A Mother's Fight to Cure Her Son's OCD - Saving Sammy

I was first introduced to Sammy Maloney's story through Mystery Diagnosis, a Discovery Life television show that ended circa 2011 but is still shown in syndication. I find psychological symptoms and diagnoses fascinating, so when I heard there was a whole book about Sammy's journey, I was eager to get my hands on it.

Beth Maloney is the very definition of a persistent Mama Bear. She knows there's something wrong with Sammy and that the doctors are completely missing it. Even as her home life deteriorates, she is able to stay strong for her three sons while caring as best she can for a son going through a terrible sickness she can't understand. Her voice is raw and real, but she doesn't turn the book into a downer. Rather, her narrative about Sammy and PANDAS is coupled with beautiful descriptions of Maine, as well as commentary on what Sammy is capable of, and what she knew he could do again if he got well.

Because Sammy was and is such a gifted and sweet boy, it's difficult to read some of the scenes and chapters in which his deterioration is at its peak. It's also anger-inducing to read doctors' and teachers' reactions to him, even though you know these are realistic considering nobody knew what he had. However, all of this only makes Sammy's ultimate diagnosis and successful treatment all the more triumphant. If you are interested in the medical world, or simply want a different kind of memoir, I urge you to pick up this book.

Saving Sammy saved my son! 10 years ago the doctors thought my 5 year old child just need antipsychotic meds and to be hospitalized. If it weren't for this wonderful mom and her book who knows where we would be. She gave us a voice, her book gave our doctor's advice, and her constant fight for our children continues. Seeing posts about Sammy now gives us all hope!

Saving Sammy is an excellent memoir written by a recently-divorced and determined mother of three boys. The subject of the book is Sammy, a 12-year old mathematically gifted adolescent who suddenly becomes physically debilitated by compulsive behaviors. Sammy's mother works tenaciously to balance what is left of her family's life with an uphill struggle to find an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for her son's ills. In the end she concludes the behaviors are caused by an undiagnosed strep infection.

Firstly, I enjoyed this book because all of the characters are likable. I loved the descriptions of Maine, where it takes place. I enjoyed this book because it was optimistic. I enjoyed this book because none of the many defeats or victories were decisive. Saving Sammy was very hard to put down, and I read it in a mere three settings, even though it is around 250 pages.

My chief complaint is that the mother/author is completely dismissive of any diagnosis except the one in her conclusion. While I feel fairly sure she is right, I am still curious to know if a combination of conditions caused her son's experience. Perhaps part of the overall condition was made worse by inappropriate doses of very powerful drugs or her son's extraordinary intelligence. Of course any type of double-blind study of her son's condition seems impossible to conduct (and dangerous/unethical.) Highly rational yet imaginative readers may play devil's advocate and still be left wondering when the story is done...

The author does not acknowledge the level to which medical professionals in the United States practice defensive medicine. This means few doctors would ever go out on a limb and make a diagnosis, much less prescribe a dangerous treatment for a medical condition that falls into unrecognized and obscure territory. This is just part of medicine in America. Of course I applaud the mom for pursuing and working with doctors who were taking steps to help her son. It is no patient's job to make excuses for his or her doctor's choices, just to do whatever it takes to get better and this book makes that notion crystal clear.

Overall I highly recommend this book. It is a great story of the strength of single mothers and an entire family when facing a faintly charted medical condition.

Happy Reading!

This mother-son page turner is told with the courage of a lioness and the grace of an artist. I kept wondering what would I have done? How would I have handled this if it had happened to my son? Would I have been as strong or courageous or been able to stand up to the bullies? Sharing her family’s personal tragedy turned ultimate triumph, this story pulls at every heart. Beth Maloney emboldens all of us. I cried, I laughed, and I knew that a new and wise friend had come for coffee. Strongly, strongly recommend.

As someone who was battled OCD since my teen years, I was interested in the medical aspects of Sammy's struggles. I found strange parallels in my own story to Sammy. When I was about five, I had scarlet fever. The first doctor misdiagnosed me so it took a while to find the right diagnosis. I was surprised to find that there may be a connection between OCD and several earlier infections, such as scarlet fever.

