This isn't my kind of book, so I didn't actually read it, but I flipped through to find the parts about the male main character's OCD. The representatThis isn't my kind of book, so I didn't actually read it, but I flipped through to find the parts about the male main character's OCD. The representation was SO! ACCURATE! It meant a lot to me to see how well the author portrayed Jack's OCD experiences, and his thoughts and conversations about them. It all rang so true. It's incredibly rare to find fiction that represents experiences with unwanted intrusive thoughts about harm and violence, let alone does it well, and I really appreciate the thought and care that the author put into this....more
Many Christians struggle with perfectionism in their faith, and it can be especially difficult for people to recognize this form of perfectionism as wMany Christians struggle with perfectionism in their faith, and it can be especially difficult for people to recognize this form of perfectionism as what it really is. After all, we need to strive for holiness, and many people believe that it's inherently good to have a highly sensitive conscience. In this book, Faith Chang explains what Christian perfectionism is, explores some different manifestations of this problem, and shares biblical wisdom for how Christian perfectionists can find rest in their salvation and God's love for them.
Chang shares her personal story to help validate people's experiences with this issue, and she also shares encouraging quotes from preachers and writers from Christian history. Each chapter also ends with a prayer addressing various facet of Christian perfectionism. For example, there is a prayer for when you are hearing the voice of condemnation, and there is a prayer for when you feel like you're a fake. The book addresses lots of different struggles, offering compassion and clear biblical encouragement, and Chang explores biblical teaching that relates to moral scrupulosity and feelings of guilt. She writes about God's love, our salvation in Christ, and the slow process of sanctification, highlighting core truths that correct distorted thought patterns and false beliefs.
I found this book very encouraging, and I appreciate that Chang includes references to OCD, explaining that religious scrupulosity can sometimes be a symptom of this mental disorder. I dealt with OCD for many years, and even though scrupulosity was not my primary struggle or concern, it was part of the whole picture that I worked through over time. It would have been so helpful to me if books like this had existed back then. I read all kinds of books while looking for some kind of help and insight into my struggles, and there was pretty much nothing that applied to my problems directly. I am so thankful for the recent increase in public awareness, and I am so glad that people who are struggling with issues like mine will be able to stumble across a potential diagnosis in books like this.
This is a great book for Christians who are dealing with a constant low-grade sense of failure, or who are suffering with intense feelings of worthlessness. People who feel overcome by guilt for the slightest infractions, or who feel discouraged because they never do enough, will find clarity and encouragement in this book. Chang primarily focuses on theology and biblical teaching, and some readers may find that this book's focus on right thinking doesn't speak to their need for emotional counseling and other forms of healing. Still, this can be helpful and clarifying for anyone who struggles with Christian perfectionism, and it will be eye-opening and transformative for readers who are stuck in distorted beliefs and thinking patterns.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
This self-help guide for moms is about coping with intrusive thoughts and OCD, but I felt that the author was less interested in2.5 stars, rounded up.
This self-help guide for moms is about coping with intrusive thoughts and OCD, but I felt that the author was less interested in talking about OCD than she was in outlining her plan for overall "maternal wellness" and creating more equitable divisions of household labor. She skimps on the unique, hard-to-find OCD content to cover concepts that are done to death elsewhere, and even though I agree that feeling less overwhelmed with household work and other commitments will help your mental health, people don't buy books about OCD for this kind of life management advice.
Also, I wish that this book wasn't just for mothers. The author briefly acknowledges that some dads also deal with intrusive thoughts, but she doesn't include anything for them, and so much of the book has to do with the social and emotional aspects of motherhood and mom pressures that I wouldn't recommend this book to a suffering father. It bothered me that the author spent so much time talking about unrelated life management topics without throwing a line to dads by including a single case study or chapter about fathers with intrusive thoughts.
Despite my frustrations with this book, the author shares many helpful insights about OCD and intrusive thoughts, and she gives evidence-based advice for how to fight OCD through CBT principles and exposure therapy. She also includes example stories from her own parenting journey and from composite examples of other moms. I like that she gave examples from women in different situations, including a woman who is dealing with intrusive thoughts and anxiety about family planning, a woman who is fearful about adding a second child to her family, and a single mom. The author also writes about the impact of former pregnancy loss on maternal mental health.
However, although she provides a range of different examples, the author almost exclusively writes about palatable and less disturbing expressions of OCD. Although she acknowledges that OCD can involve intrusive thoughts about harm, she focuses on fears like, "What if I'm a bad mom?" and "What if I didn't sanitize this bottle enough?" Even when she gives examples about moms feeling fearful of injury and death, this almost always has to do with worrying about potential accidents. There's only a few references to fears that you'll physically harm or sexually assault your child, and the author only ever mentions these concepts in passing, one-sentence examples, without actually addressing the incredibly heavy topic of having irrational, fearful thoughts about something so terrible.
