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A review by panda_incognito
Rewire Your Ocd Brain: Powerful Neuroscience-Based Skills to Break Free from Obsessive Thoughts and Fears by William H. Youngs, Catherine M. Pittman
4.0
I have read a lot of different books about OCD, and this one stands out as unique. It focuses on the origins of OCD in the brain, and even though it provides self-help ideas, coping skills, and information about effective OCD therapies, a significant part of the book addresses the neuroscience of OCD, helping readers understand the role of the amygdala and cortex in fueling and prolonging anxiety.
This book is perfect for readers who are interested in a scientific angle on the subject, but people who aren't interested in science shouldn't let this element scare them away. The authors explain everything in clear, simple terms, and they use real-world analogies and illustrated figures to help people understand the workings of their brain. This can be a huge encouragement and help for people who have already read about intrusive thoughts and compulsions, but want to get a glimpse behind the curtain to why their brain has created and prolonged this issue to begin with.
Because this focuses so much on the brain's role in OCD, rather than the details of how people experience OCD, I wouldn't recommend this as someone's first resource. The authors do a great job of explaining different sub-types of OCD, and they illustrate their abstract points with concrete, detailed examples from OCD sufferers' diverse experiences, but if someone is just beginning to learn about OCD for themselves or a loved one, I would encourage them to start with another book that covers the topic more broadly, and then turn to this resource. This is a great way to build on an foundational understanding of the disorder, but I believe that people will get the most out of it if they have already addressed more basic questions and considerations about what OCD is.
I really appreciate this book and respect the effort that went into writing it. The coauthors write in a single, unified voice, and they keep the complex content easy to understand, instead of relying on psychological jargon. They also provide good, well-evidenced advice for the benefits of mindfulness, sleep, and healthy breathing to regulate anxiety, and include tips for how people can pursue these things if they find them difficult. They also write about CBT and ERP, and what they had to say about ERP was particularly helpful because of what they had already written about how the brain works. Someone who is resistant to trying exposure therapy is likely to find this book especially eye-opening, persuasive, and helpful.
This book is suitable for people to work through independently or alongside a therapist, and it can be helpful to a variety of audiences. I would recommend it to anyone suffering from OCD, and to those who support them, but it can also be helpful for people who suffer from anxiety, worry, or perfectionism more generally, even if they wouldn't quality for an OCD diagnosis. I found this book's content and perspective very helpful, and appreciate the authors' expertise and unique approach.
I received a PDF copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is perfect for readers who are interested in a scientific angle on the subject, but people who aren't interested in science shouldn't let this element scare them away. The authors explain everything in clear, simple terms, and they use real-world analogies and illustrated figures to help people understand the workings of their brain. This can be a huge encouragement and help for people who have already read about intrusive thoughts and compulsions, but want to get a glimpse behind the curtain to why their brain has created and prolonged this issue to begin with.
Because this focuses so much on the brain's role in OCD, rather than the details of how people experience OCD, I wouldn't recommend this as someone's first resource. The authors do a great job of explaining different sub-types of OCD, and they illustrate their abstract points with concrete, detailed examples from OCD sufferers' diverse experiences, but if someone is just beginning to learn about OCD for themselves or a loved one, I would encourage them to start with another book that covers the topic more broadly, and then turn to this resource. This is a great way to build on an foundational understanding of the disorder, but I believe that people will get the most out of it if they have already addressed more basic questions and considerations about what OCD is.
I really appreciate this book and respect the effort that went into writing it. The coauthors write in a single, unified voice, and they keep the complex content easy to understand, instead of relying on psychological jargon. They also provide good, well-evidenced advice for the benefits of mindfulness, sleep, and healthy breathing to regulate anxiety, and include tips for how people can pursue these things if they find them difficult. They also write about CBT and ERP, and what they had to say about ERP was particularly helpful because of what they had already written about how the brain works. Someone who is resistant to trying exposure therapy is likely to find this book especially eye-opening, persuasive, and helpful.
This book is suitable for people to work through independently or alongside a therapist, and it can be helpful to a variety of audiences. I would recommend it to anyone suffering from OCD, and to those who support them, but it can also be helpful for people who suffer from anxiety, worry, or perfectionism more generally, even if they wouldn't quality for an OCD diagnosis. I found this book's content and perspective very helpful, and appreciate the authors' expertise and unique approach.
I received a PDF copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.