Product Description
"Time equals progression— progression equals death." The equation is logical. But few of us think of each moment and each physical movement as comprising a path to our certain end. Surely such torture would drive us mad. But for Ed Zine, who suffers from a debilitating form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this statement is a mantra that holds him prisoner—figuratively and literally. Ed's OCD tells him, illogically, that if going forward in time moves him closer to death, reversing the action will carry him away from it, and if he can hold back the progression of time he will not age. If he doesn't age, the people he loves will never die. This obsession, triggered by the horrific experience of having secretly witnessed his mother's death at the age of eleven, keeps him trapped in a nightmare of perpetual rewinding rituals. Walking from his bed to the bathroom takes seven to ten hours and 16,384 precise, but necessary, movements forward and backward, with each step and turn having potentially dire, even fatal, consequences—or so his OCD convinces him. The tens of thousands of exacting rituals stop him from showering altogether for two years, as he lives isolated in the chaos of a basement littered with refuse and human waste. But the filth in which Ed lives and the placement of the things he hoards—from a tiny ball of lint to an unopened bar of soap to an unwashed pair of sweatpants—all represent important placeholders of time in the grand scheme of irrationally keeping his loved ones alive and well. It would be a full year from their first meeting before Ed would come to fully trust world-renowned OCD specialist, Harvard professor, and decorated Vietnam War hero Michael Jenike enough to allow him to enter the dark prison created by his isolating obsession. Breaking the rules of traditional medicine, Michael, who was carrying emotional scars from his own traumatic past, from the loss of too many young men Ed's age with whom he served in the war, would travel many long hours from Boston to Ed's home, and spend countless hours treating him. Finally, with all treatments exhausted, and all hope lost, the unconditional friendship between Ed and Michael remains. The bond of honor that intertwines their lives enables Ed to use his amazing mind to break down OCD and heal himself as a way to reward Dr. Jenike for his compassion.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 10 reviews)

OCD Book by Karen Clancy (USA)

2 Stars
August 14, 2009
Was disappointed in this book. Wanted more information on OCD... really is just a story of a man who had OCD and beat his battle with it. Not what I was personally looking for.

Very honest story by compulsive reader

5 Stars
July 26, 2009
OCD is a very difficult condition to treat. Each case is unique and even talented and passionate doctors often fail. Ed Zine's case was actually one of the failures. Famous OCD specialist Dr. Michael A. Jenike broke all the rules to help Ed Zine including driving 6hours to visit Ed's house for 3 years. Despite the best treatment possible, Ed's condition didn't become better. Dr. Jenike failed and shed tears for Ed. He is extraordinary doctors, but even he was defeated by OCD's power. What I liked the best about this book is the honesty. When Terry Weible Murphy approached Dr. Jenike, he himself introduced Ed's case to her. Because Dr. Jenike was proud of Ed's achievement. Ed recovered by himself after Dr. Jenike failed! Dr. Jenike states that he still doesn't know why Ed recovered, but we feel Ed did it because he wanted to honor Dr. Jenike's friendship. This honest story gives OCD patients more hope than doctors'glorious success stories. I really, really loved this book.

Repetitive by Lisa

3 Stars
July 10, 2009
I bought this book for my brand-new Kindle (which I love, love, love) because I knew it was not a book I would have bought for my shelf -- and I was right. It is both repetitive and righteous. We all have stories to tell about changes in our lives, if not always as dramatic as this one but probably almost as interesting.

Gut Wrenching and Gorgeous by BJ Knapp

5 Stars
July 09, 2009
Fascinating topic, fascinating people, and a fabulous writer. The book takes the reader through the deepest and darkest corners of OCD and back out again. Thank you for writing this. I am sure that it will help someone somewhere who has OCD as well. You all did a great job on this.

Very insightful! by E.Hess.

5 Stars
June 25, 2009
This is a very important book for all those who suffer from mental illness and their family members. I learned a lot. It was also quite uplifting. After all, miracles are possible in the dark world of mental illness!!!! It brought me to tears and to a sense of awe!!!

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