The woman who thought too much : a memoir of obsession and compulsion

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MIND BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2011 Joanne Limburg thinks things she doesn't want to think, and does things she doesn't want to do. As a young woman, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours had come to completely dominate her life. She knew that something was wrong, but it would take many painful years of searching to find someone who could explain her symptoms. The Woman Who Thought Too Much is a vividly honest, beautifully told and darkly witty memoir about the quest to understand and manage a life with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. For readers of A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion and Bad Blood by Lorna Sage comes an intensely honest and surprisingly witty literary memoir of one woman's life as a sufferer of Obsessive-compulsive disorder  Joanne Limburg is a woman who thinks things she doesn't want to think, and who does things she doesn't want to do. As a small child, she would chew her hair all day and lie awake at night wondering if heaven had a ceiling; a few years later, when she should have been doing her homework, she was pacing her bedroom, agonizing about the unfairness of life as a woman, and the shortness of her legs. By the time she was an adult, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors had come to dominate her life. She knew that something was wrong with her, but it would take many years before she understood what that something was. This memoir follows Limburg's quest to understand her OCD and to manage her symptoms, taking the reader on a journey through consulting rooms, libraries, and websites as she learns about rumination, scrupulosity, avoidance, thought-action fusion, fixed-action patterns, anal fixations, schemas, basal ganglia, tics, and synapses. Meanwhile, she does her best to come to terms with an illness that turns out to be common and even—sometimes—treatable. This vividly honest memoir is a sometimes shocking, often humorous revelation of what it is like to live with so debilitating a condition. It is also an exploration of the inner world of a poet and an intense evocation of the persistence and courage of the human spirit in the face of mental illness. For Readers Of A Year Of Magical Thinking By Joan Didion And Bad Blood By Lorna Sage Comes An Intensely Honest And Surprisingly Witty Literary Memoir Of One Woman's Life As A Sufferer Of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Joanne Limburg Is A Woman Who Thinks Things She Doesn’t Want To Think, And Who Does Things She Doesn’t Want To Do. As A Small Child, She Would Chew Her Hair All Day And Lie Awake At Night Wondering If Heaven Had A Ceiling; A Few Years Later, When She Should Have Been Doing Her Homework, She Was Pacing Her Bedroom, Agonizing About The Unfairness Of Life As A Woman, And The Shortness Of Her Legs. By The Time She Was An Adult, Obsessive Thoughts And Compulsive Behaviors Had Come To Dominate Her Life. She Knew That Something Was Wrong With Her, But It Would Take Many Years Before She Understood What That Something Was. This Memoir Follows Limburg’s Quest To Understand Her Ocd And To Manage Her Symptoms, Taking The Reader On A Journey Through Consulting Rooms, Libraries, And Websites As She Learns About Rumination, Scrupulosity, Avoidance, Thought-action Fusion, Fixed-action Patterns, Anal Fixations, Schemas, Basal Ganglia, Tics, And Synapses. Meanwhile, She Does Her Best To Come To Terms With An Illness Which Turns Out To Be Common And Even—sometimes—treatable. This Vividly Honest Memoir Is A Sometimes Shocking, Often Humorous Revelation Of What It Is Like To Live With So Debilitating A Condition. It Is Also An Exploration Of The Inner World Of A Poet And An Intense Evocation Of The Persistence And Courage Of The Human Spirit In The Face Of Mental Illness. For readers of A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion and Bad Blood by Lorna Sage comes an intensely honest and surprisingly witty literary memoir of one woman's life as a sufferer of Obsessive-compulsive disorder Joanne Limburg is a woman who thinks things she doesn't want to think, and who does things she doesn't want to do. As a small child, she would chew her hair all day and lie awake at night wondering if heaven had a ceiling; a few years later, when she should have been doing her homework, she was pacing her bedroom, agonizing about the unfairness of life as a woman, and the shortness of her legs. By the time she was an adult, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors had come to dominate her life. She knew that something was wrong with her, but it would take many years before she understood what that something was. This memoir follows Limburg's quest to understand her OCD and to manage her symptoms, taking the reader on a journey through consulting rooms, libraries, and websites as she learns about rumination, scrupulosity, avoidance, thought-action fusion, fixed-action patterns, anal fixations, schemas, basal ganglia, tics, and synapses. Meanwhile, she does her best to come to terms with an illness that turns out to be common and even—sometimes—treatable. This vividly honest memoir is a sometimes shocking, often humorous revelation of what it is like to live with so debilitating a condition. It is also an exploration of the inner world of a poet and an intense evocation of the persistence and courage of the human spirit in the face of mental illness. 'Can a writer be too honest? At times you want to close this book to protect its subject.' Hilary Mantel, GuardianAn intensely honest, riveting and surprisingly witty literary memoir of one woman's life as a sufferer of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Can a writer be too honest? At times you want to close this book to protect its subject.' Hilary Mantel, Guardian An intensely honest, riveting and surprisingly witty literary memoir of one woman's life as a sufferer of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.