE TIME.
David Adam welcomes us into his world to erase our misconceptions about OCD by providing us with an account of people's battle along with his personal experience with it. We understand the severity of OCD once we are let into the stories of these people whose lives were disrupted in unimaginable ways and who went as far as lobotomy to get rid of it.
The book also talks about the history of this disorder, its possible cause and its possible treatment and how it varies depending on the individual and the intensity of their obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a silent thief which steals our time and energy and demands unwavering attention from us.
Imagine if you had a sudden urge to say a phrase in your head, or if you doubted your memory and went back to check on something you thought you had left unattended or if you thought you could harm someone and you must resist that temptation, what would you do? Now imagine if you were surrounded by this feeling ALL THE TIME.
David Adam welcomes us into his world to erase our misconceptions about OCD by providing us with an account of people's battle along with his personal experience with it. We understand the severity of OCD once we are let into the stories of these people whose lives were disrupted in unimaginable ways and who went as far as lobotomy to get rid of it.
The book also talks about the history of this disorder, its possible cause and its possible treatment and how it varies depending on the individual and the intensity of their obsessions and compulsions.
January 16, 2024
Just deleted my whole review. BUT it was really a good book, many different takes and he brought in scientific views and also his own! Very fascinating book to read to get a better grasp on OCD if you are not directly affected by it. Also the final chapter *chefs kiss*
May 4, 2014
I picked this book up because I have always found mental disorders an interesting topic, and I feel that I have finished this book having achieved exactly what I hoped I would; to have learnt something new. This book has given me a huge insight into the world of mental illness as well as OCD, in a personable way that provided scientific understanding that was never divorced from the human aspect.
One aspect that I loved about this book was the fact that the author offered additional reading and references at the back, as well as pages to help talk to family, friends and health professionals if you felt you did indeed have OCD. It could be the university eduction but I greatly appreciate an author who explains and shows their research.
It was certainly an interesting insight into intrusive thoughts that I didn't realise were as common as they apparently are, and this gave me an insight and a level of relief about my own thoughts. However this did come with a downside.
One of the reasons that it took me so long to finish this book was not because it wasn't enjoyable, but rather it made me overly aware of my own quirks. I in no way claim to have OCD but I do have certain things I use to push away thoughts I don't like and this book made me more aware of them than ever, and made it harder to ignore them. It may sound silly and ridiculous but I almost feel that anyone who reads this should be prepared to have their own quirks highlighted almost uncomfortably.
I read this book with barely any knowledge of OCD, and I do believe it is a brilliant book if you would like to understand it more due to the way it marries the basic science and the human aspect. I do not know what it would be like for someone with more knowledge but I found this an interesting and insightful book.
One aspect that I loved about this book was the fact that the author offered additional reading and references at the back, as well as pages to help talk to family, friends and health professionals if you felt you did indeed have OCD. It could be the university eduction but I greatly appreciate an author who explains and shows their research.
It was certainly an interesting insight into intrusive thoughts that I didn't realise were as common as they apparently are, and this gave me an insight and a level of relief about my own thoughts. However this did come with a downside.
One of the reasons that it took me so long to finish this book was not because it wasn't enjoyable, but rather it made me overly aware of my own quirks. I in no way claim to have OCD but I do have certain things I use to push away thoughts I don't like and this book made me more aware of them than ever, and made it harder to ignore them. It may sound silly and ridiculous but I almost feel that anyone who reads this should be prepared to have their own quirks highlighted almost uncomfortably.
I read this book with barely any knowledge of OCD, and I do believe it is a brilliant book if you would like to understand it more due to the way it marries the basic science and the human aspect. I do not know what it would be like for someone with more knowledge but I found this an interesting and insightful book.
April 19, 2015
The Man Who Couldn't Stop was an eye-opening experience. OCD is something I've aways wanted to learn about, at least to a greater depth to what I know of the constant-hand-washing mental deficiency portrayed in Hollywood films (which, of course, is so far from the reality of OCD it's almost embarrassing that I've even uttered the words 'a bit OCD' in a variety of contexts. They say ignorance is bliss.)
