People who live with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience severe anxiety. They have persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts and urges that interfere with their daily lives. The obsessive thoughts lead them to the compulsive behaviors. As a society, we tend to overuse the term “OCD”—for example, when we share a story and say, “I’m a bit OCD when it comes to my closet.” That is not OCD, unless you can’t leave your closet for hours on end, in which case you may need some help. “OCD” is not an adjective. It is a commonly misunderstood illness. Family members may chalk up the symptoms they see in loved ones to “quirks” and not recognize how debilitating it is.
People who suffer from OCD can go undiagnosed for their entire lives due, in large part, to the guilt, shame, and embarrassment they feel in relationship to the illness. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has recognized certain similarities among a variety of anxiety-driven conditions; the latest edition, 2013’s DSM-5, has reclassified them under the umbrella heading of “obsessive-compulsive disorders.” These disorders include trichotillomania (hair-pulling), as well as excoriation (skin-picking). Maggie’s candor in disclosing her thoughts and feelings pertaining specifically to these issues will open many people’s eyes to the “body punishment” that is related to OCD.
OCD is a chronic, anxiety-based illness that can be managed through therapy and with medication. Behavior therapy is the most common form of treatment in an outpatient setting. Therapy and medication reduce the symptoms of OCD; however, the struggle remains for most, as the intrusive thoughts and unwanted urges can linger. The intelligent self understands that the thoughts and behaviors are irrational and unnecessary but simply cannot turn off the fear that urges a person to complete a ritual. It takes a great deal of self-awareness and sheer will to ignore the fears that are driving the obsessive thoughts.
“The French once called OCD la folie de doute, which translates to the ‘doubting disease.’ Doubt is one of the emotions that feeds most obsessive and compulsive behavior and it is this inability to live with doubt and uncertainty that drives OCD. People with OCD prefer black or white answers for their OCD, rather than being able to accept shades of grey.”
From OCD-UK, www.ocduk.org
The root cause of OCD is unknown; the belief is that there are changes in functioning of brain pathways involved with planning, judgment, and body movements. Environmental influences, such as familial relationships or stressful events, also have an impact. There is also evidence that the chemical imbalance related to serotonin can be inherited; however, the symptoms are so varied and seemingly disparate that a parent’s manifestations could be much different than her child’s.
So often these issues go untreated due to the shame so many feel about the behaviors Maggie writes about. These issues leave a person feeling isolated and alone and fearful of anyone learning their truth; the effects on a young child’s self-esteem are staggering. But the truth is that in learning to acknowledge and speak about their struggles with a professional, relief can be found.
Maggie’s writing allows readers to truly have a view from the inside out. Parents and loved ones of anyone suffering from these symptoms would greatly benefit from reading this book, as so many of the people I work with struggle to understand how their loved one can “do these things to themselves.” They are some of the most difficult for someone with OCD to overcome and the most difficult for outsiders to comprehend.
Readers who suffer from OCD will find relief in knowing they are not alone. So many of my clients who suffer in these ways cannot believe anyone else possibly thinks the way they think or does the things they do. The world of OCD is isolating and this book can change that for the reader. Maggie’s honesty and determination can offer someone hope when he or she feels there is none.
I encourage anyone who is struggling with OCD or knows someone who is to read this book and share it with others. Maggie’s bold, compelling, witty charm is so honest and brave you won’t be able to put it down.
Kelly E. Hamilton, LMHC, BCC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Baldwinsville, New York