Still, don't get me wrong. Milder intrusive thoughts can be terrible as well. "What if I'm a bad mom?" could just be a random worry during a discouraged moment, but if someone is thinking this all the time, and it feels like a wildfire in her brain, and she is spending lots of time trying to put out that fire by reassuring herself through visible or mental compulsions, then that's OCD. Still, even though this can be a genuinely awful intrusive thought for some mothers, the thought in and of itself is quite mild. It bothered me that the author spent so much time writing about it, while ignoring inherently traumatizing and stigmatized expressions of OCD.
Her reassurances would also carry a lot more weight if she engaged with worse OCD themes. She tells readers that their fears and irrational thoughts don't make them bad mothers, and that they're only worrying about these things because they love their child and want their child to be healthy and protected. However, because she doesn't detail what it's like to deal with intrusive thoughts about harming your child, and just writes about the stuff that's easier and more palatable to think about, someone dealing with worse thoughts could find that this book just makes them feel worse.
The author almost entirely sidesteps worse OCD problems, and she primarily gives examples of normal worries that might or might not get magnified to an OCD level. It really bothered me that she didn't engage with OCD-specific fears. This book can be very helpful for some moms dealing with postpartum OCD, but that's only if their intrusive thoughts are merely upsetting, and aren't inherently taboo.
I would not recommend this to someone whose intrusive thoughts revolve around fears of harming their child. If someone is terrified that they'll commit a heinous crime, even though they don't want to do that thing, find the thoughts abhorrent, and would never act on them, the author's reassurances will fall INCREDIBLY flat, because she thinks you're just worried about accidents or not living up to society's standards for moms. I would recommend The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts by Lee Baer to this audience instead.
I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This graphic novel memoir portrays the author's struggles with OCD as a kid. The story is compelling and also touches on multiple other issues, such aThis graphic novel memoir portrays the author's struggles with OCD as a kid. The story is compelling and also touches on multiple other issues, such as peer pressure, friend drama, and disordered eating. The author is very vulnerable and honest, and I really appreciate how well he portrays the experience of struggling with intrusive thoughts, pondering philosophical questions about what's causing them, and trying to hide compulsions and act normal.
I really enjoyed this. The ending is a little bit abrupt, and I think that this would be even better if the story had dramatized some of the author's healing process, instead of just showing him starting therapy. Still, I appreciate the portrayal of how he started getting help, and the additional information shared here about OCD.
This book is appropriate for a broad age range, and I would highly recommend this to kids and adults who can relate to the author's experiences, and to people who are interested in mental health memoirs.
I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This workbook for children explains what OCD is, how it operates, and how kids can fight back against it. The author explains some of the sub-types ofThis workbook for children explains what OCD is, how it operates, and how kids can fight back against it. The author explains some of the sub-types of this disorder, and the workbook activities build on each other in a clear, sequential manner. This can be a helpful tool for kids who are already in therapy, and it's simple enough for families to use this without professional help.
Even though the book as a whole is straightforward, some of the metaphors that the author uses early on aren't very intuitive. Because they're a bit of a stretch, they're much less memorable, and they may create unnecessary obstacles for kids with OCD, who are likely to be very literal thinkers. The older title What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD is less thorough than this book, but has far more natural metaphors and examples.
Overall, I would recommend this workbook to families dealing with OCD. It's kid-friendly without feeling too juvenile, and the book lays out the process of fighting OCD in a way that is easy to understand and build on.
I received a temporary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This book about living with OCD is written in a very conversational style, and it explains complex concepts in simple ways, without bogging down in scThis book about living with OCD is written in a very conversational style, and it explains complex concepts in simple ways, without bogging down in scientific details that may not appeal to the average reader. The author covers a wide variety of different sub-types, which I appreciated, and in addition to addressing particular therapies that work well with OCD, she also wrote topical chapters about specific struggles that people with OCD usually have, such as believing that they have to be certain about things, or that you have to pay attention to and analyze every thought you have.
The author includes case studies and examples throughout the book about people with different types of OCD, but these are just illustrations. I appreciate that instead of taking a deep dive into individual stories and drawing implications from them, she focuses on broad themes and experiences that are common across OCD types, and just uses specific examples to illustrate how someone can deal with this. Overall, I thought this book was clear and helpful, and I would recommend it to people who are suffering from OCD, and to their support systems. This book's conversational style and accessibility will make it especially helpful for people who are new to learning about OCD.