Adams, himself a long-term journeyman with OCD, writes about the history, 'causes', research, and rationale that man has directed towards OCD (and OCPD for that matter) which, combined, provides a great contextual overview of what the disorder is and how we came to acknowledge it. Additionally, fascinating real-world accounts of people who have endured the anguish of severe OCD are described with great depth and empathy, giving the reader a thorough understanding of the complexity and variety of forms in which OCD hijacks the mind.
If you're interested in mental dysfunction, or the psychological thought behind the numerous attempts at understanding and treating OCD specifically, then this book is for you.
Adams, himself a long-term journeyman with OCD, writes about the history, 'causes', research, and rationale that man has directed towards OCD (and OCPD for that matter) which, combined, provides a great contextual overview of what the disorder is and how we came to acknowledge it. Additionally, fascinating real-world accounts of people who have endured the anguish of severe OCD are described with great depth and empathy, giving the reader a thorough understanding of the complexity and variety of forms in which OCD hijacks the mind.
If you're interested in mental dysfunction, or the psychological thought behind the numerous attempts at understanding and treating OCD specifically, then this book is for you.
April 9, 2020
Here's a first-hand account of what it's like to live with OCD. A sufferer himself, the author in fact openly and bravely tells of his fear-terror of catching HIV-AIDS, and all the lengths he goes to in order to battle such fear. The pain he has to go through is harrowing! If he rationally knows that all his rituals are unnecessary, he cannot but feel compelled to perform them. Over. And over. And over. Again. And again. And again. It's a mental torture, and, even more harrowing, his way to battle his intrusive, disturbing, and silly thoughts always turns into failure. OCD surely has a good press. It's actually quite often turned into a joke, the label used as a mere synonym for being over-peculiar. Yet, there is nothing to laugh about for whose having to endure a fate into its grip:
'...what must be resisted in OCD is not a physical craving, but the mental pull of your own consciousness. In the grip of a compulsive urge there is nowhere to hide and nothing to reason with. To resist the compulsion with willpower alone is to hold back an avalanche by melting the snow with a candle.'
I truly loved this book. David Adam's stunning testimony is more than a window open into a different mind; it is, also, a vast and intelligible overview of the history, research, and treatment of such a baffling condition.
He breaks the silly prejudice still going around (to suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is not having an Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, so much for the confusion entertained by the mass-medias!). He shows how OCD comes in all shapes and forms; and revises how it was described in the medical literature from Esquirol to Freud. He retraces the various treatments that had been offered, from the behaviourists to leucotomy, and, electroconvulsive therapy to medications and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (the crucial importance of Richard Solomon's experiments with dogs is fascinating!). He discusses the Yale-Brown test as a tool for diagnosis. Calling in the neurosciences, evolutionary anthropology and psychology, he also tries and shed light upon the root causes of this bewildering condition, both 'a social handicap and a societal burden'. Particularly interesting too were his comparisons of OCD as a spectrum with other impairments, such as autism and even schizophrenia.
The Man Who Couldn't Stop is a fascinating, very accessible, and far-ranging book on a condition too often dismissed as being just a silly quirk. Courageous, cleverly entertaining, instructive... Here's a read providing not only a better understanding of what is feels like to live with OCD, but, also, is very educative when it comes to the science behind it. Highly recommended!
'...what must be resisted in OCD is not a physical craving, but the mental pull of your own consciousness. In the grip of a compulsive urge there is nowhere to hide and nothing to reason with. To resist the compulsion with willpower alone is to hold back an avalanche by melting the snow with a candle.'
I truly loved this book. David Adam's stunning testimony is more than a window open into a different mind; it is, also, a vast and intelligible overview of the history, research, and treatment of such a baffling condition.
