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200th out of 1,802 books
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1,738 voters
Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
by
Fletcher Wortmann (Goodreads Author)
Imagine the worst thing in the world. Picture it. Construct it, carefully and deliberately in your mind. Be careful not to omit anything. Imagine it happening to you, to the people you love. Imagine the worst thing in the world.
Now try not to think about it.
This is what it is like for Fletcher Wortmann. In his brilliant memoir, the author takes us on an intimate journey...more
Now try not to think about it.
This is what it is like for Fletcher Wortmann. In his brilliant memoir, the author takes us on an intimate journey...more
256 pages
Published
March 27th 2012
by Thomas Dunne Books
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This book is an education about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which, at least for me (and I expect for many others) is a little known mental health disorder that is both misunderstood and misdiagnosed, particularly among children and young adults. The author, a recent graduate of Swarthmore College, suffered from this malady through childhood but was not diagnosed until he became a young adult. By itself, the needless suffering that he (and undoubtedly many other young people) undergo should mak...more
http://zimlicious.blogspot.com/2012/0...
When I came across this book on NetGalley, first thing that caught my eye was OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This instantly made me want to read it, but then I had to think about it for a moment because it hit too close to home. I was afraid that what I might find in it would 'trigger' my disorder even more, but in the end, the urge to read about someone who's going through the same thing won. In the end, I'm glad I didn't chicken out and read it beca...more
When I came across this book on NetGalley, first thing that caught my eye was OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This instantly made me want to read it, but then I had to think about it for a moment because it hit too close to home. I was afraid that what I might find in it would 'trigger' my disorder even more, but in the end, the urge to read about someone who's going through the same thing won. In the end, I'm glad I didn't chicken out and read it beca...more
Had a chance to read this during my spring break. I was putting it off, because I have this type of OCD too, and I didn’t know how reading it would affect me. But, I have to say, I found this pretty helpful.
The initial strategy of having the reader put himself into the mind of an obsessive compulsive (sort of) was really effective. OCD is usually portrayed so poorly, this gave the reader a sense of what it’s really like. If you suffer from OCD, it was easy to just substitute your own version of...more
The initial strategy of having the reader put himself into the mind of an obsessive compulsive (sort of) was really effective. OCD is usually portrayed so poorly, this gave the reader a sense of what it’s really like. If you suffer from OCD, it was easy to just substitute your own version of...more
This is a fascinating memoir about mental illness. It is neither maudlin nor whinny, but it portrays a life lived under the weight of a serious disease.
What surprised me most about the book was the light tone the author chose to tell his story. It is full of jokes and self-deprecations which makes what could have been a depressing read almost funny. As someone who has dealt with severe depression myself, I know that it is not easy to achieve that kind of levity when recounting one’s illness. Thi...more
What surprised me most about the book was the light tone the author chose to tell his story. It is full of jokes and self-deprecations which makes what could have been a depressing read almost funny. As someone who has dealt with severe depression myself, I know that it is not easy to achieve that kind of levity when recounting one’s illness. Thi...more
I am almost done reading this book. Memoir of one person's experience with Pure-O OCD. It really doesn't get into the extent of his disorder and treatment until the second half of the book. I would recommend it but prefer Devil in the Details.
I appreciate what Fletcher Wortmann has been through. Boy, do I ever. But as a fellow OCD-sufferer, I felt he didn't come close to letting people know what goes on in our heads. He seemed to give a lot of examples of the types of things people could obsess about without outright saying very much about what he DOES obsess about. He might give a line about it, but he never goes into detail. Maybe, at this stage, he can't do it. Goodness knows there are some things I can't talk about, but there is...more
A read that kept me enthralled from start to finish...
When I finished reading this, I was ashamed to realize that, like countless other people out there, I had discounted OCD as a case where people are prone to extreme hygiene and other such 'weird' rituals.
Reading Fletcher Wortmann's memoir opened my eyes about the reality of OCD, and basically, what OCD was, and what it's like to live with it. While I will never be able to figure how the author coped with OCD all these years and shone out of...more
When I finished reading this, I was ashamed to realize that, like countless other people out there, I had discounted OCD as a case where people are prone to extreme hygiene and other such 'weird' rituals.
