Read this when
Is Fred in the Refrigerator? Taming OCD and Reclaiming My Life
Checked the fridge for the cat… again? This one's for you. 🐈
Who it's for
This book is for anyone who has done a ritual just to stop a terrible "what if." Nicely writes honestly about how irrational fears can feel completely real from the inside, which helps readers feel less ashamed of their own.
Feelings it meets
What it is
A therapist's memoir of growing up with obsessive-compulsive disorder, from a frightening childhood car accident through years of intrusive fears, protective prayers and nightmares, including a persistent fear that her cat Fred was trapped in the refrigerator. She describes finding exposure-based treatment and building a fuller life, which led her to become an OCD therapist.
Where to find it
Paperback, ebook and audiobook from major retailers; libraries via OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla.
Before you start
Heads up: Intrusive fears of harm to loved ones.
Age: Not rated (adult memoir; suggested 14+)
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