He breaks the silly prejudice still going around (to suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is not having an Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, so much for the confusion entertained by the mass-medias!). He shows how OCD comes in all shapes and forms; and revises how it was described in the medical literature from Esquirol to Freud. He retraces the various treatments that had been offered, from the behaviourists to leucotomy, and, electroconvulsive therapy to medications and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (the crucial importance of Richard Solomon's experiments with dogs is fascinating!). He discusses the Yale-Brown test as a tool for diagnosis. Calling in the neurosciences, evolutionary anthropology and psychology, he also tries and shed light upon the root causes of this bewildering condition, both 'a social handicap and a societal burden'. Particularly interesting too were his comparisons of OCD as a spectrum with other impairments, such as autism and even schizophrenia.
The Man Who Couldn't Stop is a fascinating, very accessible, and far-ranging book on a condition too often dismissed as being just a silly quirk. Courageous, cleverly entertaining, instructive... Here's a read providing not only a better understanding of what is feels like to live with OCD, but, also, is very educative when it comes to the science behind it. Highly recommended!
December 7, 2023
🎧 This book is for anyone who may say “It’s just my OCD” or “I’m really OCD about ____”, etc.
I recently learned about what OCD really is the hard way - by being diagnosed with it. This book did such a good way of explaining how it feels to have OCD and what is going on inside our brains.
OCD is way more than just keeping things neat or in a specific way. It can present itself in intrusive thoughts and doubts about reality.
Highly recommend to everyone who is interested in learning more about OCD and the invisible mental illness.
I recently learned about what OCD really is the hard way - by being diagnosed with it. This book did such a good way of explaining how it feels to have OCD and what is going on inside our brains.
OCD is way more than just keeping things neat or in a specific way. It can present itself in intrusive thoughts and doubts about reality.
Highly recommend to everyone who is interested in learning more about OCD and the invisible mental illness.
May 20, 2020
This is a very informative and interesting look at what OCD really is.
As someone who has had OCD, I can defintely say a lot of research has gone into this book. If you don't know anything about OCD I can defintely say you will learn a lot from this book. Hopefully you will understand some of the common misconceptions around the disorder.
This book is described as being 'funny' I personally didn't find anything funny about it. It was well written and interesting. But it was very factual in some parts, with a lot of information and eas more informative than entertaining.
There were a couple of points the awful made about phobias which I didn't agree with. But apart from that, I do think it was well written and very interesting.
Obviously as someone with OCD I didn't get much out of it because I was aware of most of things going on surrounding the illness but there were some stories that I was not familiar with which were interesting.
Overall, I really recommend this book if you want to understand more about the illness but don't want to read a dull text book. This gets the balance between informative and interesting just right
TW: in depth discussions around OCD
As someone who has had OCD, I can defintely say a lot of research has gone into this book. If you don't know anything about OCD I can defintely say you will learn a lot from this book. Hopefully you will understand some of the common misconceptions around the disorder.
This book is described as being 'funny' I personally didn't find anything funny about it. It was well written and interesting. But it was very factual in some parts, with a lot of information and eas more informative than entertaining.
There were a couple of points the awful made about phobias which I didn't agree with. But apart from that, I do think it was well written and very interesting.
Obviously as someone with OCD I didn't get much out of it because I was aware of most of things going on surrounding the illness but there were some stories that I was not familiar with which were interesting.
Overall, I really recommend this book if you want to understand more about the illness but don't want to read a dull text book. This gets the balance between informative and interesting just right
TW: in depth discussions around OCD
August 14, 2024
i feel called out honeyy- .
Bardzo dobrze napisana, milion przykładów pokazujących jak szerokie objawy to obejmuje, sama autentyczność autora dużo dodaje. Magnificent but a bit sad.
Bardzo dobrze napisana, milion przykładów pokazujących jak szerokie objawy to obejmuje, sama autentyczność autora dużo dodaje. Magnificent but a bit sad.
July 30, 2025
An engaging non-fiction read. People interested in understanding the complex world of mental illnesses should definitely give it a try. It primarily explores OCD, its apparent causes, and solutions, while also delving into the history of medical science in this field. This book will make you more empathetic towards others.
