Below are three notable OCD memoirs.
I. OCD Exposed: 10 Myths & Misconceptions About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Elysse Lescarbeau (2025)
“For 25 years, Elysse lived with debilitating intrusive thoughts, exhausting mental rituals, and relentless self-doubt—without realizing it was OCD. Like millions of others, she had been misled by stereotypes that portray the disorder as little more than a ‘clean freak’ quirk,” states the publisher’s blurb.
Among her topics are the nature of intrusive thoughts, OCD’s connection to anxiety, types of compulsions, the reasons diagnosis is often overly delayed, self-care, and treatment approaches.
II. Everything Is An Emergency: An OCD Story in Words & Pictures by Jason Adam Katzenstein (2020)
As with many other OCD memoirs, Jason’s, in graphic nonfiction, follows him from childhood onward. He grapples continually with compulsions “to perform rituals in order to protect himself from dangers that don’t really exist. He checks, washes, over-thinks, rinse, repeat” (publisher’s description).
Although he continually tries to prevent himself from “short-circuiting,” the inevitable eventually does happen—in a big way. He then tries exposure therapy and medication, treatment ideas that in the past had scared him too much—and they do help.
Amy Bloom, author: “This deep dive into difficult territory ranges from Munch-like terror to the smiling rock of rock-bottom to the funniest group therapy scene I ever saw. You don’t have to have OCD to love this book. You could just love the funny, the dark and the true. I did.”
III. Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD by Allison Britz (2017)
Britz’s life changed radically at the age of 15 when a nightmare about having cancer compelled her to work toward preventing it from actually happening to her. “It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing,” states her publisher.
Kirkus Reviews: “That her obvious distress flies under the radar of her parents and teachers for so long is especially distressing. After her parents finally do intervene, she begins seeing a specialist whose treatment, combined with Allison’s brave determination, makes all the difference.”