Reading Fletcher Wortmann's memoir opened my eyes about the reality of OCD, and basically, what OCD was, and what it's like to live with it. While I will never be able to figure how the author coped with OCD all these years and shone out of...more
Wow. I heard this author interviewed by Neal Conan on NPR’s Talk of the Nation and was very intrigued. The author is clearly very bright, quite empathetic, and really funny. He suffers from a lesser-know form of obsessive compulsive disorder, pure o, which isn’t accompanied by any visible rituals. His repetitive behaviors are all in his mind. As a result, it took him quite a long time to be properly diagnosed, and he suffered greatly for it growing up.
Although there are certainly dark times in t...more
Although there are certainly dark times in t...more
Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive is a poignant, painful story that Fletcher Wortmann tells with intelligence and wit. As Mr. Wortmann takes us through his years of confusion and depair, the reader feels his pain as well. As he develops insights about his disorder and acceptance of the ongoing implications this will have in his life, the reader also feels a sense of accomplishment in overcomming adversity and a sense of triumph and hope for the future. This book is a must read for indi...more
Concept/Ideas: 4/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Meh. An okay read. Didn't really feel like he was talking about OCD though when he talked about his college experiences. I found it a little boring, but still learned quite a bit on OCD. The author has somewhat of a higher vocabulary, so be warned that this is a pretty light read, but at the same time, witten very much so with a high level of grammar, wording, etc....
Didn't really keep my interest, although I liked the parts where he began talking about his...more
Writing Style: 3/5
Meh. An okay read. Didn't really feel like he was talking about OCD though when he talked about his college experiences. I found it a little boring, but still learned quite a bit on OCD. The author has somewhat of a higher vocabulary, so be warned that this is a pretty light read, but at the same time, witten very much so with a high level of grammar, wording, etc....
Didn't really keep my interest, although I liked the parts where he began talking about his...more
I thought this was a fantastic read. I learned a lot about a disorder that I thought I understood but found I knew nothing about at all. I empathized with a truly sympathetic protagonist - a young bright kid with a troubled mind. And I was entertained with some really smart language.
I’m Catholic, and I have to admit that I found this sentence to be absolutely hilarious: “I have found Catholicism and obsessive-compulsive disorder to be deeply sympathetic to each other. One is a repressive constr...more
I’m Catholic, and I have to admit that I found this sentence to be absolutely hilarious: “I have found Catholicism and obsessive-compulsive disorder to be deeply sympathetic to each other. One is a repressive constr...more
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I read this book on Sunday in one sitting - it is that captivating. Triggered really speaks to the anxieties in all of us, but in a very personal way. The author shares his experience suffering from purely obsessional OCD. And he does so in a very humorous fashion. I think it’s a good read for those who suffer from mental health issues - because the author’s story offers hope; as well as for those who do not – because it offers great insight into the mind and heart of a very clever and intellige...more
If you didn't know anything at all about OCD, and you had never even heard of the disease, this book might prove enlightening. But if you have even a passing familiarity with it, you don't need to read this. Somehow the tone of the memoir is like a 12 year old bragging about his appendectomy scar. I wanted to sympathize with him but ending up sympathizing with everyone around him. I'm sorry and I hope he doesn't read this review and stick a fork in an electrical outlet.
This book is incredibly descriptive in a way that helps you really get a sense of the way in which OCD has impacted the author's mind. He paints very vivid pictures of the many varied crises he experienced in childhood and his young adult years leading up to his diagnosis and treatment. He had the same experiences that we all shared growing up, but he felt them to a much more intense degree. Thankfully he used a lot of ironic humor to lighten the tone in this educational and entertaining memoir.