January 25, 2021
First, I would like to make clear that this book is as entertaining as it is educational and did not feel like a dense read whatsoever. I enjoyed a lot of the "random" bits of information sprinkled throughout.
This is a wonderfully informational book that I would absolutely recommend to anyone who has a loved one with OCD or anyone who would like a better understanding of what actually living with OCD is like (hint: it's not *exactly* needing things to be organized -- many people with OCD are messy as hell and I appreciate the author educating readers on the difference between OCPD and OCD).
There's a good mix between the author's own experience with OCD and common manifestations in other people, as well as a decent variety of treatment options that have been and currently are available to those with OCD, for better or worse. I do wish that he touched on psychedelic therapy but I also understand that his own experiences with OCD largely shaped the outcome of this book, as well as the fact that I'm not quite sure how much was known at the time this was written, and acknowledging that there may have been a very specific reason to not include it.
I also greatly appreciate Adam's suggestion that we alter the way we approach diagnoses in people in a more humanizing and empathetic way. For example, I frequently get annoyed when I hear people say that they are just a "little" OCD because what they're describing usually has much more to do with OCPD than OCD and I often feel that it minimizes what my experience with OCD has been or those of people I know who, due to the severity of their OCD, have been sometimes unable to leave their homes at all. Adam's helped me with a new perspective on the matter and realizing that perhaps more of life is on a spectrum than we are currently acknowledging as a society and that maybe by changing that fact, we might be able to actually help more people before their illness progresses to such severe degrees.
I think I might even need to give it another go to fully take in some of the different information that was discussed. I highly recommend.
This is a wonderfully informational book that I would absolutely recommend to anyone who has a loved one with OCD or anyone who would like a better understanding of what actually living with OCD is like (hint: it's not *exactly* needing things to be organized -- many people with OCD are messy as hell and I appreciate the author educating readers on the difference between OCPD and OCD).
There's a good mix between the author's own experience with OCD and common manifestations in other people, as well as a decent variety of treatment options that have been and currently are available to those with OCD, for better or worse. I do wish that he touched on psychedelic therapy but I also understand that his own experiences with OCD largely shaped the outcome of this book, as well as the fact that I'm not quite sure how much was known at the time this was written, and acknowledging that there may have been a very specific reason to not include it.
I also greatly appreciate Adam's suggestion that we alter the way we approach diagnoses in people in a more humanizing and empathetic way. For example, I frequently get annoyed when I hear people say that they are just a "little" OCD because what they're describing usually has much more to do with OCPD than OCD and I often feel that it minimizes what my experience with OCD has been or those of people I know who, due to the severity of their OCD, have been sometimes unable to leave their homes at all. Adam's helped me with a new perspective on the matter and realizing that perhaps more of life is on a spectrum than we are currently acknowledging as a society and that maybe by changing that fact, we might be able to actually help more people before their illness progresses to such severe degrees.
I think I might even need to give it another go to fully take in some of the different information that was discussed. I highly recommend.
August 6, 2015
Rating: 5/5 stars
I'm not a big fan of non-fiction, but when I do read it, it has to be on the topic of my interest. In this case, psychology and abnormality.
This book by David Adam introduces the mental disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - one of the many mental disorders that pique my utmost interest. To briefly explain, it is a disorder where one repeatedly does something that causes them distress - washing hands, not stepping on cracks, or flicking switches for a number of times - to name a few. David Adam himself has been diagnosed with OCD, so this book shares his personal experience and tells his knowledge about the disorder.
David Adam did a brilliant job on writing this book. It is comprehensive and well-structured. It opens with an introduction on OCD and ends with the treatments to OCD. Many OCD cases are also mentioned in this book, even one that is dated back in the 18th century. Important names also appear here, and yes, Sigmund Freud is one. After reading this, I realise that psychiatry is in fact the hardest branch of medicine in terms of diagnosis - as explained in the book, the diagnosis is highly based on self-report - which could lead to misdiagnosis or patient bias. Also interesting how there are SO many treatments - both invasive and non-invasive - are/were done to treat OCD - much of it to no avail. Interesting, really...
