The tapping and counting and cleaning and ordering brought her comfort and structure, two things lacking in Kirsten Pagacz’s family life. But it never lasted. The loathsome self-talk only intensified, and the rituals she had to perform got more bizarre. By high school, she was anorexic and a substance abuser—common "shadow syndromes" of OCD. By adulthood, she could barely hide her problems and held onto jobs and friends through sheer grit. Help finally came in the form of a miraculously well-timed public service announcement on NPR about OCD—at last, her illness had an identity. After finally having the answer and learning how to conquer her OCD, Pagacz wants to share her knowledge and insight with you in hopes that you join her in leaving the OCD circus and living a better life. Both a book and a heart-stopping memoir that provides anxiety relief and gives comfort to those struggling to better understand themselves and their mental health.