Really enjoyed the author's interview on NPR, which is why I picked it up, but found the first half of the book a bit of a sludge to get through (I guess I'm just not that interested in memoirs of a college student?) The second half was much more interesting, and the author did have quite a few great one-liners, especially regarding religion. It was okay, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Heard the author interviewed on NPR and thought it sounded like a good read. I have to admit, the author is funny and keeps the book light...actually the book is quite entertaining. I gave it only two stars because it wasn't what I was hoping for. He shared stories from his youth as an OCD sufferer. I was hoping for a clearer understanding into OCD from a psychologists point of view.
I guess maybe I expected too much. The first half of the book has Worstmann describing what develops the disease and brings him to breakdown. But it felt a little surface-y. When he actually describes OCD and his particular symptoms, I felt like the book was helpful. But then he returns to not actually telling us all that was happening. Strange, given it is a memoir. Or maybe reading about a college kid just isn't that interesting?
Chapters 7-10 were helpful in understanding the illness and treat...more
Chapters 7-10 were helpful in understanding the illness and treat...more
I read about 50 pages and I couldn't get into it. Wortmann acknowledges in the introduction that because of his disease there are some parts that ramble and it is not perfectly edited, but because of his condition, it was important that he tried not to fixate on it and consider himself finished. While I can understand how delicate that may be, the lengthy, labored expositions are difficult to trudge through, so I decided to move on to another book that I've been looking forward to reading more.
A fascinating book about a young man struggling with OCD. He was victimized by obtrusive thoughts. His condition was so bad and he was so tormented that he attempted suicide several times. I enjoyed his comical style and interesting word choices. I found the book to be very well-written.
I found this to be an incredibly moving story. The young man has endured incredible pain in his life due to being afflicted with a very serious form of OCD. Through it all, he seems to have maintained a sense of humor, which I suspect has helped him through the darkest times.
This book really opened my eyes to OCD. Never again will I say that I am so OCD about something. This is a very serious mental illness which the author explained using personal examples and humor. I thought this was a great book.
Heard this author at OCD conference and knew I had to read this book. Unbelievable capturing of intrusive thoughts OCD that both people who have it and people who don't will learn from and appreciate.
How a guy in his early twenties can manage to be both heart-renderingly poignant and wryly funny when writing about his life with a serious disorder, I don't know - but this author managed to do it with great flare. I hope he writes a sequel.
Made me think a lot about how you never really know what's going on in anyone's mind. What you see on the surface may be no reflection of what's going on inside.
Having OCD myself, I felt I could really connect to this book. Fletcher beautifully and comically went over dealing with his OCD and perfectly described the true feelings of those who have the disorder. I definitely think more people should read this, because it pisses me off when people say, "omg, I have such OCD" when they don't even know the struggle people like me have to go through everyday.
Thought this was an incredibly revealing story of a life that's been filled with pain, as well as the humor that seems to have made it more bearable.
Hilarious at times and really difficult at other times as you learn about this guy's OCD and how he deals with it. Thought it was a great memoir.
This book reminded me a lot of Running with Scissors. The author experiences such an almost tragic early life, yet he is able to tell his story with a lot of sardonic humor.
Really eye-opening look at what it's like to live with bad OCD. The author uses humor well to tell his story and manage his illness.
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In 2007, Fletcher Wortmann was diagnosed with crippling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), characterized by runaway intrusive thoughts with no visible compulsions. After receiving treatment at the McLean Hospital OCD Institute, Fletcher went on to receive his BA in English Literature from Swarthmore College in 2009; he wrote his senior thesis on the evolution of the superhero in American culture...more
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“An institution is right or it is wrong. One that cannot accept dinosaur bones is one that cannot be trusted on more important matters.”
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“Tell me: How do you know that you won't be killed by a falling meteor? How do you know that you shut off the toaster oven this morning? That one of the seething millions of bacteria on your hands will not kill you? That your friends don't all secretly hate you? Do you have a religion? Do you have right religion? Are you sure? Are you a pedophile, a necrophiliac, a rapist? A murderer? How can you know that these tendencies do not dwell latent inside you, waiting for the right moment to evince themselves in the most horrific manner possible? How do you know that you are not a monster? How do you know that it isn't the end of the world?”
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2 people liked it
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Apr 13, 2012 05:17am