My name is Asher Feltman, and I’m So OCD. Yes, people say this all the time. But I really am OCD.

For 12 years, I lived a normal life, but in 2006, I abruptly and completely changed. My family and I struggled to understand what was happening to me until I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. That was just the beginning: Over the next eight years, I went to seven hospitals in four cities, desperately trying to find help for what one doctor described as “one of the most severe cases of mental illness” he’d ever seen.

This is the story of my battle with OCD – and how I managed to come out of it with a life worth living.

A teacher’s candid memoir about growing up with OCD, “one of the most severe cases of mental illness” that his doctors had ever seen.
You might not have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). You might not know anyone with OCD, either. But this condition is a Houston, Texas-sized problem.
According to the International OCD Foundation, 1 in 100 adults, and 1 in every 200 children and teens have OCD. These statistics apply worldwide, but if you consider the US, this equates to about 3 million people – which is the same as the entire population of Houston.
Although OCD touches millions of lives, it’s not
something that’s widely discussed or understood. This is
especially true for younger sufferers: Although adults
with OCD recognize tend to see that their rituals aren’t
rational, kids and teens often fail to realize that their behaviors are excessive or out of the ordinary (Anxiety & Depression Association of America). Spreading awareness is one of the easiest and best ways to remove the confusion and stigma that comes with OCD.
Asher Feltman’s memoir does just that – and it leaves OCD sufferers with hope for the future, too. His story is best described in his own words, and he puts it simply: “My name is Asher Feltman, and I’m So OCD. Yes, people say this all the time. But I really am OCD.
“For 12 years, I lived a normal life, but in 2006, I abruptly and completely changed. My family and I struggled to understand what was happening to me until I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. That was just the beginning: Over the next eight years, I went to seven hospitals in four cities, desperately trying to find help for what one doctor described as “one of the most severe cases of mental illness” he’d ever seen.
“This is the story of my battle with OCD – and how I managed to come out of it with a life worth living.”
Proceeds will raise vital funds for Shawmind, a Newark-based mental health charity.