I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands is a memoir by J.J. Keeler chronicling her struggle with OCD -Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It’s told in a light hearted manner and with humor but the underlying seriousness of the disorder is very apparent. You might wonder why I would have wanted to read this memoir and for me it’s a close and personal interest. I don’t share this often and I won’t say a lot about it other than to say I suffer with OCD myself and it’s somewhat of a comfort to know you’re not the only one out there.
Like J.J. Keeler I’ve always found it kind of funny when you mention OCD and people will pipe up and say ‘oh I have OCD’ because I have to have everything clean and organized all the time or I’ll go crazy. That or I wash my hands excessively and while that is an OCD behavior, it most definitely doesn’t mean you have OCD. Really that’s not what OCD is all about. It’s much more serious than worrying whether your house is spotless or your ultra organized. OCD takes many forms whether it be extreme fears, counting, different obsessive behaviors, and in J.J.’s case an extremely scary behavior and that was harming. She would have visions of harming someone. To me that would be one of the scariest things to have to deal with.
From a young age J.J. suffered from obsessions; she just didn’t know that this actually had a name. She went from fear of AIDS to fires and the list goes on and on. She would have to go and check and recheck things to make sure she didn’t actually hit that person on the sidewalk. This is a common OCD behavior and quite debilitating in itself. The problem is that these fears and obsessions end up ruling your life. You know that these fears are irrational but your mind won’t let it go no matter how hard you try.
I think it was so brave of J.J. to even write this memoir and put it out there especially on a topic so personal. So many people look down on those with any type of mental illness or tell you that you can just overcome these things. You can’t – if it was that easy believe me most of us would have done it. Also, people tend to hide the fact that they have OCD and just maybe someone reading this will feel a little less alone because they see that someone else out there is suffering the same as they are.
By writing this memoir J.J. wants people to see that there is more to OCD than you may think and also that there is a real person behind the disease itself. As she says in her book it’s important to realize that OCD takes different forms for different people. Typically OCD focuses on your worst fears and compounds them. It’s important to note that there is help out there if you want it but OCD really never goes away entirely. It may lighten up for months or even years but likely will make a reappearance in your life at some time. J.J. is currently managing her OCD and I hope she continues to do so. I commend her for putting her fears and thoughts out there for others to read. I think that this memoir is one for those suffering with OCD, know someone with the disease, or even those who just want to know a bit more about it.
I read I Hardly Ever Wash My Hands by J.J. Keeler for her book tour with TLC Book Tours. Be sure to pop over and visit the other tour stops for more thoughts on this book. You can find J.J. on Facebook and Twitter and her book can be purchased here in the US and here in Canada.
Source: Review copy provided by TLC Book Tours and the Publisher. No compensation was received and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a great review! This book sounds like it really shows a different side to OCD. I watched an episode of Obsessed where the person had the same OCD as the author. They honestly thought they hit people with their car and had to check and recheck that they didn’t. it’s a terrible thing. I deal with anxiety and for the past 6 months it has been on a horrible upswing. Anxious about stupid stuff but I can’t make it go away. There are many different aspects to OCD besides the common ones people think of.
I have a tiny tiny tiny OCD thing, but it’s tiny and does not bother me. But if it would be like that..scary thought
Wonderful review, Darlene. The book sounds quite thoughtful.
Dar, I know how important this post and book were for you, and I commend you for sharing. I just won this book in a giveaway, so I will be reading it soon as well. I feel it will help me understand. Brava and sincere hugs to you. This review rocks the casbah.
Wonderful review Dar and that is brave of your to share your story as well. I can’t even imagine how hard living with OCD must be. **hugs**
Way to go for sharing your own challenges with this disorder and for sharing a memoir about it. People with mental illness are amazing heroes because they struggle with so much plus the stigma! I’ll definitely put this on my reading list. : )
Great review- this sounds like a story that lots of people could identify with, in their own, maybe small way.
Sounds like a good topic to make people more aware of. Reminds me a little of a book I heard about last month: Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety by Daniel Smith. hmm haven’t read it yet but sounds interesting. cheers. http://www.thecuecard.com/
Thanks for such a great review!
This is a great review. This is the sort of non-fiction title I crave. I’ll be on the lookout.
I think I will have to get this book for my sister. Her son struggled with OCD and it has been an eye opener. I am always grateful to individuals who can write memoirs or similar books to educate people on these sensitive issues. Great review!
I’ve seen documentaries about people w/OCD and my heart goes out to them and you. You’re very brave to open up about yourself. Glad you found some comfort and solace in this book.
I have two people who are very close to me who suffer from different versions of OCD and it is certainly a difficult disorder to handle. I’m glad to see JJ share her story in such a readable and easy to understand way.
Thanks for being on the tour.
I must get this book! My son has OCD and it is not what people typically think it is (at least his version). He is constantly checking on things, confessing things that maybe he did wrong, can’t answer questions because he might not be 100% sure about it, and lots of other things that are so confusing for me as as parent and must be terrifying for him as a little kid. I want to read this so I can better understand what he is going through. I hear people say all the time “I’m so OCD” about stuff like cleanliness and it is starting to bother me because there seems to be such a misconception about what OCD can include and be like. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention. And thanks for sharing your own “confession” about OCD. If you know of any other books worth reading on the subject, please let me know.