Abstract

How many of us double check that we really have locked the door or switched off the iron? For some people, such mundane everyday worries can become life-ruining obsessions. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects one in fifty people and one of them was Ruth Deane. In this frank and personal account she shares her own experience as an OCD sufferer, from the first innocuous signs of onset to the devastating effect of the condition on her relationships with her family and friends, her self-esteem and her marriage. Ruth Deane takes the reader on a moving, honest and at times light-hearted journey, from washing her hands until they cracked and bled, to hospital admission and eventual management and recovery from OCD.

This book offers hope and support to sufferers and an insight into the disorder for family, friends, professionals and all those who want or need to understand OCD and the recovery process.

This book is a must-read for everyone, whether you're a health professional, parent or friend.
OCD Today
Ruth Deane suffered from OCD for many years. She is now a registered counsellor, singer in a blues band and an avid horse rider. She is married and has a son and three step children and lives in Lincolnshire, England.
What is it like to have OCD, and where does it come from? Washing My Life Away provides a firsthand account of one woman's struggle with OCD. It is both personal and direct. Does the book provide an understanding of what it is like to have OCD? Yes.
PsycCRITIQUES
She graphically describes the beginnings of the constant washing of her hands, the checking of things many times over, the fear of eating and preparing food for others because she thought she wasn't clean enough, or the food wasn't fresh enough, and the deterioration of her physical health caused by this. I found this book of great interest having little knowledge of OCD and the effects it can have in its many forms on people's lives. The author tells her story simply, but graphically, and holds the attention throughout. I believe her story would be of interest to health care professionals who may not always have many dealings with OCD and indeed people who suffer from it.
Mental Health Nursing
From a practitioners point of view I found this an extremely interesting and easy book to read - it provides an insight into the day to day experience of an OCD sufferer and also her own personal view point on the therapies she took part in, explaining that whilst some worked for her, others didn't. In addition to reviewing this book myself, I also got a number of my friends and family who have little or no experience of OCD to read this book. Each of them found it interesting and easy to read and understand due to its straight talking, no jargon approach. This book would be extremely useful for sufferers of OCD and also their friends and family, to help them gain an insight and understanding into the true life of an OCD sufferer. Whilst this book covers an extreme case of OCD it provides a very positive and inspirational message to sufferers that you can learn to overcome OCD and I would recommend it to any member of the National Phobics Society.
Newsletter of the National Phobics Society
This is a moving and delightfully unpretentious little book. It is the perfect book for someone who thinks that s/he may be suffering from OCD and wants to know where to start looking for help. The book ends with a list of organizations in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK which are dedicated to helping people suffering from anxiety disorders and particularly OCD. The book is inexpensive, well written, easy to understand and very engaging - highly recommended.
Metaphychology