Sammy's correct diagnosis was PANDAS, from an unknown strep infection he had many years earlier. His problems included tics, twitching, rituals, counting, and many other odd behaviors that many initially blamed on his move to a new house and to his divorced mother's poor parenting skills. My mother fought those same accusations when I was repeatedly misdiagnosed but had an inner ear disorder that everyone blamed on my parents' divorce, my overwhelmed mother, and my own misbehavior. While my story was not identical to Sammy's it was strangely similar in the battles with doctors who could not understand that I was a child with a problem. They saw me as a problem child. Their limited knowledge with "mental" problems being caused by infections or inflammations led them to repeated wrong conclusions.

Sammy's mother was a well-educated lawyer who seemed to have no financial difficulties. Although she had many friends, she focused her life on finding out exactly what was wrong with Sammy. My mother went through similar battles, but had few friends since her divorce happened while my father was stationed in Germany. She found a job working for the military and had to battle doctors who knew nothing of my problem and a school system that was uncaring. Sammy's problems were far worse than mine, but my mother actually had a bigger battle with no support and no financial cushioning. While I think that every doctor and teacher should read this book, I found the first 100 pages very slow and was impatient to get more deeply into the medical aspects of Sammy's problems. I would have given it five stars if the editor had cut out about half of those first 100 pages. I was not that interested in learning about Maine and the author's interest in kayaking. By the time I hit page 120, I could not put the book down, even with more descriptions of Maine and the author's sadness at not kayaking due to Sammy's problems. I do recommend the book highly, if you just plow through those first 100 pages.

Her victory is ours!

This book strikes at the heart of every mother. Standing in her shoes we feel the the horror and hopelessness of suddenly watching her child change overnight into an unrecognizable person. But even when no doctor is able to explain why, this mother will not give up. She fights for her son, never believing she won’t succeed. And always in the background is the rugged coast of Maine, offering her respite and solace. When she emerges from this nightmare, with her son well and her life rebuilt, her victory is ours.

I thought Ms. Maloney did a great job explaining what she and her son went through in this book. As a teacher, I have seen first-hand what PANDAS can do to a family. I hope that Saving Sammy gives hope to the parents and children out there that are struggling with PANDAS. I applaud Ms. Maloney for having the courage to share her story and am sure it was extremely difficult for her to review the hell she lived through while finding a cure for Sammy. I think this book is a great inspiration!

Danny Kofke - Author of "A Simple Book Of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and your kids) How To Live Wealthy With Little Money" and "How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher's Salary"

When Beth Alison Maloney discovered that the OCD and Turette's symptoms her son exhibited might not be genetically linked, she bravely explored that possibility. Some might say that wasn't so brave. But it is when the medical community at large scoffs at you for even considering the alternative (though enough evidence exists to merit at least ruling it out).

On one level, one musn't be too hard on the medical community. There is a lot of research to keep up with and if a doctor sends patients on an expensive (or even relatively inexpensive) wild goose chase due to a few emergent studies it could be dangerous to his career. Thus, the road to recovery for Sammy included several brilliant doctor who were experienced enough to know they could successfully apply the groundbreaking medical approach to his condition.

I learned so much from "Saving Sammy", but the most important lesson was this: Parents must trust themselves and not give up when doctors dismisses their questions or insights. Just because a doctor dismisses your observations and questions does not mean he is right. He is only human and does not know your child as you do. If your doctor is working against you, it is time to move on to a new doctor.

I am grateful to Ms. Maloney for sharing her story. In the end I came away reflecting on how brave and indomitable Sammy is. I have great respect for this young man who is willing to share something so excruciatingly personal in order that others might not have to suffer needlessly. Thank you.

OCD and Tourette's Syndrome are still mysterious. Every case is different and there's no guarantee the "usual" treatment works.

Since I translated Harvard Medical School Psychologist Lee Baer's OCD book "Imp of the Mind" into Japanese, I have read quite a few OCD related books. I regarded myself quite knowledgeable with this subject, but I had never heard of "PANDAS'Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections" before. I have googled and found very few results. In Japanese even fewer.

