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Unknown Forces: Battling my Intrusive Thoughts
Born and raised in North Wales, Pete Roberts was a boy just like any other. Except for the fact that he kept thinking about murdering his family.
Terrified by his own thoughts, Pete joined the RAF in the hopes that he could escape his urges and apply himself to something structured. While he didn’t entirely avoid his intrusive thoughts, he defied his dyslexia to flourish in a teaching role and vowed to continue helping others to learnt their craft. It wasn’t until much later on that Pete found the answer to his torment: he suffered from OCD.
Funny and insightful, Unknown Forces follows Pete through his tumultuous life, from fatherhood to the Falklands, and everything in between. It will certainly give you a new outlook on life!
Terrified by his own thoughts, Pete joined the RAF in the hopes that he could escape his urges and apply himself to something structured. While he didn’t entirely avoid his intrusive thoughts, he defied his dyslexia to flourish in a teaching role and vowed to continue helping others to learnt their craft. It wasn’t until much later on that Pete found the answer to his torment: he suffered from OCD.
Funny and insightful, Unknown Forces follows Pete through his tumultuous life, from fatherhood to the Falklands, and everything in between. It will certainly give you a new outlook on life!
200 pages, Paperback
Published November 21, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 16, 2019
I was unable to put this book down!!
As a daughter of a parent with pure OCD (or harm OCD) this book gave me an insight of my childhood and how traumatic and sobering me growing up was for them.
The book isn’t all doom and gloom the humour within the book will have you laughing and crying.
This book reminded me of “this is going to hurt.”
I would recommend this book to anyone suffering from pure OCD as well as loved ones to give them an insight.
As a daughter of a parent with pure OCD (or harm OCD) this book gave me an insight of my childhood and how traumatic and sobering me growing up was for them.
The book isn’t all doom and gloom the humour within the book will have you laughing and crying.
This book reminded me of “this is going to hurt.”
I would recommend this book to anyone suffering from pure OCD as well as loved ones to give them an insight.
November 24, 2019
Pete's story is harrowing at times, but his humour more than makes up for the darkness! It’s heartbreaking, insightful, and really just a massive rollercoaster of emotion with Harry Potter analogies scattered throughout. A stigma-busting addition to mental health literature, and a definite must-read.
December 15, 2019
This book gives insight into the forces at work purely inside of someone's head, raging an invisible war inside at all times against only themselves, whilst trying to lead a normal life as best as they can. Pete Roberts lays his vulnerabilities for everyone to see on paper after a lifetime of hiding them from others and sometimes to himself, something I hope others will be inspired to do after reading this if they have fought with OCD and Intrusive Thoughts. The book itself weaves a story from a thread that wraps around your funny bone as well as your heart strings equally, effortlessly moving between moments of harrowing self analysis before intricately making you chuckle with a Harry Potter metaphor reflecting mental health.
The issues presented in this book require more exposure in every day life and in the media so that people can understand and accept not only those who suffer from this, but for those suffering to accept themselves. They are not alone. It is possible to have a life with it. It is possible to live with it, and prosper with the right help.
A spotlight needs to be shined onto these subjects, and this book is the perfect start to it.
The issues presented in this book require more exposure in every day life and in the media so that people can understand and accept not only those who suffer from this, but for those suffering to accept themselves. They are not alone. It is possible to have a life with it. It is possible to live with it, and prosper with the right help.
A spotlight needs to be shined onto these subjects, and this book is the perfect start to it.
February 10, 2020
Mental Health has never been an easy subject to talk about, but to write a book about your own mental health and having to bring up past painful memories, feeling and thoughts and share that with world, is a very brave thing to do.
The author writes so elegantly and comedically about his time in the RAF and his family but interspersed in each chapter is a no holds barred descriptions of his intrusive thoughts that plagued him daily.
I believe this will be a very important book for people who also suffer from intrusive thoughts to show that they are not alone, but it also gives people who aren’t aware of such an OCD a very real account of what life is like for the men, women and children that are suffering with it.
The author writes so elegantly and comedically about his time in the RAF and his family but interspersed in each chapter is a no holds barred descriptions of his intrusive thoughts that plagued him daily.
I believe this will be a very important book for people who also suffer from intrusive thoughts to show that they are not alone, but it also gives people who aren’t aware of such an OCD a very real account of what life is like for the men, women and children that are suffering with it.
November 4, 2020
This is an enthralling insight into OCD and how people can triumph through adversity.
The author shares their inner thoughts, worries and concerns and the challenges to education, career progression and everyday life that intrusive thoughts bring.
The achievements are all the more rewarding due to overcoming the fledgling confidence and personal doubts. Entwinned with humour that brings the story to life you do feel you are living this experience with every turn of the page. Thank you for writing this book and sharing this experience, I hope more people are aware of this title and can enjoy and learn in equal measure.
David P
The author shares their inner thoughts, worries and concerns and the challenges to education, career progression and everyday life that intrusive thoughts bring.
The achievements are all the more rewarding due to overcoming the fledgling confidence and personal doubts. Entwinned with humour that brings the story to life you do feel you are living this experience with every turn of the page. Thank you for writing this book and sharing this experience, I hope more people are aware of this title and can enjoy and learn in equal measure.
David P
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews