Overview

In this compelling book, we meet a man who can't let anyone get within a certain distance of his nose, two kleptomaniacs from very different walks of life, an Internet addict who chooses virtual life over real life, a professor with a dangerous gambling habit, and others with equally debilitating compulsive conditions. Writing with compassion, humor, and a deft literary touch, Elias Aboujaoude, an expert on obsessive compulsive disorder and behavioral addictions, tells stories inspired by memorable patients he has treated, taking us from initial contact through the stages of the doctor-patient relationship. Into these interconnected vignettes Aboujaoude weaves his own personal experiences while presenting up-to-date, accessible medical information. Rich in both meaning and symbolism, Compulsive Acts is a journey of personal growth and hope that illuminates a fascinating yet troubling dimension of human experience as it explores a group of potentially disabling conditions that are too often suffered in silence and isolation.

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9780520255678

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Reviews

Obscuring personal details, an expert on impulse control disorders writes of patients... Hard to beat the first essay. --Vancouver Sun / New Brunswick Reader Tells stories inspired by memorable patients ... Taking the reader from initial contact through the stages of the doctor-patient relationship. --Times Higher Ed Sup (Thes)

Sketchy profiles of obsessive-compulsive patients, from the director of Stanford's Impulse Control Disorders Clinic.During his tenure as a psychiatrist specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Aboujaoude, whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications, has treated numerous cases of behavioral addiction. Here, the author offers five stories of odd psychiatric conditions he has encountered, salting the narrative with breezy discussions of pertinent medical information (OCD afflicts between one and two percent of the population, males and females are equally likely to be affected, excessive checking is the most common form of OCD, etc.). With the steady assistance of his trusted clinic clerk Dawn ( Our schedule is like a symphony of which she is the masterful conductor ), Aboujaoude navigates the difficult psychological terrain of five unique patients, with all identifying details removed, of course. There's George, who must maintain a certain distance between his nose and everything else; Pat, who suffers from trichotillomania, in which patients (often unconsciously) pull out their hair; Hannah, a 48-year-old kleptomaniac comparative-literature professor; Mr. Kuong, a Chinese-American who fell victim to the gambling meccas of Las Vegas and eventually committed suicide; and Alex, who's online persona, Sasha, overtook his reality and led him to break up with his real girlfriend in favor of Nadia, his online masterpiece girlfriend. After relishing the opportunity to help each person, the author draws conclusions about the behavior and provides more information that may be helpful for those suffering from similar conditions. But the narrative fails to reflect Aboujaoude's insistence that the book is not merely a disjointed collection of research anecdotes and clinical tales. The anecdotes transition awkwardly into the doctor's evaluations and medical opinions, and the remembered dialogue is often stilted and riddled with excessive exclamation points.Aboujaoude is obviously proud of his work - and he should be - but his skills as a writer are seriously lacking. (Kirkus Reviews)

Obscuring personal details, an expert on impulse control disorders writes of patients... Hard to beat the first essay. --Vancouver Sun / New Brunswick Reader Tells stories inspired by memorable patients ... Taking the reader from initial contact through the stages of the doctor-patient relationship. --Times Higher Ed Sup (Thes)

Author Information

Elias Aboujaoude is Director of the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, on the NBC Nightly News, and elsewhere.

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