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Manfred's Reviews > The Enumerations
The Enumerations
by
by
Máire Fisher's book, "the Enumerations", is not only an excellently and detailed description of the suffering of those with OCD, it is also a very good read in general. Mental health issues are stigmatized, often taboo. This book brings insight, awareness and understanding of battles many face.
The portrayal of the OCD affliction, how it controls, and ultimately needs to be controlled, is exactly as I came to know it, as the father of Hannah (whose experience influenced Noah's character, and has unwittingly, ultimately been precisely depicted by Máire). We, Colleen and I and other family members and friends, spent hours sitting with her, trying to council her, sometimes physically holding her hand to stop slamming the tap, open-closed-open-closed (which caused a water-hammer noise through the whole house, making it inescapable for anyone, at all hours of the day), or pushing her through a door frame, or steering her past a drain cover, rationalizing with her on the absurdity of the monster in her head (which, luckily, with her willingness to clutch at straws, helped her fight it back, tell it how silly it was), that it was not her responsibility to have to keep us, or the world, safe by appeasing the monster, and ultimately accepting that she needed to go into the residential clinic. There, we were lucky that, with the support of her group, her therapy managed to teach her the tools to recognize and confront (after traumatic immersion sessions) the monster and put it back in its box (it is always there, we all have them, just most of us manage to control it without having to experience it so intensely).
We are just so deeply grateful that Hannah came through it so that she can lead a full normal life. Her monsters are still there, sometimes trying to make an escape, but she has learnt how to beat them! Noah's story will give courage and insight to others battling similar issues.
I sincerely recommend reading this book to anyone, not only those that have contact or knowledge with OCD, but also as an interesting, sometimes humorous (Juliet is great!), emotional story. To those without exposure to OCD, some passages may seem long, repetitive, labouring, but that is part of OCD, it just is.
This would make a great film !
The portrayal of the OCD affliction, how it controls, and ultimately needs to be controlled, is exactly as I came to know it, as the father of Hannah (whose experience influenced Noah's character, and has unwittingly, ultimately been precisely depicted by Máire). We, Colleen and I and other family members and friends, spent hours sitting with her, trying to council her, sometimes physically holding her hand to stop slamming the tap, open-closed-open-closed (which caused a water-hammer noise through the whole house, making it inescapable for anyone, at all hours of the day), or pushing her through a door frame, or steering her past a drain cover, rationalizing with her on the absurdity of the monster in her head (which, luckily, with her willingness to clutch at straws, helped her fight it back, tell it how silly it was), that it was not her responsibility to have to keep us, or the world, safe by appeasing the monster, and ultimately accepting that she needed to go into the residential clinic. There, we were lucky that, with the support of her group, her therapy managed to teach her the tools to recognize and confront (after traumatic immersion sessions) the monster and put it back in its box (it is always there, we all have them, just most of us manage to control it without having to experience it so intensely).
We are just so deeply grateful that Hannah came through it so that she can lead a full normal life. Her monsters are still there, sometimes trying to make an escape, but she has learnt how to beat them! Noah's story will give courage and insight to others battling similar issues.
I sincerely recommend reading this book to anyone, not only those that have contact or knowledge with OCD, but also as an interesting, sometimes humorous (Juliet is great!), emotional story. To those without exposure to OCD, some passages may seem long, repetitive, labouring, but that is part of OCD, it just is.
This would make a great film !
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
February 21, 2019
– Shelved
