In contemporary society one can hear people use the term “OCD” in a colloquial manner, saying that they are “a little bit OCD.” Instead, this book introduces readers to the actual lives of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It shows the diverse manifestations of the disorder, how people conceptualize their “obsessions” and “compulsions,” and the ways these self-perceived atypical thoughts and behaviors influence people’s sense of self and their interactions in society. It does so by considering the disorder from the time people first started to believe they had a problem, all the way t ... More

In contemporary society one can hear people use the term “OCD” in a colloquial manner, saying that they are “a little bit OCD.” Instead, this book introduces readers to the actual lives of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It shows the diverse manifestations of the disorder, how people conceptualize their “obsessions” and “compulsions,” and the ways these self-perceived atypical thoughts and behaviors influence people’s sense of self and their interactions in society. It does so by considering the disorder from the time people first started to believe they had a problem, all the way to life after treatment—what can be termed the “illness career.” The book is based on interviews with those who have the disorder, some of their family members, and a few treatment providers. It explores what their experiences reveal to us regarding larger issues in society and mental health, notably stigma and trivialization. The book also considers what it means to live in today’s risk society and how that relates to OCD, including the relevance of being an informed consumer of healthcare. It concludes by considering how we can improve the lives of those with OCD, more specifically increasing mental health literacy regarding OCD without fomenting stigma—as reducing trivialization can potentially increase stigma.