This book is highly recommended to psychology students who want to learn OCD from scratch. This book, in particular, has recommended readings provided at the back of the book and links/names to the videos related to OCD you can simply watch on youtube. It's not written in an academic tone, in fact, it's (sort of) an academic book written in simple and understandable tone. It's still partly personal - and that's what makes the book more relatable.
I'm not a big fan of non-fiction, but when I do read it, it has to be on the topic of my interest. In this case, psychology and abnormality.
This book by David Adam introduces the mental disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - one of the many mental disorders that pique my utmost interest. To briefly explain, it is a disorder where one repeatedly does something that causes them distress - washing hands, not stepping on cracks, or flicking switches for a number of times - to name a few. David Adam himself has been diagnosed with OCD, so this book shares his personal experience and tells his knowledge about the disorder.
David Adam did a brilliant job on writing this book. It is comprehensive and well-structured. It opens with an introduction on OCD and ends with the treatments to OCD. Many OCD cases are also mentioned in this book, even one that is dated back in the 18th century. Important names also appear here, and yes, Sigmund Freud is one. After reading this, I realise that psychiatry is in fact the hardest branch of medicine in terms of diagnosis - as explained in the book, the diagnosis is highly based on self-report - which could lead to misdiagnosis or patient bias. Also interesting how there are SO many treatments - both invasive and non-invasive - are/were done to treat OCD - much of it to no avail. Interesting, really...
This book is highly recommended to psychology students who want to learn OCD from scratch. This book, in particular, has recommended readings provided at the back of the book and links/names to the videos related to OCD you can simply watch on youtube. It's not written in an academic tone, in fact, it's (sort of) an academic book written in simple and understandable tone. It's still partly personal - and that's what makes the book more relatable.
October 24, 2023
My daughter has OCD. A traumatic event that caused her PTSD perhaps exacerbated her already existing (and unrecognized by me) OCD. She is treated for it; she is medicated for it. She has changed therapists several times and medications at least once. This is an ongoing and never-ending process.
She asked me to read this book and handed it to me, highlighted and tabbed. And so I read it. And it was hard to read and also illuminating and I think helped me to understand just a bit more what her life is like with OCD.
Here is a passage she highlighted: "I can't think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I've thought about OCD a lot ... People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity, a mark of genius or an inconvenient side effect of some greater function."
I bristle at the way people joke about having OCD when they line their pencil and papers up like it’s a positive attribute. Now I just want to hand them this book to help them understand as I needed to understand.
If you think you have OCD, appeal to a professional for help.
She asked me to read this book and handed it to me, highlighted and tabbed. And so I read it. And it was hard to read and also illuminating and I think helped me to understand just a bit more what her life is like with OCD.
Here is a passage she highlighted: "I can't think of a single positive thing about OCD. And I've thought about OCD a lot ... People who live with OCD drag a mental sea anchor around. Obsession is a brake, a source of drag, not a badge of creativity, a mark of genius or an inconvenient side effect of some greater function."
I bristle at the way people joke about having OCD when they line their pencil and papers up like it’s a positive attribute. Now I just want to hand them this book to help them understand as I needed to understand.
If you think you have OCD, appeal to a professional for help.
September 10, 2023
Following my recent OCD diagnosis I have been looking for material to learn, understand and find a way forward. This book was an incredible insight both as a memoir and educationally. My main takeaways were: evolution, the link to PTSD and the sense of familiarity of reading many thoughts that made me think I was crazy for years. Will be recommending this to people who are confused and would like to know more about OCD.
October 31, 2018
Absolutely brilliant book. Incredibly interesting and very relevant to me personally. Well written and described, this book offers a fantastic insight into OCD... sometimes I feel OCD is a little misunderstood - but this book alters that. A million thank yous! :)
August 4, 2019
Também eu não consegui parar de ler este livro! Uma obra super interessante, com informação fidedigna, bem referenciada e atual sobre a POC. Útil para profissionais de saúde mental, mas também para todos que tenham curiosidade sobre o tema. Aconselho vivamente!
