Leaving the Ocd Circus - by Kirsten Pagacz (Paperback)

About the Book

"The author's personal story of living with OCD and a guide for others suffering from the disease. This book tells the story of the author's childhood and introduces the tools she used for healing: such as meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, exposure therapy, yoga, and others. Readers will learn how OCD works to misshape a life and also how to begin work on their own issues of obsession and compulsion"--

Book Synopsis

Battle OCD With Insight and Inspiration

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.

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.

"It's like the meanest, wildest monkey running around my head, constantly looking for ways to bite me." That was how Kirsten Pagacz described her OCD to her therapist on their first session when she was well into her 30s─she'd been following orders from this mean taskmaster for 20 years, without understanding why. 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.

Leaving the OCD Circus reveals the story of Pagacz's traumatic childhood and the escalation of her disorder. Learn how OCD works to misshape a life from a very young age and the various tools she used to deal with and heal her anxiety.

Gain insight into:

• The benefits of meditation and yoga
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Medication
• Exposure therapy

If you learned from guides like Anxious for Nothing, The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, or The Anxiety and Worry Workbook then you'll want to read Leaving the OCD Circus.

Review Quotes

...a compendium of useful information about the disorder and how to best manage it. Drawing on what worked for her, and based on researching expert advice, chapters contain a summary of useful tips and key points to remember. The result is educational and inspirational. --Dan Kalb, PhD, Psychologist, OCD specialist-- "Reviews"

It wasn't until her future husband heard a public service announcement on NPR describing OCD that Pagacz was able to put a name to her condition. After 20 years of rechecking locked doors, straightening computer cords, redoing school projects, and hearing threatening voices, Pagacz finally gets treatment. Her description of her escalating illness is irreverent, brutally honest, and compelling. With the help of her doctor, she is able to gradually control her obsessive thought and compulsive acts using strategies that included observing her actions and facing down Monkey, her mental tormentor. While triggers remain just below the surface, and Pagacz admits to relapses in stressful times, such as her wedding and starting her own business, her successes are inspiring. Excerpts from her poetry as well as thought-provoking quotes are scattered throughout the book, and important information is recapped in Key Points to Remember sidebars. Teens struggling with OCD will be encouraged by Pagacz's accessible story. And although there are no cures for quick fixes for the condition, according to Pagacz, her practical strategies offer hope to others facing similar struggles. --Candace Smith, Booklist, September 1, 2016-- "Reviews"

Teens struggling with OCD will be encouraged by Pagacz's accessible story. --Candace Smith, Booklist, September 1, 2016-- "Reviews"

About the Author

Kirsten Pagacz is the founder of Retro-A-Go-Go, an online seller of retro kitsch. She suffered from OCD for two decades before discovering that it had a name (and a cure). Before founding her own company, she worked in marketing and sales for a number of Fortune 500 companies. She is a member of the International OCD Foundation and won first place in one of their art competitions.