The Thought That Counts

For the more than 2 million Americans with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable behaviors can take a harsh toll, as author Jared Douglas Kant knows all too well. Diagnosed with OCD at age 11, Jared became ruled by dread of deadly germs and diseases, the unrelenting need to count and check things, and a persistent, nagging doubt that overshadowed his life.

In The Thought that Counts, Jared shares his deeply personal account of trial, tribulation, and ultimately triumph. Using anecdotes, narratives and sidebars, this book adds a human face to a complex disorder. Jared's funny, often touching, sometimes harrowing tale makes for compelling reading. Yet his memoir is only half the story. With the help of psychologist Martin Franklin, Ph.D., and veteran science writer Linda Wasmer Andrews, Jared paints the big picture for other teens with OCD. Drawing on the latest scientific and medical evidence, he explains how to recognize warning signs, where to find help, and what treatments have proved effective. Jared also offers practical suggestions on managing the symptoms of OCD at home, at school, and in relationships with family and friends. The result is both an absorbing memoir and a useful guide that will help to ease the isolation caused by OCD, assuring anyone recently diagnosed with the disease that, with commitment and hard work, they can overcome this illness.

Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically for teens and young adults, this volume offers hope to young people who are struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder, helping them to overcome the challenges of this illness and go on to lead healthy, productive lives.

"The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania."

This book is a searing personal account about life with OCD, and as a fellow sufferer, I was impressed by the unique insight it gives the reader...[I]t's the extraordinary testimony of a sufferer that makes the book so powerful; Kant takes the reader into that exclusive club sufferers belong to, and I found myself nodding in recognition throughout. This book will strike a chord with sufferers, and will help many readers understand what OCD really means. --Ian Puleston-Davies, The Daily Mail, London

Part memoir, part educational self-help tool, this book lives up to the double entendre embodied in the title...This book would be helpful for those who are diagnosed with OCD at a young age. The personal voice is strong; Kant tells his story with humor and in a self-deprecating style.--School Library Journal