Touch and Go Joe

Runner up in the Nasen and TES Special Education Needs Book Awards 2006 

'I feel as if I have been waiting for this book. Children and teenagers with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been asking for this book for years.'
- from the foreword by Isobel Heyman

'A fantastic achievement - as equally valuable as an inspiration for those with the condition and an insight for those who wish to understand it better. A brave and fascinating book.'
- Jarvis Cocker, Pulp

'Joe comes across wise beyond his years when it comes to perception of OCD and how it should be treated, not to mention his very good sense of humour which is evident within the book.'
- Ashley Fulward, OCD-UK

As many as 2 in every 100 people suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and 16-year-old Joe Wells is one of them. In Touch and Go Joe, he tells the story of his battle with OCD from its insidious beginnings at age 9 and increasingly intrusive symptoms, to diagnosis at age 12. Having struggled to keep the condition a secret for years, he is now able to talk and write openly about OCD and how he battled to overcome it.

This book is packed with advice and coping strategies, as well as first-hand accounts of available treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy and medication. Written in an informal and accessible style, and including his own humorous illustrations, Touch and Go Joe gives an upbeat yet realistic look at the effect of OCD on adolescent life.

This honest and amusing account will raise awareness of this all-too-common, yet frequently misdiagnosed disorder and will be of interest to anyone who has suffered from or knows someone who has suffered from OCD, including children and adolescents, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health professionals, parents and carers.