The World of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Experiences of Living with OCD

by Fennell

Beyond trivialization and misunderstanding, the realities of people experiencing OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects millions of people worldwide and looms large in popular culture, for instance when people quip about being “so OCD.” However, this sometimes has little relation to the actual experiences of people diagnosed with the disorder. In The World of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dana Fennell explores the lives of people who have OCD, giving us fresh insight into a highly misunderstood, trivialized, and sometimes stigmatized mental disorder that has no surefire cure.

Drawing primarily on interviews with people who have OCD, Fennell shows us the diversity of ways the disorder manifests, when and why people come to perceive themselves as having a problem, what treatment options they pursue, and how they make sense of and manage their lives. From those who have obsessions about their sexuality and relationships, to those who check repeatedly to make sure they have not caused harm, she sheds light on the hopes, expectations, and difficulties that people with OCD encounter.

Fennell reveals how people cope in the face of this misunderstood disorder, including how they manage the barriers they face in the workplace and society. An eye-opening read, The World of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder encourages us to consider, empathize with, and take steps to improve the lives of people with mental health issues.

Dana Fennell is Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

284 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Stacy Davids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, insightful, enlightening!
Using deep research, confidential interviews, and sharp writing, author Dana Fennel offers unique insight into how people with OCD think, how they navigate their personal and work lives, and how society views and treats them. I’m a psychologist and appreciated that the book covered much more than definitions and treatment considerations. The book is like a complete tour of the OCD mind based on real-person perspectives and research studies. Readers will gain a well-rounded view of OCD, including its personal and societal implications; and interestingly, they'll also gain a sense of compassion for others and even themselves that they may not have had before.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be mostly informative and engaging. as someone with OCD myself, there were some takes that I didn’t particularly agree with- namedly the attitude of one of the interviewees in particular, however overall it is an undeniably insightful and interesting book. I particularly enjoyed and resonated with the first few chapters, feeling extremely seen by the shared experiences of others with myself- the disorder was covered in a very wide lens, interviewing a large number of people with the disorder- I found this very important and helpful, as OCD is a disorder of such wildly different experiences.
I definitely learnt something new about OCD, and was moved and impacted by a lot of the topics covered throughout the text- the author uses a very dialectical and open minded approach to exploring All views and perspectives on OCD and I appreciate this

[Chet Taranowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this at a used bookstore. I had never heard of it previously, and I am familiar with the literature on this topic. A sociologist wrote it, which offers a different perspective than most books on this disorder. I found it to be a refreshing, jargon-free text that respects the views of those with OCD. This is significant since most of the books written by psychologists and psychiatrists take a much more impersonal view of individuals with this disorder. It is far more common to treat suffers more as objects than as humans. This book relies on the words of those with OCD to describe the conditions and the usefulness of current treatments.