I'm aware that there are many skeptical views. But, I have seen many "controversial" ideas being proven to be true later. I remember reading about a mysterious disease 30 years ago, which later turned out to be AIDS. Nobody in the leading University Hospital where I worked took it seriously. And, as the author mentioned in this book, the connection between Helicobacter pylori and stomach ulcer was once also regarded controversial. How about Cervical cancer and HPV infection?

When I read the article by National Institute of Mental Health, PANDAS totally made sense to me. It was eye-opening!

I truly admire Beth Maloney's relentless fight to save her son( please do not misunderstand Maloney's position. She is NOT advocating that Every OCD is related to Strep infection.) And, I'm sure she annoyed many medical professions ( I was once one of them), but because of her persistence, Sammy recovered. If more medical professions are willing to look into PANDAS, less parents will have to fight and more patients will be saved.

This is the first book I strongly felt important enough to be translated into Japanese since Dr. Baer's book.

There is one thing I realize after working in health care as a provider. You must always LISTEN to what the patient is telling you. This story is amazing, and it is stories like these that help the medical community find cures to diseases. It isn't always the scientist working in the basement or doctor at the bedside. Sometimes it is the patient or family that makes these connections.

It is so important that these stories be told to help other families with childern in similar situations. Thanks Beth for telling Sammys story and having courage to dedicate yourself to your childern.

Others have summarized this tale and if you have childern you should read this book. I can't imagine how it wouldn't help you directly or indirectly. In a way it gives parents and others a road map of trying to find your way around a disease that might not have a symptom list or a cure that is obvious to the medica community. Beth was her own advocate in a system and diagnoses that didn't make sense to her. That takes alot of courage, love, and smarts!! Way to go Beth!!!!

I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone who will listen to me.

Starting middle school is tough enough without adding mental illness to the mix. Beth Alison Maloney's son Sammy - a bright, normal, happy kid just entering Sixth Grade - suddenly started exhibiting signs of severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The sudden onset of symptoms - complex "rules" that made him step and hop over invisible walls, feel his way blindly around the room with his body pressed against the wall, refuse to touch objects without a Kleenex, scream and cry and refuse to bathe - coupled with the absence of any family history of OCD, made Sammy's mother wonder if the doctors hadn't gotten it all wrong. Her relentless search for a doctor who could help make Sammy well again - who could help the whole family, because it isn't just the mentally ill, but their whole family who suffer - led her to uncover a link between infections and mental illness. Her desire to help others drove her to write Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD.

I was stunned by Beth Maloney's persistence and resilience. Few people who have not cared for a loved one with severe mental illness can fully appreciate the isolation and desperation of it. Ms. Maloney was fortunate to have a supportive school system, understanding relatives, and a network of devoted friends; even so, all of those people get to go home at the end of the day to recharge. Beth Maloney, divorced mother of three, not only had to deal with Sammy and his severe illness, 24/7, for nearly two years, she had to hold it together and be the best mother she could be to her other two sons, Josh and James. Somehow, through all of it, she held onto a ragged scrap of hope - because what else can a mother do? Anything else would have been to give up on her son, and she was determined to have him back, healthy and whole. This book stirred up feelings of anger as I read it. Too few doctors are willing to practice the "art" of medicine, as Ms. Maloney put it. It's safest to stick with the generally accepted diagnoses and conventional treatments, and doctors don't always welcome probing questions and new theories, particularly those presented by patients, parents, and other caregivers. In Sammy's case, an amazing number of doctors simply refused to see him or attempt to treat him. In the long run, this may have proven to be a blessing, as it led Ms. Maloney to the doctors who were brave enough to try, and to succeed. But most doctors refused to seriously consider a link between infection and Sammy's debilitating OCD behaviors. This was not particularly surprising; Sammy had never been diagnosed with a strep infection. Yet blood tests revealed an elevated strep titer ? evidence of a previous strep infection.

Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD highlights the need for courage, creativity, and compassion in the medical field. It also offers hope to other parents who may be struggling with a baffling diagnosis of pediatric mental illness. Ms. Maloney, in a postscript, describes meeting another mother whose son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, an autism spectrum disability. Though this child's symptoms were markedly different from Sammy?s, Ms. Maloney thought to ask if he had ever had an infection requiring antibiotics. "Not since he was sixteen months old," the other mother answered. "He had Lyme Disease." At Ms. Maloney?s urging, the mother had her son tested for Lyme Disease. It turned out that he had an active Lyme infection.

Not a book that would be of interest to everyone, but it is a very well written, accurate account of what it is like to watch your child fall prey to OCD. It's also an excellent portrait of what it's like to be a mother of a child with OCD. I've lived it... and I found myself nodding, crying and saying "Yes!" over and over again while reading this book.

Desperate to save your child, with or without the help of others, you will do anything to figure out how to help them and save your family from crumbling around you. That quest is an exhausting, daunting, uncertain one that may lead you to fall into a pit of desperation when exhaustion and frustration overcome you. This book reminds you time and time again (if you are a parent of a child with OCD) that you are not alone in your feelings. I liked that about the book and it made me think I'd like the author if I met her because the thoughts and feelings she shares in the book are 'real'.

The author: A strong woman- a good mother - an advocate for her child - an attorney with a bright mind. The author gives hope to parents of children with OCD and through her own struggle illuminates the need for two things. First, the need to question doctors if what they are doing isn't working and second, the importance of being an advocate for looking outside the box when it comes to an answer.

If you are the parent or a guardian of a child with OCD... read this book. While what saved Sammy might not 'save' your child, it's certainly a good story and excellent information to keep in mind when looking to manage OCD.

My own experience with OCD:

My daughter showed signs of OCD following a traumatic incident when she was 5, whereby she went into anaphylactic shock. A severe allergic reaction seemed to be the turning point which allowed OCD into our lives. A previously joyous child turned into a fearful, socially reclusive oddity in first grade. Despite being considered 'gifted' academically, she was unable to open doors (because of germs), saw things in her food (black spots... so she stopped eating), couldn't sleep, washed her hands until they were raw and bleeding, asked the same questions over and over again - never accepting the answer, and developed many other gut-wrenching compulsions as her obsessive thinking continued.

We were lucky as our pediatrician is an exceptionally good one who when I took my daughter to her said "We need to do something. We are losing her." Counseling followed, but being so young, it wasn't easy to determine whether that was working or not. For a year and a half she didn't improve very much, and then got markedly worse when a very stressful event occurred in our lives. Another trip to the pediatrician yielded a new plan of attack. Within a week my daughter was seen by a psychiatrist who specializes in children and after a few months it was determined that therapy alone would not stop the progression of OCD. Zoloft was used and within 2 weeks my daughter's compulsions slowed and she said "I feel 'lighter' and my head isn't telling me to do things all the time."

With the help of 1mg of Melatonin each night, sleeping soundly had become the norm once again and her joyful spirit returned. She has been on Zoloft for 3 years now, taking a relatively small dose to manage her thoughts and compulsions. She continues therapy; once every 3 months or so, but rarely gives in to compulsions now and freely talks about OCD and how it has affected her life.

Stress and lack of sleep are the two things that always bring OCD to the forefront for her, so we try to eliminate as much of it as possible. She's just begun middle school this year and seems to be doing well, even with the additional stress of a new school, social anxiety and some demanding advanced classes.

Occasionally I'll notice a behavior or she'll say something to which I will respond 'Is that OCD talking or is that you?' On medication she is able to pause and respond normally.

For my child, unlike with Sammy, Zoloft worked. I am told that as she matures she will change hormonally and may not even need medication when she's in her late teens to early twenties. I hope for that, but in all honesty I'm just relieved that we found people to help her - and yes, our family - to manage the OCD monster that invaded our lives so unexpectedly 6 years ago.

I did blame myself at one time for the OCD. Wondering if I had failed as a parent to protect her - just as the author, Ms. Beth Alison Maloney, describes feeling in this book. In the end what I've learned is that to continue to fight for your child is the important thing, and to never lose sight of hope, which is what I liked so much about Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD."

