Read this when
The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts
Having a scary thought doesn't make you a scary person. 🧠
Who it's for
If a horrible thought keeps popping into your head and you're terrified of what it says about you, this short book is a relief.
Ashamed, frightened→Relieved, less alone
Feelings it meets
What it is
Psychologist Lee Baer explains unwanted intrusive thoughts, especially violent, sexual or blasphemous ones, borrowing Edgar Allan Poe's idea of 'the imp of the perverse'. He shows how almost everyone has such thoughts, why trying to push them away makes them stronger, and how treatments such as exposure therapy, cognitive approaches and medication help.
Where to find it
In print, ebook and audiobook from major booksellers; widely held in libraries, and borrowable on the Internet Archive.
Before you start
Heads up: Intrusive thoughts about harming children.
Age: Adult