July 6, 2025
This book was good at the beginning, but just ended up feeling like an unending list of studies and case studies without any common thread tying between them. Given that this book is pop science, I'd expect the author to be synthesizing all this stuff for the reader around some common thesis or argument, but it's just study after study (a lot of historical ones btw), after which you just say to yourself "okay" and move on. What's the point? The most interesting part imo was about lobotomies and the use of brain surgery in treating OCD, but there still wasn't any real argument under the information. I also found the study with the dogs interesting, ethics boards will really let people do anything to animals...
For a book described as a "captivating fusion of science, history and personal memoir," this did not have enough memoir for me. I was much more interested in Adam's personal struggle with OCD than all the studies and history he kept throwing at us, but he really didn't give much about his personal experience. He goes from starting to struggle with OCD to deciding to stop and get help once it begins to impact his child, without telling us anything about how the OCD affects his spouse and their relationship. Maybe his spouse wanted to be kept out of the book though 🤷♀️
One of the main things that irked me about this book was that Adam says that OCD is more common than autism, but doesn't really define OCD before (or after) he says that. I mean, at one point he says that some categorize autism under OCD (with OCD being thought of in a spectrum-manner nowadays, similarly to autism), which if that's the case then of course OCD is more common than autism, that's simple math. But then he also talks about how a lot of people with OCD don't get help / surveys would indicate that a lot more people are suffering from OCD than getting treatment for it. Which is okay, but then he says that to have OCD, your thoughts HAVE to be ego-dystonic, i.e. they do not align with your views / cause you distress. For example, if you wash your hands a lot because you have thoughts about germs and see your hand-washing as rational, that's not OCD. If you wash your hands a lot because you have thoughts about germs but see your hand-washing/thoughts about the germs as irrational, that's OCD. So how can we know from the survey that most of those people he or the study are saying have OCD don't actually find their thoughts to be ego-syntonic (aligning with their views)? In that case, wouldn't those cases actually not be OCD? It's also just a weird aspect of psychology if we define mental illness that way. It's only a problem if the person says it's a problem? Okay...
Ultimately this book felt like a waste of time and it would probably be better to read something else or read the cited studies directly. Honestly.*
*And also could the author please stop telling me to watch this or that YouTube video in the footnotes ugh
Quotes:
"Compulsions were recorded long before psychologists got involved. Folklore from Eastern Europe tells how vampires are compelled to count scattered objects. Frightened people would sprinkle grain and seeds around graveyards to keep the undead busy. The television show Sesame Street features a vampire puppet called Count von Count who likes to, well, you get the idea."
"In many ways OCPD [different from OCD] is what people mean when they use the term 'anal personality'. Indeed, the phrase 'anal (usually short for anally retentive) personality' grew from Freud's work on obsessions. Of course it did. Freud thought that children went through an 'anal' phase when their chief interest was their bowel movements. Unfortunately for the child, this phase coincided with the parents also taking an interest in the child's bowel movements, and getting the child not to deposit them in their pants.
Mental conflict during this phase -- sometimes just the very act of the parent interfering with how and when the child could go to the toilet -- could lead to turmoil in the child's mind, Freud said, which would resurface as personality traits that mirrored the child's efforts to exercise power over their excrement: orderliness, stubbornness and a need for control. These were the features of Freud's classic anal personality type; anally retentive described when these behaviour traits lingered into adulthood." Man that Freud had some ideas, huh...
