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Touch and Go Joe, Updated Edition: A Teen's Experience of OCD
In this down-to-earth, fun and empowering book, Joe Wells talks about his teenage experience of OCD and all the coping mechanisms and treatment options that have worked for him. It's packed full of brilliant, honest advice for others struggling with this disorder, written by someone who understands what it's like to be a teen with OCD. This updated edition with all-new illustrations includes a brand-new chapter written 16 years later, detailing how Joe overcame his disorder and is now a successful comedian.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2017
About 2% of the population suffer with OCD, and this slim book taught me a fair amount about this condition.
Most of all it taught me that the rituals we associate with OCD are used to keep repetitive and frightening thoughts at bay, eg 'If I tap the door handle 3 times, the door 6 times then the door frame 10 times, so and so won't happen.' (If the tapping isn't done absolutely correctly, then it has to be done over again.)
It took Joe's parents a surprising amount of time to work out what was causing Joe's odd behaviours. He was very hesitant to let anyone know what he was thinking. If he had, it would have been much easier to diagnose OCD.
OCD can have different manifestations, including:
Fear of dirt and contamination (often resulting in obsessive hand washing.)
Counting rituals
Need for symmetry or objects to be in just the 'right' position.
Fear of losing things.
Hoarding, fear of throwing things out.
Joe, the young man who wrote this book, was almost completely able to overcome his OCD, which I found incredibly heartening. For him it took a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist, and the antidepressant citalopram, although he only took that for a limited time .
The book has a good summary at the end of every chapter, and also contains some excellent references for anyone who wants further information.
Finally, I loved the illustrations, which were done by Joe himself. This one shows how the behaviour (in Joe's case tapping on things), is just the tip of the iceberg. It's the frightening thoughts that are the real bulk of the problem.
Most of all it taught me that the rituals we associate with OCD are used to keep repetitive and frightening thoughts at bay, eg 'If I tap the door handle 3 times, the door 6 times then the door frame 10 times, so and so won't happen.' (If the tapping isn't done absolutely correctly, then it has to be done over again.)
It took Joe's parents a surprising amount of time to work out what was causing Joe's odd behaviours. He was very hesitant to let anyone know what he was thinking. If he had, it would have been much easier to diagnose OCD.
OCD can have different manifestations, including:
Fear of dirt and contamination (often resulting in obsessive hand washing.)
Counting rituals
Need for symmetry or objects to be in just the 'right' position.
Fear of losing things.
Hoarding, fear of throwing things out.
Joe, the young man who wrote this book, was almost completely able to overcome his OCD, which I found incredibly heartening. For him it took a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist, and the antidepressant citalopram, although he only took that for a limited time .
The book has a good summary at the end of every chapter, and also contains some excellent references for anyone who wants further information.
Finally, I loved the illustrations, which were done by Joe himself. This one shows how the behaviour (in Joe's case tapping on things), is just the tip of the iceberg. It's the frightening thoughts that are the real bulk of the problem.
August 22, 2017
as someone who has suffered from ocd for the majority of my life and now middle aged it started with counting and rituals and became gradually worse joe describes his experiences with humour and easy to read alot of people think ocd is just about constant cleaning but so much more it is more being anxious and having to commit rituals it is more common than what people think !!! just wish more people wld understand it miracle of , miracles
January 26, 2023
Very readable. Very insiteful. I have a fair amount of knowledge about anxiety and OCD, and also CBT... but I still found this book to be an interesting and inspiring read.
October 3, 2024
Useful, shortish book. Felt a little dated in terms of cultural references now but nonetheless might help someone.
January 20, 2015
To be honest I think it was whilst reading this book that I first thought to myself "Hey; I can relate to some of this."
I've got OCD and reading this book is always really helpful for me, so I'd recommend it to anyone with OCD, or their family and friends. The book isn't serious or angsty; whilst it deals with a really serious issue, the author doesn't spend the whole time feeling sorry for himself, which I've seen in some other books about OCD I've read. There's a lot of humour in this book-especially in the illustrations (my personal favourite being "Any last words?" "Yeah, can I just touch this gun 2-2-6-2 times?") and I liked the quotes at the start of each chapter too.
All in all, even if you don't have OCD or know anybody with the illness, this is a very interesting read.
I've got OCD and reading this book is always really helpful for me, so I'd recommend it to anyone with OCD, or their family and friends. The book isn't serious or angsty; whilst it deals with a really serious issue, the author doesn't spend the whole time feeling sorry for himself, which I've seen in some other books about OCD I've read. There's a lot of humour in this book-especially in the illustrations (my personal favourite being "Any last words?" "Yeah, can I just touch this gun 2-2-6-2 times?") and I liked the quotes at the start of each chapter too.
All in all, even if you don't have OCD or know anybody with the illness, this is a very interesting read.
January 19, 2017
A young man describes his obsessive compulsive behaviour (OCD).
I found this book quite interesting.
I found this book quite interesting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews