The Man Who Couldn't Stop

A good introduction to what life is like living with OCD. I knew very little about OCD going in so I got a lot out of this book - I imagine that if you are already well-versed on the subject then you will probably not learn anything new here. Even so, the excerpts from the author's life keep the book well-paced throughout and make it easy to empathise with him. All in all, an eye-opening read that I would recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about OCD.

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.