Memoirs of a Born Shlepper: Never Give OCD a Third Thought.
The book is quite interesting to read considering the special message it carries and the fact that OCD is becoming a common condition in the contemporary world for motives that the book clearly outlines comprehensively and in details. Through the pathographies the most important aspects of OCD that becomes dominant in the book. However, the author depicts that the most effective treatment for OCD is often cognitive-behavioral therapy (Fadem, 57). One important aspect that can be inferred from the book is that obsessions and coercions are difficult to control. He shows how difficult it was to go through life under such a condition. This makes quite interesting as the author portrays his very own life and the challenges that he had to go through. Obsession is quite strong and beyond the control of many persons. His depiction of the entire role played by obsessions indicates how negative obsessions can sometimes be. The sheer fact that one has OCD does not imply that they are not entitled to a good life. They are human beings like any other and are therefore entitled to the same rights and possibly more care and medical attention.
The psychological explanation for the increase in OCD is rather not easily understandable. Why did the author decide to use a memoir in expressing a very crucial message? Are human beings not in control of their behaviors? Should certain factors fully and wholly dictate our behaviors even if they might bring about behaviors that are costly to individuals and the society in general? These questions linger so much in the mind as one read the book. However, the author does not fully address these questions. One is left to make judgment for themselves and such judgments are subject to variation hence any conclusion drawn might possibly be biased or faulty. He outlines that diagnosis is essential before any treatment of OCD is effected. The author takes a great deal of his time illustrating how his condition was treated and how he finally managed to overcome a condition that threatened to end his life. This indicates the kind of life that anyone can go through before finally making it in life (Rapoport, 162). He should have given a biological or psychological explanation behind the failure of medication to effectively and fully eliminate the condition once and for all.
Fadem’s account expertly uses comic to deliver imperative lessons about OCD. The giggles in the book make it vastly readable. However, it is Fadem’s personal scuffles that make the book very outstanding. The Jewishness of Fadem’s family life is informative and he paints a nice picture of his parents and his youth life. The author provides an insight into the world of someone suffering from a condition that can be really paralyzing and frustrating but it is rather presented in a humorous manner that makes it interesting to read the book while at the same time instilling into the reader very essential facts about OCD (Montgomery & Joseph, 98). The shambling soul (a shlepper) who overwhelms OCD with the help of his guard angel and his Jewish sense of wit shows that nothing is impossible. The boy motivates others to rise above the nuisance of OCD. This indicates his role in changing the world’s view of OCD (Toates, 87). All in all the book is a great book to read and can actually transform anyone’s perception of the world and life in general.
Works Cited
Fadem, Rod. Memoirs of a Born Shlepper: Never Give Ocd a Third Thought. St. Louis, MO: Shleppedicke Press, 2003. Print.
Montgomery, S A, and Joseph Zohar. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. London: M. Dunitz, 1999. Print.
Rapoport, Judith L. The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing: The Experience & Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New York: Dutton, 1989. Print.
Toates, F M, Olga Coschug-Toates, and F M. Toates. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Practical, Tried-and-Tested Strategies to Overcome Ocd. London: Class, 2005. Print.
