The Gift of Our Compulsions

Book excerpt: To some degree we are all compulsive. Our struggles range from overworrying and overworking to overeating and alcohol and drug abuse. When we realize we are compulsive, our main reaction until now has been to try to control our behavior, but when we try to control our compulsions, they control us. If we do manage to stop one, another always seems to take its place. Over the past three decades, Mary O’Malley has developed a revolutionary approach to healing our compulsions. She gently invites us to be curious about them, to engage them and ask ourselves questions that help us understand our behaviors. She shows us how lasting healing can come from being curious and forgiving rather than controlling and shameful. Compulsions then become our teachers. Her book is filled with new perspectives and simple techniques that anyone can easily grasp.