In the condition’s derangement of cause and effect, OCD creates an alternative reality, too: one that seems utopian in its promise to clarify the universe, but is policed by fear, hostility, and a deep monomania. Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking is a culmination of a life spent obsessing, offering a glimpse into Marianne's brain, but also an insight into the lives of others like her. Would I sometimes like to soften my sensory processing issues, wear anything other than cotton without having a screaming fit? Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking is the culmination of a life spend obsessing, offering a glimpse into Marianne's brain, but also an insight into the lives of others like her. i didn’t realise it was just a memoir in which the author recounts (a lot of actually quite unrelatable) times in her life such as countless days spent at disney world etc etc, as these are her obsessions.

This is a personal memoir of OCD, autism and ADHD, in the form of a series of short, unconnected essays on subjects like time, death, Disney (special interests… if you know, you know! By the end of the book, reading about the author’s privileged time during the first Covid lockdown spent sunning herself in Lisbon, interspersed with a load of Portuguese history that I didn’t care to try to retain, I was ready to put the book down and move on. Part self-help book, part diary entry, the wellness genre demands neat resolutions and the elimination of excess – even for the most profoundly devastating and chaotic of health experiences. To invoke this term is to make as much a political argument as a personal one: it is to qualify what we mean when we say “mental health”. I was particularly interested in the distinction between healthy and unhealthy obsessions and their differing effects on the author’s life and health.

I too used to collect all my most prized belongings together certain if I didn't something terrible would befall my house! This book is reflective of one person’s unique experience which I obviously accept, and I know a book can only include so much information and unsaid details are none of my business, but there were so many little frustrations and contradictions for me interwoven throughout it that I ended up feeling aggravated. I understand this may be in part due to the nature of the author's brain, but a bit of editing wouldn't hurt. This essay is effective and charming, precisely because it not only accounts for the author’s “blissful limbo” in this parallel reality, but also its place in a wider history.

It sounds more like she’s talking with oh-so-cool friends over drinks on one of the sun-soaked beaches she talks about.I enjoy memoir type reads and this book posed as an interesting look into the mind of a successful young adult with ADHD and ASD, and her experiences with her intrusive and compulsive thoughts throughout life. I related to this book but, frankly, her life just not interesting enough to hold-up an entire book. As a neurodivergent person myself, I found myself relating to the author a lot of the time - and when I didn't, her sense of humour and snide observations about the world around her made up for it.

What that means changes day to day, depending on what her brain latches on to: fixations with certain topics, intrusive violent thoughts, looping phrases. the essays will leave readers feeling secondhand joy and maybe even encouragement to own their love for their own less-than-cool favorite things. When I was seeking diagnosis, I met with a different, thoughtless psychiatrist who told me: ‘a diagnosis isn’t a cure, you know’. I’m not a fan of a lot of the physical problems , like issues with my joints or stomach , that come with being autistic, either.In her candid, witty memoir, Marianne Eloise offers a powerful account of what it is like to feel trapped by mental health problems and obsessions … A brave book that puts vulnerability fully on show.