As my friend the heroin addict says, "You're only as sick as your secrets." Emily Colas -- young, intelligent, well-educated wife and mother of two -- had a secret that was getting in the way of certain activities. Like touching people. Having a normal relationship with her husband. Socializing. Getting a job. Eating out. Like leaving the house. Soon there was no interval in her life when she was not just checking This raw, darkly comic series of astonishing vignettes is Emily Colas' achingly honest chronicle of ...
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As my friend the heroin addict says, "You're only as sick as your secrets." Emily Colas -- young, intelligent, well-educated wife and mother of two -- had a secret that was getting in the way of certain activities. Like touching people. Having a normal relationship with her husband. Socializing. Getting a job. Eating out. Like leaving the house. Soon there was no interval in her life when she was not just checking This raw, darkly comic series of astonishing vignettes is Emily Colas' achingly honest chronicle of her twisted journey through the obsessive-compulsive disorder that came to dominate her world. In the beginning it was germs and food. By the time she faced the fact that she was really "losing it," Colas had become a slave to her own "hobbies" -- from the daily hair cutting to incessant inspections of her children's clothing for bloodstains. A shocking, hilarious, enormously appealing account of a young woman struggling to gain control of her life, this is Emily Colas' expos??? of a soul tormented, but balanced by a buoyance of spirit and a piercing sense of humor that may be her saving grace.
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Add this copy of Just Checking to cart. $1.53, new condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Atria.
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Add this copy of Just Checking: Scenes From the Life of an Obsessive to cart. $2.14, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Atria Books.
Add this copy of Just Checking: Scenes From the Life of an Obsessive to cart. $2.16, good condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Atria Books.
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The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Just Checking: Scenes From the Life of an Obsessive to cart. $3.98, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Pocket Books.
Emily Colas writes a very engaging telling of what her life was like without medication for her OCD. With black humor and the benefit of wry hindsight, Colas tells it like it was from the inside. From the disease's affects on friendships (tip: your girlfriend will not take it kindly if you insult her little boy's injuries as gross) to marriage (lots of pretending) to the accumulating garbage and its disposal methods (very time consuming, marriage straining, and soap OD-ing); Colas is a literary treat. Her style of writing short burst scenes give plenty of time for putting it down and picking it up between other tasks (and perhaps washing your hands an inordinate amount of time)
SandieAnn
Apr 3, 2007
OCD from the inside-out
As a first time author, Emily Colas does a wonderful job describing her life from early childhood through present day in a compilation of short, touching and often humorous vignettes. The humor is dark in that Colas has the ability to look at herself frankly and laugh, in hindsight, at situations that were not very funny when they originally occurred. Colas daily rituals in early adulthood included a preoccupation with blood and being exposed to germ infestation. Her husband became a food checker, tester, and investigator of server's personal hygiene methods whenever they ventured out of the house for a meal. After reading this book, my eyes are opened to the fact that things are not always as they seem. Colas became very good at hiding her feelings and behaviors from parents, partners, friends, children and even her husband for a very long time I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about OCD through the eyes of someone who lived it.