A very interesting book. Sammy was so sick and his mother relentlessly pursued all avenues to find a cure. There was an element of good luck, when she talked to someone that had been through a similar experience. Beth Alison Maloney vowed to spread the word about the diseases caused by the strep bacteria. She wrote this book as one of the formats she is using to spread the word.

An amazing read. I read this book after a friend's son was diagnosed with PANDAS in order to have a better understanding of the disease. As I turned each page, I felt as though I was reading my friend's story. For nearly six years I watched my best friend, like the author, navigate the medical world trying to find the correct diagnosis for her son so that she could get him the best available treatment. Saving Sammy reminds us that medical professionals, whose word we often take as gospel, are human too- an "MD" after a name does not necessarily mean they know the answer. Beth Maloney's journey perfectly illustrates how the study of medicine is constantly evolving and that not only is it our right to question the medical establishment, but our duty. Throughout history, the greatest strides in medical research have come as a direct result of challenging accepted theories and practices. Saving Sammy does just this.

This is a tremendously harrowing account of a mother's search for a cure for her child's life of torture. Frankly I couldn't put it down. Maloney is an amazing writer, writing from the heart on the overwhelming condition that her son manifested. Others might say that his out of control OCD was caused by emotional trauma, but she was convinced it was due to strep and had to fight medical opposition and disinterest and search to find the right doctors and treatment. I say Thank God! this woman was a lawyer and could deal with standing up for her son and cope with the agencies and doctors that had to be dealt with. I don't know if it was just her personality or her legal training but she was amazing, persistent, and able to remain mostly sane while trying to do the best for her son.

The book though hard to read because of the content is an amazingly easy read, moving quickly and clearly from one chapter to the next. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the medical field or to any parent who is fighting against the seeming or not so seeming indifference of the medical institutions as they seek treatment for their children or even themselves.

Sammy Jelin was the second of three sons that his single mother Beth was raising. The summer Sammy turned 12 marked the turning point in his life. His family was in the process of moving from a rental house in Maine to one that offered more space. Sammy's first foray into the conditions that seized him were his then new tendency to walk with his eyes closed and arms outstretched, feeling his way along. Over time, his symptoms worsened to the point where he would take up to 2 hours just to leave the house and enter the van. Family trips were especially challenging for them all; Sammy was pulled into something he had absolutely no control over.

Sammy and his two brothers were all distinctive in their giftedness. Sammy was described by one teacher as "having the purest math mind I've ever encountered" and excelling in math competitions. James was highly insightful and gifted in his natural expression. Josh, the oldest, gifted with a highly analytical mind was able to present logical arguments for treating and curing major illnesses such as AIDS. He attended a boarding school for gifted students and left home shortly after Sammy's tics and compulsions took over hi life.

Sammy's condition, later diagnosed as OCD/Tourette's Syndrome was so severe in intensity and duration that he could not touch anything with his bare hands. He found personal grooming a challenge and as a result of this rarely changed clothes, brushed his teeth or bathed. His fear of touching food caused him to become underweight and undernourished.

Sammy, like Beth remained a pioneer. He soldiered on to school, despite his compulsions. One has to admire his determination to maintain some semblance of a regular life.

Over time, school placement became out of the question for Sammy. At one point he was spending part of his day in a special needs class, which did not appear to meet his needs. After a particularly devastating episode, Sam was withdrawn from the class and placed on home instruction with tutors.

Psychologists were not able to get at the root of Sammy's problems. In one extraordinarily alarming and appalling instance, his pediatrician recommended that he be placed in a "crisis unit," which was a hellhole that only served to medicate mental illness, e.g. hallucinations and house juveniles who had committed violent crimes. Beth wisely refused to consider this for Sammy. Other specialists step up to the plate, most notably Dr. Dan Geller and Dr. Catherine Nicolaides. They diagnosed Sammy's problems as being PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections). Sammy's condition was rooted in asymptomatic strep. Beth recalled no history of strep for Sammy, although she did contract the condition when Sammy was born. The Drs. Geller and Nicolaides soldiered away with Sammy, finally coming up with a pharmaceutical cocktail to attack the strep that lingered in his system. Sammy had literally "caught" OCD/Tourette's. His condition was rooted in his basal ganglia, which was the area the strep antibodies attacked.