For a book described as a "captivating fusion of science, history and personal memoir," this did not have enough memoir for me. I was much more interested in Adam's personal struggle with OCD than all the studies and history he kept throwing at us, but he really didn't give much about his personal experience. He goes from starting to struggle with OCD to deciding to stop and get help once it begins to impact his child, without telling us anything about how the OCD affects his spouse and their relationship. Maybe his spouse wanted to be kept out of the book though 🤷♀️
One of the main things that irked me about this book was that Adam says that OCD is more common than autism, but doesn't really define OCD before (or after) he says that. I mean, at one point he says that some categorize autism under OCD (with OCD being thought of in a spectrum-manner nowadays, similarly to autism), which if that's the case then of course OCD is more common than autism, that's simple math. But then he also talks about how a lot of people with OCD don't get help / surveys would indicate that a lot more people are suffering from OCD than getting treatment for it. Which is okay, but then he says that to have OCD, your thoughts HAVE to be ego-dystonic, i.e. they do not align with your views / cause you distress. For example, if you wash your hands a lot because you have thoughts about germs and see your hand-washing as rational, that's not OCD. If you wash your hands a lot because you have thoughts about germs but see your hand-washing/thoughts about the germs as irrational, that's OCD. So how can we know from the survey that most of those people he or the study are saying have OCD don't actually find their thoughts to be ego-syntonic (aligning with their views)? In that case, wouldn't those cases actually not be OCD? It's also just a weird aspect of psychology if we define mental illness that way. It's only a problem if the person says it's a problem? Okay...
Ultimately this book felt like a waste of time and it would probably be better to read something else or read the cited studies directly. Honestly.*
*And also could the author please stop telling me to watch this or that YouTube video in the footnotes ugh
Quotes:
"Compulsions were recorded long before psychologists got involved. Folklore from Eastern Europe tells how vampires are compelled to count scattered objects. Frightened people would sprinkle grain and seeds around graveyards to keep the undead busy. The television show Sesame Street features a vampire puppet called Count von Count who likes to, well, you get the idea."
"In many ways OCPD [different from OCD] is what people mean when they use the term 'anal personality'. Indeed, the phrase 'anal (usually short for anally retentive) personality' grew from Freud's work on obsessions. Of course it did. Freud thought that children went through an 'anal' phase when their chief interest was their bowel movements. Unfortunately for the child, this phase coincided with the parents also taking an interest in the child's bowel movements, and getting the child not to deposit them in their pants.
Mental conflict during this phase -- sometimes just the very act of the parent interfering with how and when the child could go to the toilet -- could lead to turmoil in the child's mind, Freud said, which would resurface as personality traits that mirrored the child's efforts to exercise power over their excrement: orderliness, stubbornness and a need for control. These were the features of Freud's classic anal personality type; anally retentive described when these behaviour traits lingered into adulthood." Man that Freud had some ideas, huh...
April 13, 2024
Have you ever had a strange urge to jump from a tall building, or steer your car into oncoming traffic? You are not alone. In this captivating fusion of science, history and personal memoir, writer David Adam explores the weird thoughts that exist within every mind, and how they drive millions of us towards obsessions and compulsions. David has suffered from OCD for twenty years, and The Man Who Couldn’t Stop is his unflinchingly honest attempt to understand the condition and his experiences.
I don't think I have OCD, well not diagnosed by any means but I was diagnosed with panic and anxiety disorder and those thoughts have come to my mind as well, what if I jump from that building? What if I jump from my own balcony? What if my car will crash into the next car? Mind you, I was never and I am not suicidal, I am afraid of death and I love life but these thoughts come to me weirdly to creep me out and push into panic attacks because I'm afraid that maybe I can't control myself anymore. But that's a lie and I'm healing, nowadays when these thoughts come I don't panic anymore yes I feel like a dark cloud stands over me for a couple of hours because fear is hard to shake off but I am healing and I can see that now but then I couldn't and everything he talks about in his book, is legit what I've felt and probably many more people, especially that most of them aren't vocal about it.
Oh and how I love reading physical copies of books, it just makes my day better and they are also easier to photograph.
This wasn't a bad read, it's basically someone's experience with OCD, you can find yourself understood in these pages and you should give it a go, but it's a self help how to actually stop the thoughts per se.
