Just brilliant

Uncomfortable to listen to for all the right reasons. This is an unapologetically honest account of the author's battle with OCD. Its as hilarious as it is upsetting and should be read by anyone who thinks they may suffer with OCD or know someone that does.

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2 people found this helpful

Hysterically funny, heartbreaking & deeply human

I have OCD and it's changed my life for 15 years - this book has just changed my life again. I'd read it even if I didn't have OCD though for the black humour that Rose brings - and that needs to be brought - to mental health issues. A total delight.

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Amusing and informative.

Wonderfully written, uncensored portrayal of life living with upsetting intrusive thoughts. OCD without any visible compulsions, PURE O. I wish people wouldn't call themselves OCD, because they 'clean a lot.' OCD is a terrible affliction and this book is the real face of OCD. A crippling burden, I myself experience and live with. I can relate a lot to this fantastic, candid memoir. Excellent.

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The TV show taught me I have OCD

... Now I've read the book, my experience is even more relatable here.

(This might be a long one, though I'm determined not to get obsessive with editing it, writing notes about why I wrote things a certain way, or checking the tons of notes I've made about it and OCD in recent years. Because those are my compulsions, so this review can actually be part of my ERP practice! Instead I'm just going to hammer something out, warts and all, and let it go. I will try my hardest not to edit it later!)

I love the book's honesty and that it really is an education, even in 2022, as to what OCD actually is - and that it's so much more than just being a "neat freak". I can only admire the author's bravery in writing this book in its full, unadulterated gory glory; even though it seems to have been a form of therapy in itself, it was still clearly incredibly nerve-wracking to put it out there. And it's doing so much good; I now count myself as part of those that it's helped.

It's an entertaining read in and of itself, even if you're not interested in what it's like to live with OCD. It's laugh and loud funny one minute, tragic and touching the next. It's the most honest and human book I think I might have ever read, sharing intimate details about the naughty (but normal) parts of childhood, and adulthood; it's about what's really real behind our veneer of civility. I found myself touched by the tender and familiar intimate moments shared with her partner, those little things that only the one closest to you will ever know, or be allowed to say or do. The whole book is really the antithesis of the Hollywood view of life and relationships, as the book routinely points out - and which I think we all knew already, but which it's reassuring to see put out there in lights, to know that we're really all just the same bunch of weirdos. If you can't see it you can't be it - and if you can't see it, you think you're not normal.

[SPOILER] I enjoyed the structure, jumping between present Rose on the round the world tour still struggling with OCD, and adolescent to young adult Rose as she first experienced symptoms, to when she discovered the condition, to then battling with treatments. It really made me want to read on and discover the crossover point - and why adult Rose wasn't yet "cured".

Charly Clive completely embodies Rose, and was a joy to listen to throughout (my first reaction was: Oh, she's not Scottish! Heh.) And I thought her interview with Rose after the book was incredibly well done, sensitive, and entertaining. They both had a blast. What a great touch as well, to hear from the real Rose as a further addendum in 2020, and to see how she's progressed with her OCD journey, including founding the charity Made of Millions (I've signed up).

That's pretty much the end of my review, but I just wanted to talk a little about my own OCD journey, which this book has been a huge part of, and because sharing I think is the point here. I actually wear my condition as a badge of honour now in my career, because it might help others, and because it shows that I've actually been through (and am going through) something pretty unique, which as a writer especially, does give a unique perspective - and probably has been reflected in my writings in some form for longer than I've realised.

I discovered the book via the TV show; my wife was a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit in 2019, and through that initiative I was curious to check out the works of the other Breakthroughs - not least of Kirstie Swain, who wrote the show, since we met during the event. As the episodes whizzed by (it's a great show - different from the book so can be enjoyed as a unique experience even if you've read it, but of course with the same themes and key moments), I began to recognise some startling familiarities with my own behaviours. When the term OCD first appeared, I was like, "What?! Really?" I read more about OCD, and was pretty accurately able to self-diagnose it. Just like Rose, it was a revelation that this wasn't just my peculiarities getting me stuck in mental mantras and loops, but an actual condition. And just like Rose, that was of course only the beginning.

I was on the verge of talking to my GP when the pandemic struck, and it got put on the backburner. It seems strange now, but I was also actually waiting for season 2 of the show to drop, to find out how Marnie's treatment journey would go, so I could learn from it - but alas I don't think the show was renewed for a second season. So this year I did what I should've done much sooner and spoke to my GP (and used my last Audible credit to buy this book, to see the rest of the story! - I've been struggling to keep pace with reading books, so I'm planning to stop my sub while I catch up). I was soon enrolled on a course of treatment in my area (self-enrolment was also possible, but I wanted to "check" I actually had OCD first, I suppose). I'm in the middle of my first ever course of therapy in my life right now, and yes I do have OCD it seems. And I think I've had it since I was a teenager, so we're talking about twenty-five years at this point! It's peaked and troughed at different times, but I don't think it's ever been as severe as Rose's. However, it has gotten worse in recent years, to the point that I was starting to worry - and then completely by chance I discovered the Pure TV show.

Through therapy I've learned about my specific OCD cycle, and I'm currently in the early ERP phase of treatment. I know there's no magic cure for this, but already I'm seeing some improvement. My form of "pure" OCD manifests as urges and checking behaviours (mental checking, or physical note-taking), usually prompted by insecurities about my job and skills. (There's also the general anxieties about world problems and bad news in the media, which I often feel compelled to be on top of, as a writer, and thus get exposed to a lot (some symptoms of OCD are an inflated sense of personal responsibility, and over-estimating risk)). Specifically I'm a narrative writer in the games industry, and like most creatives I think (especially in games), often plagued with imposter syndrome. I also got into my career quite late; combined with some serious confidence knocks in recent years, I think this is why it's gotten worse. There's also the analytical but also ambiguous nature of writing, which means I often obsess over language and words; here I find it hard to separate compulsions from what is normal editing behaviour for the profession. Also, all writers have a notebook of some sort, right? So taking notes is normal? I suppose yes - to an extent. I've also learned that tiredness tends to make most of this worse.

So there we are. This is an incredibly important book for me, and many others I suspect - whether you've got OCD or not. Thank you for writing it Rose, and thank you to all those involved in helping bring it to market. And thank you to everyone who worked on the seminal TV adaptation.

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9 people found this helpful

Beautifully crafted description OCD

lts a wonderful description of OCD crafted skillfully and captures the torture of the condition. As someone who experiences Pure-O it was very triggering at times, but well worth the experience.

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Very repetitive

Book starts off well, but slowly becomes incredibly repetitive and therefore lost interest. I liked the concept, and the performance was good.

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