David Adam, a long-term OCD sufferer, describes the many guises of his condition and points to hope-giving treatments.

Most of us experience unwelcome thoughts sometimes, but we can generally recognize them for what they are. They don't drive our behaviors, much less take over our lives.

David Adam is a successful journalist and author whose life was almost destroyed by intrusive thoughts that he simply could not stop.

An irrational fear of accidentally catching AIDS from everyday activities grew out of all proportion, coming to dictate every aspect of Adam's life.

Only when he saw the effect on his interactions with his young daughter did Adam finally find the treatment that allowed him to regain control.

Taking a wide-angle view of a much-misunderstood condition that affects millions, Adam explains the neurology and pathology behind obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.

The book takes us through historical attitudes and early treatments to arrive at a present that gives great cause for optimism.