I received a PDF from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This unique book shares theological insights and practical ideas for how churches can empower people with disabilities to take leadership roles in theThis unique book shares theological insights and practical ideas for how churches can empower people with disabilities to take leadership roles in the church. The authors reflect on how well-meaning disability ministries often end up segregating the body of Christ, and they explore different definitions and elements of what leadership means. They argue that instead of thinking about Christian leadership through the lens of charisma and familiar, immediately recognizable capabilities, we should recognize and honor all of the ways that members of Christ's body honor him and share gifts of grace with their communities. The authors share helpful short histories of disability rights and disability theology, and they highlight ways that Christians can learn from people with disabilities, instead of seeing them as a group that needs to be cured or rescued.
Andrew T. Draper, Jody Michele, and Andrea Mae each write from their own vantage points, based on their experiences with the church and with different forms of visible and invisible disabilities. Although this book is academic in its overall content and tone, their personal perspectives engage readers and will help this reach a broader audience. Also, even though the book has a very academic feel when they are laying groundwork by reviewing previous literature, defining terms, and exploring theological concepts, the second half of the book includes lots of practical reflections about church life and leadership, sharing stories and ideas for how churches can become more inclusive and balance different needs. The authors also share advice for how leaders can present this issue to their congregations in ways that encourage buy-in and participation.
Although I agreed with most of the theological reflections in this book, I took issue with some of the authors' arguments about the nature of disability. They argue that disability isn't a result of the fall, but is part of God's original design for diversity in the world. As a result, they believe that even though people will not experience pain or suffering in their resurrected bodies, disabilities may persist in the new heaven and new earth. At times, they present this as a thought experiment, and they point out how some common beliefs in Christian culture are based in assumptions, not clear biblical evidence. Other times, they take a stronger stance against disability being a consequence of the fall.
One of the authors cites Jesus's words from when he healed the blind man, believing that since Jesus said that this man wasn't blind because of his own or his parents' sin (John 9:3), this means that blindness isn't a consequence of the fall. That doesn't fit with the text at all. Jesus was simply teaching that disability isn't a form of karmic retribution. Overall, I felt that the authors never presented a clear biblical argument for their belief. They mainly base this idea in pragmatism and personal feelings, and they don't engage with the best or most Bible-based arguments for the opposing view.
I can certainly see why someone who was born with a certain disability may feel that it is an inextricable part of who they are, and I can go along with the thought experiment of some disabilities and differences persisting in resurrected bodies, but it is absolutely not necessary to take the authors' view in order to love, honor, and receive leadership from people with disabilities. Also, I think that their argument sidelines people who have become disabled due to illness or tragedy, and who look forward to regaining lost abilities in their resurrected bodies someday. Since the authors base so much of their argument in people's feelings and self-perceptions, I thought they should have better acknowledged this side of it.
Even though I was disappointed with that element, I found this book very thought-provoking, and it was helpful for me to think through and process what I agree and disagree with. More importantly, the authors share a wealth of wisdom about how churches can better reflect the body of Christ in its fullness, fully including disabled people in the life of the church without segregating them or treating them as projects. There are lots of helpful ideas here for how churches can become more accessible and have more welcoming and inclusive attitudes, and I especially appreciated the insights into how churches can bring disabled members into decision-making processes and leadership teams. Despite my areas of disagreement with the authors, I greatly appreciated the majority of this book and would recommend it for the unique perspectives, theological encouragement, and practical advice that it offers.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
This was super boring and didn't look like it was going anywhere, and even though the mental illness representation may have improved later on, what IThis was super boring and didn't look like it was going anywhere, and even though the mental illness representation may have improved later on, what I read just felt like generic descriptions of anxiety and OCD, not a dramatization of someone's actual moment-by-moment experiences with these struggles. Since I was already dubious about this from the critical reviews I'd read, I bailed very quickly....more
The OCD representation in this middle-grade novel is very realistic and comes from the author's personal experiences. I really appreciated that, but IThe OCD representation in this middle-grade novel is very realistic and comes from the author's personal experiences. I really appreciated that, but I found the theater-centric story somewhat dull, since the theater parts are full of rote details without enough suspense or humor to keep it compelling.
The relationship tension in the protagonist's life was extremely realistic and extremely stressful to read about. Shannon's grandmother and mother constantly argue, put each other down, and create unnecessary drama, and one of Shannon's best friends is a complete and total jerk for almost the entire book. I would have enjoyed the story more the author had chosen between these subplots, since their intense negativity takes up much of the book.
As another reviewer has already noted, the Muslim representation is extremely superficial. Since Fatima appears in hijab on the cover, I expected her religion to be part of the story, but she and her brother could have been written as any other race or religion without their characters changing at all. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since plenty of culturally Mulism teenagers aren't notably different from their peers, but the hijab's prominence of the cover will make many readers hope for more.
I was going to recommend some other middle-grade novel about OCD at the end of this review, but there are too many for that to be practical, which makes me really happy! If you're looking for books with similar mental health representation, feel free to look through my OCD shelf....more
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