Books › Obsessed
Obsessed
368 pages
A raw, claustrophobic, yet deeply hopeful descent into the sudden onset of severe OCD and the grueling, courageous climb back out.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like being trapped inside a rapidly shrinking room, experiencing firsthand the terrifying, illogical, yet utterly compelling dictates of a mind turning against itself. The narrative moves at a brisk, urgent clip, mirroring the frantic escalation of the author's intrusive thoughts. Despite the heavy, claustrophobic mood that dominates the middle of the journey, the tone remains remarkably accessible, candid, and grounded in relatable teenage experiences. The prose is conversational and immediate, stripping away clinical jargon to show exactly what severe mental illness feels like from the inside. It is a gripping, deeply empathetic read that will resonate profoundly with anyone who has battled their own brain, offering a hard-won, luminous sense of hope by the final page.
- Mood
- claustrophobic
- anxious
- intense
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- vulnerable
- urgent
- candid
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the prison of the mind · sudden onset of mental illness · invisible struggles · the courage of recovery · loss of control
- The writing
- Accessible, conversational, and deeply immediate, pulling the reader directly into the frantic logic of an OCD spiral.
- The arc
- Plunges from ordinary teenage anxiety into a terrifying spiral of compulsions before slowly climbing toward hard-won clarity and hope.
- Who it's for
- Teens and adults seeking an authentic, unromanticized, yet ultimately hopeful window into severe mental illness and recovery.
Content notes
- severe OCD symptoms
- intrusive thoughts
- medical anxiety
- mental health crisis
About the book
A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side in this powerful memoir.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Obsessed
See why they match
Every last wordTamara Ireland StoneAn intimate, poetry-infused exploration of the exhausting performance of normalcy and the quiet salvation of finding your people.
The boy who couldn't stop washingJudith L. RapoportA compassionate and eye-opening journey into the hidden, agonizing world of obsessive-compulsive disorder and the dawn of its modern treatment.
WastedMarya HornbacherA visceral, unflinching descent into the claustrophobic grip of an eating disorder and the brutal fight to survive it.
Get Out of My HeadMeredith ArthurA soothing balm for the racing mind, offering gentle inspiration to navigate an anxious world.
Am I normal yet?Holly BourneA fiercely funny, deeply empathetic exploration of mental health, feminist awakenings, and the life-saving power of cheesy snacks and true friends.
An unquiet mindKay Redfield JamisonA fiercely articulate descent into the terrifying highs and crushing lows of a brilliant, fractured mind.