Most people think the disorder amounts to little more than a few cute quirks, such as being a "neat freak" or a hand-washing germophobe. Yet obsessive-compulsive disorder can be an incredibly debilitating and isolating condition characterized by persistent and irrational anxious thoughts and the creation of rigid rules and routines that seek to stave off these thoughts or otherwise prevent some dimly imagined pending catastrophe. The thoughts and routines can take over someone's life to such an extent that he or she may not be able or willing to leave the house, attend school, hold down a job, or cultivate and maintain friends. This book seeks to promote understanding and offer a way out of the frightening isolation for those afflicted.