Sammy did enjoy a few days of normalacy. He did so well that Beth arranged for a Boston Globe reporter to share his story of his condition and how it was being treated at a cellular/molecular level. Sammy's story ran on June 28, 2003.

Despite this healthy interlude, Sammy backslid. Once again, Beth and his doctors came through for him like the Cavalry. His condition continued to be treated with high doses of antibiotics (psychotropic medications had not been helpful to him earlier in his treatment) and once again Sammy began to flower. By the close of the book, he was a student at the prestigious Maine School of Science & Mathematics, where he continues to soar academically. The psalm "On Eagle's Wings" is especially a propos where Sammy, Beth and Drs. Geller and Nicolaides are concerned.

This is a beautiful story of a Warrior Mother who not only helped her son, but countless others who suffer from autoimmune conditions that result in OCD/Tourette's. I just can't recommend this one highly enough.

Are untreated bacterial infections raging inside us responsible for emotional and psychological issues that cause us dysfunction and pain? This book will have you pondering that question.

Beth Alison Maloney wrote this inspiring memoir to describe and outline her son Sammys ongoing struggle with what doctors diagnosed as being Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Sammy went from being a normal 12-year-old boy to a person so compelled to follow rules and rituals that his life, and the life of those around him, became unmanageable. All activities of daily living became impossible as the math scholar abandoned hygiene, eating and sleeping.

As Ms. Maloney struggled with a recent divorce and earned a living for her three sons as an attorney, she researched tirelessly for possible causes of her sons sudden condition, refusing to accept that he would remain impaired forever.

Through perseverance Maloney learned that asymptomatic strep infections can cause psychological symptoms, much like strep causes physical diseases like rheumatic fever. (As a child, I was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. For some period of time, I also performed rituals, such as counting. Up until I read this book, I had no idea that the obsessive compulsive symptoms I suffered with, which eventually went away, were most likely related to the strep in my system that caused me to have rheumatic fever. Since I was prescribed a course of antibiotics for four years, I now understand that the penicillin also eradicated the underlying strep, and the OCD symptoms dissipated along with the rheumatic fever).

This book is ground breaking, in my opinion. Every parent with children who suffer from emotional difficulties doctors are quick to prescribe SSRI's for, should fight to have these issues addressed. It's time doctors wake up and realize that the body and mind and one; not separate entities.

Beth Alison Maloney has written her son Sammy's story: an unforgettable literary, medical, and spiritual triumph.The ending would not have been possible without her steely resolve and belief in her son, and the expertise of two doctors who went beyond the staid parameters to help Sammy. This story is applicable to all of us; it shows the limits and deficits of our current medical diagnosis/treatment paradigms. It also simply and effectively tells the story of how close a family can come to splinter from the unbelieveable pressures that come from within and outside when a family member becomes ill and there is no help. It shows how quickly and definitively the curtain is drawn from "normal" life when chronic illness enters a family's life.Beth Alison Maloney was called upon to use all of her skills to help her son, and by doing so, tells us what heroism is. She will doubtless change many lives with her commitment fulfilled to disclose the connections between PANDAS(strep-related infection) and mental/cognitive impairment. Quite a few of the scenes she has recounted will never leave me- the refusal of Sammy's pediatrician to see him when his symptoms first flared. The response of friends to their changed circumstances, the disconnect of Sammy's siblings (understandably), and Sammy's determination to make it to the other side. The emotionless superstar doctors that care not a whit about Sammy or his plight. The unspeakable relief of finding a practitioner that wants to, and can help. What a roller-coaster of a ride. Take-away message- we're all vulnerable, and the power of family and spiritual strength can bring people through otherwise unendurable suffering. Never give up! Heartbreaking and painful, but an ultimately triumphant book.

