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OCD: My Personal Journey and a Book Review

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OCD: My Personal Journey and a Book ReviewThe Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam
Published by Picador on January 1, 2014
Genres/Lists: Memoir, Non-Fiction, Science/Technology/Psychology
Pages: 304
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links) five-stars


I have OCD, and I don’t mean the neat-freak kind, I mean the real kind. I walk on sidewalks in palindromes, have routines for setting my alarms that I have to start over if anyone talks, snores, or if the minute changes, and had a serious issue with a pull-chain light growing up. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I believe in a left and right sock and must, must, must put the earring with the tighter back in my right ear (I also can’t buy the left and right sock sets because what if they’re labeled wrong?). I’ve even managed to shift the burden of my OCD on friends – A friend of mine since high school gets mad on my behalf when someone says, “I have OCD – I need things to be so clean!” because she knows that’s not what it’s all about and she doesn’t even live in the same state as me, anymore (thanks – you know who you are!).

Some of my habits have changed over the years – some are better and some are worse – but the compulsions haven’t left me. I’ve learned how to manage them and am able to check them at the door when I get to work. Some might say that this is a terrible thing to share on the Internet because it will damage my career potential, but I disagree. OCD no longer carries the stigma it once did and can actually fuel ambition and success, or at least it does for me. I definitely wouldn’t be nearly as productive as I am if it weren’t for this “condition”. Plus, I have a good support system, which really does make all the difference in the world. My husband is pretty great about dealing with my “habits” but I know that it can be frustrating for him when he wants to leave the house and I have things to do. I also know that for others it can be a source of discontent and put strain on a relationship, but I’ve fortunate an that hasn’t happened to me.

The Book Wheel shares her personal journey with OCD and recommends THIS book by @davidneiladam to… Click To Tweet

All of this self-disclosure (which turned out to be a lot more than I had anticipated),  culminate in my recommendation that you read  The Man Who Couldn’t Stop by David Adam. After years of trying to explain that being OCD isn’t about having things lined up in an order (Monica from Friends is not a great example of what OCD is), I have FINALLY found a book that I can recommend to people that will help them understand what I go through every day. I know that others have it worse but that doesn’t help me when I’m in the throes of frustration because I can’t touch the hair straightener enough (now I just take it with me) and this book helps explain why this is.

The Man Who Couldn’t Stop by David Adam is part memoir and part scientific explanations. Between tales of the author’s personal struggles is the science behind OCD – what it is, what it isn’t, and what common beliefs are completely wrong. I loved it because someone was finally able to articulate how I mentally process things and, even though I already knew that I’m not alone, it’s nice to see it in print in a way that doesn’t glamorize or demonize OCD. This isn’t a guidebook on how to deal with someone with it, but it does shine a light on some extraordinarily on-point aspects of the condition and can be incredibly helpful for anyone living with someone with OCD. Plus, it’ll make you laugh.

Recommended for: Anyone who has (or know someone who has) OCD. Plain and simple. Now that I think about it, anyone who reads this book should also read 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris because that helped a lot, too.

Have OCD? Know someone who does? Need to talk?

Chat in the comments below!

Author @davidneiladam explains OCD in an honest and hilarious way in The Man Who Couldn't Stop. Click To Tweet

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  • I know many people use the term OCD very lightly (I have been guilty of doing the same in the past). And I have my quirks ( a LOT of them), but what I suffer from is the Monica syndrome, and yes, that is not OCD. Having said that – my friend was recently diagnosed with clinical OCD, and I will surely share this book and post with her.

    • I hope your friend enjoys the book. It’s a great one for learning about it, too!

  • Meg

    I, too, have clinical OCD. CBT was able to alleviate most of my symptoms. I’m still unsure as to whether I’d read this book because sometimes books about OCD increase my symptoms. Is that weird? Based on your review, I would recommend it to family and friends. -Meg ebooksandcooks.com

    • That’s not weird at all but this book was pretty good and perfect for friends and family. I read sections to my husband so that he would “understand” why I was doing the things I was doing. I don’t know that he truly gets it but he works with it, which is all I can ask for!

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  • This book seems like a must read and I’ve always self-diagnosed myself as being OCD and others dear to me have always nodded in agreement. Reading this book may give some clarity to a thought I’ve carried in the back of my mind for years. Best of luck to you on your journey.

    • If you read it and it helps you understand things better, please come back and let me know!

  • Christina Boyer

    I am going to check this book out! I know someone dear to me that has ocd. It’s been a struggle for sure.

  • I’m adding this book to my list. It looks good.

  • I have quirks but nothing so severe it’s considered OCD. This sounds like a really interesting read tho. I’ll add it to my TBR (you know, because the 500+ books already on it aren’t enough.).

    • What’s another book, then? Seriously, though, this one is great if you have someone with OCD in your life and you don’t quite get it.

  • I’m adding this to my non-fiction list. Looks interesting.

    • I think you’ll enjoy it! Be sure to come back and let us know if I predicted that correctly!

  • Jennine G.

    Although I don’t have OCD, I can understand some of it having suffered from anxiety and panic attacks at one point on my life. It too is not something people understand. You hear things like suck it up or just straight disbelief that something is wrong. Although I no longer suffer from it, my sleeping habits are still completely messed up…ten years of anxiety changed the way I function, mostly affecting my sleep.

    I have a coworker I will recommend this book to. I’ve seen how OCD affects her.

  • That’s a lot of disclosure – thank you for sharing. I appreciate you’re being able to recommend a book based on your personal experience. Have you read Devil in the Details by Jennifer Traig? It’s the only other book I’ve read about OCD specifically: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86830.Devil_in_the_Details

  • I’ll definitely read this on your recommendation! I hope it’s as good as The World’s Strongest Librarian, a memoir which gave me a lot of insight into Tourette Syndrome!

  • Isi

    I don’t have much information about this disorder, to be honest, but thanks for sharin your experience, because now I want to read the book in order to know you better :)))
    Hugs!!

  • Blair

    Thanks so much for sharing your personal story. I agree that sharing your experience with OCD will not damage your career, especially since you clearly have a strong handle on it and find ways to make it work for you. I am very excited to read this book and thanks again for all that you do!

  • Thanks for sharing Allison! Although I know OCD isn’t just about wanting to everything clean, but involves compulsions and routines, I still might say “they’re so OCD” or “I’m so OCD” simply talking about obsessing over neatness or being a perfectionist. This is definitely something I should change to be more sensitive in my daily life. It’s also an area of “diverse” reading in which I fall particularly short. Hearing your story really puts a face on the issue for me and I’m sure the book would do the same. Plus nonfiction that involves science and stories is my favorite! This sounds like a book I would learn from and also enjoy.

  • Thanks for sharing your experience, Allison! I get annoyed when people say “I’m so OCD!” about a thing when they do not actually have OCD, too. This sounds like a really great, informational book!

  • Marfisa Anderson

    Throughout my teaching career, I have had students diagnosed with OCD. Thank you for sharing your story and your reccomendation. I have shared this with my friends, many of whom are teachers, and plan to reccomend Adam’s book to the NYC library as an e book purchase if it is not already available.

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