I don't think I have OCD, well not diagnosed by any means but I was diagnosed with panic and anxiety disorder and those thoughts have come to my mind as well, what if I jump from that building? What if I jump from my own balcony? What if my car will crash into the next car? Mind you, I was never and I am not suicidal, I am afraid of death and I love life but these thoughts come to me weirdly to creep me out and push into panic attacks because I'm afraid that maybe I can't control myself anymore. But that's a lie and I'm healing, nowadays when these thoughts come I don't panic anymore yes I feel like a dark cloud stands over me for a couple of hours because fear is hard to shake off but I am healing and I can see that now but then I couldn't and everything he talks about in his book, is legit what I've felt and probably many more people, especially that most of them aren't vocal about it.
Oh and how I love reading physical copies of books, it just makes my day better and they are also easier to photograph.
This wasn't a bad read, it's basically someone's experience with OCD, you can find yourself understood in these pages and you should give it a go, but it's a self help how to actually stop the thoughts per se.
October 21, 2018
3,5/5. I have mix felling about this one. The first half deserve a five out of five stars. It starts explaining what is OCD, gives examples and try to explain how the brain of those persons works. This part was really interesting for me, having some anxiety issue for a long time and even some very light OCD traits, it help understand that we are not alone and hoe and why we might be this way. The second half was more about treatment, therapy, pills, surgery which was well done but not as useful and interesting from a personal point of view because I'm not there myself, but still, like I said, well explain and present. So I'll go with a 3,5 out of 5. If you're having trouble with OCD or living with someone who live with it, it really help understand and also can help finding solution. Not a perfect book, but sure is a pretty decent one on a subject that isn't much talked about.
April 22, 2023
this book was a great OCD read! as a psychology major, i am a bit biased, but i found that a lot of what was written in this book paralleled what is being taught in university, which was nice to reinforce how realistic the information was.
i am fascinated by OCD, and if anyone is interested in it and doesn’t receive any education on it from school, this would be a great book to pick up to learn about it!
it was really fascinating to read about OCD from the perspective of someone who actually has a serious problem with it. as well, i liked the various case studies that the author touched on.
highly recommend!
i am fascinated by OCD, and if anyone is interested in it and doesn’t receive any education on it from school, this would be a great book to pick up to learn about it!
it was really fascinating to read about OCD from the perspective of someone who actually has a serious problem with it. as well, i liked the various case studies that the author touched on.
highly recommend!
April 18, 2018
I was absolutely taken by surprise with how well written this book was. I didn't have any preconceptions that it would be badly written but I did know that it could have gone either way. But David Adam did a fantastic job of keeping it simple and easy to understand, especially for those who aren't familiar with Psychology. It was interesting to fully understand what OCD was and how it presented differently in a variety of people.
I think if it hadn't been for how well it was written, it would have been a bit of a drag but it wasn't! Only parts towards the end when he was explaining in detail of how prescription drugs work and old psych case studies (can you believe that I had re-read about Phineas Gage again for nth time?) I had been familiar with.
I'd absolutely recommend if anyone is interested in understanding what obsessiveness and compulsions are really like.
I think if it hadn't been for how well it was written, it would have been a bit of a drag but it wasn't! Only parts towards the end when he was explaining in detail of how prescription drugs work and old psych case studies (can you believe that I had re-read about Phineas Gage again for nth time?) I had been familiar with.
I'd absolutely recommend if anyone is interested in understanding what obsessiveness and compulsions are really like.
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September 17, 2022I’m not going to rate this one, because I’m not a scientist or someone who has ocd.
this book confirmed a lot of things I already „knew“, but it also added some scientific background to my knowledge. It also showed how different ocd manifests itself within people lives.
this book confirmed a lot of things I already „knew“, but it also added some scientific background to my knowledge. It also showed how different ocd manifests itself within people lives.
June 28, 2025
This book took me longer to read than I would have liked but alas I have finally finished! I thought it was very well researched and very informative. I liked how many anecdotal stories of other people’s experiences he weaved in, alongside scientific studies. He was able to depict a broad range of how OCD can manifest.
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