Customer Reviews

Blink, Blink, Clop, Clop: Why Do We Do Things We Can't Stop? An OCD Storybook

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This is one of my all-time favorite children's mental health books! I have waited a long time to write a review of this book. Until recently it was not listed on .... When I diagnose a child or adolescent with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I urge the family to buy this book.

Children with OCD often suffer in secret. They are ashamed and confused by their symptoms. Most of them think that they are crazy or that they are the only one in the world who has these awful thoughts and weird behaviors.

The book uses barnyard characters to illustrate the common types of OCD. The pig compulsively washes and clears his throat. The horse blinks and taps his hoof. The cow worries about contaminating her milk. The hen needs to line up her grain and straighten her feathers.

The OCD itself is depicted as a tiny obnoxious flea, "OC Flea." This little flea is the one who whispers the words that cause the obsessions and compulsions. He whispers to all the animals, but some of them are just more sensitive to his words. I won't give away the entire plot, but events transpire that make it impossible for the animals to complete their obsessive rituals. They discover that nothing bad happens, and begin to free themselves from their obsessions and compulsions. The animals (and in one case an animal's mother) learn to change their behavior so that they can banish "O.C. Flea." A pig makes up a sign to help himself and the other animals guard against the return of "O.C. Flea." Near the end of the story, the owl explains how O.C. D. works and how it is treated. Some of the vocabulary and concepts are fairly advanced, so an adult should read this with the child to make sure that he or she understands. Although the book is aimed at children, it might be useful for an OCD adult with a sense of humor.

When I do therapy with children with OCD, I often encourage them to think of the OCD as a silly or obnoxious creature that is outside of themselves. They can laugh at this creature or fight it. This book helps a child look at the OCD as something he can beat, not a personal failure.

If you have a child or adolescent with OCD, get this book right away!