Because We Are Bad
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4.7 • 35 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A vivid, darkly funny, moving and uplifting account of a young woman's struggle with OCD.
As a child, Lily Bailey knew she was bad. By the age of 13, she had killed someone with a thought, spread untold disease and ogled the bodies of other children.
Only by performing an exhausting series of secret routines could she correct her wrongdoing. But it was never enough. She had a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. From child to teenager to young woman, OCD ruled Lily's life, sending a bright, vital mind spinning into a downward vortex. Until she learnt a fundamental philosophical lesson.
Raw and funny, heart-breaking and uplifting, Because We Are Bad reveals with humour, grace and searing honesty what it's like to live with an almost intolerable burden of obsession.
'Because We Are Bad is an intense heart-rending roller coaster of a book . . . the most engaging and well-written account of mental health experiences I have read.' Huffington Post UK
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
London-based model and journalist Bailey offers an authentic and stunning account of her struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder in this beautifully-rendered memoir. Readers may initially wonder why the narrator often refers to herself as "we," but will soon realize that the dueling voice inside Bailey's head is an imaginary "friend" who reinforces intrusive thoughts, feeding into the author's feelings of unworthiness. Bailey has a supportive family; though her parents divorce, they are committed to helping their daughter, who is diagnosed with OCD as a teen. Bailey does well in school (especially after receiving extra time for tests), but her interior dialogue is rife with worry and self-blame; it takes hours to fall asleep at night due to her analysis of intricate lists of perceived mistakes she's made each day, along with her various routines (for example, tiptoeing into her sister's room to see if she's still breathing). Under the care of a psychiatrist, Bailey improves, but while attending college in Dublin she backslides and attempts suicide. Bailey is a vulnerable, vibrant, and courageous narrator. Daniel Lazar, Writers House.