When you read this book make sure you have tissues handy. I cannot think of any words to describe it. I had no intention to read this book. A week and a half ago my child was diagnosed with PANDAS. I have no time to read a book, but someone bought it for me anyway and shipped it directly to my house. I was intrigued and glanced at the first few pages. That is my child. It was hard to put the book down (it is an easy read), but I had to care for my child. I finally finished Saving Sammy today. The past couple days things have been easier. Perhaps the antibiotics are kicking in. Perhaps the book gave me the emotional lift of hope that I need to get through this. I would still be searching for answers had a family member not previously read this book and insist we get our child evaluated. Our library has a waiting list to check this book out. Get this book, read it, and give it to another. Tell that person to read it and pass it along. This story is heartbreaking and inspiring. This book is not only for parents of a PANDAS child. It is what every parent needs to remind them that between soccer practice, carpools, and drama rehearsals to pause smile and appreciate that single moment in time with your child. It is what we need to remind us to fight for our children, follow our gut, and never give up.

Having devoted my career to working with persons with disabilities, I must confess this book was a learning experience for me. The prospect of a bacterial infection causing mental illness has the potential to change aspects of the diagnosis of mental illness in the future. It is more remarkable because the story is brought to the public conscious by a devoted mother more so than a doctor.

As the synopsis of the book notes, a middle school aged boy developed a rather sudden and debilitating mental illness. It would have seemed easier to some if Beth Alison Maloney institutionalized her son. Yet she kept searching when others probably would have given up. At times, Maloney admits she was blind to how bad her son's situation became. Along the way, you can sense her anger as she writes about severing relationships with doctors.

She also seems vindictive in explaining her son's treatment at school. My one issue with Maloney's writing is that she seems to have forgotten that schools service many children, and though services legally must be provided, they can not allow one student to disrupt an entire class or school. Taking it a step further, a student can not be allowed to wander a building freely, regardless of any previous agreement.

Maloney bears her soul and her family during a vulnerable time in "Saving Sammy". After reading this book, I am very curious to see where continued research goes.

I think it is wonderful that the author decided to put her story out there. I think it is important for everyone to be aware of PANDAS because it won't always present as clearly as it did for Sammy. It might not be such obvious OCD. Write down everything you notice, even if it seems so minor and insignificance. Look at the big picture, not a bloodtest number before ruling out PANDAS. My son has low strep titers and only minor tics and his ocd behaviors are very easy to miss but there is no doubt in my mind that he has PANDAS. I know for some children antibiotics is the answer but there are so many children suffering from this who either can't get their doctors to prescribe the correct antibiotic for long enough or who need a different treatment.

I found the reviews describing this mother as a monster to be very disturbing. This is clearly written by a mother who loved her son enough that she would stop at nothing to help him.

I bought this book after my son was diagnosed with PANDAS, it made me cry. It also made me want to visit Maine. It is so well written and interesting even if you're not dealing with PANDAS, with beautiful descriptive writing, creating a vivid picture in your imagination. I bought numerous copies of the book and shared them with family and friends. It's a real page turner, none of them could put it down. I recently re-read the book and again couldn't put it down. It gave me a renewed determination for my own son. It's a book about a medical condition but a lovely story of a family's battle, breakthrough and success. Read it and re-read it!

I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely enlightening to me about what a severe OCD child goes through and also how they may be helped if they have PANDAS. You truly get into the story and see what this mother went through. You see the pain that it causes her other children. While I didn't always agree with all of her decisions and spent a lot of the book wondering why the father wasn't helping out more, I still found her thought process fascinating. You feel her struggles of not giving up on her son no matter what and the happiness when Sammy starts getting better. I'm not sure what to think about the treatment because it needs more research but I really enjoyed the book about the journey. I would highly recommend this book to most anyone.

I expect this book to draw critics regarding the diagnosis of PANDAS. It's also very easy to criticize the mom if you have never lived through the horror of watching a healthy, intelligent, engaging (I don't dare use the word "normal") child of yours have his or her mind stolen virtually overnight. I walked in this woman's shoes last year. The author does a commendable job of recounting the accumulation of the illness, because there really are no words to adequately convey the experience. It's like being on a water slide into hell. I cried through much of the book.

I was fortunate. My 6 year old daughter DID fit the "accepted profile" of a PANDAS patient. We had sharp and open minded doctors who caught it quickly. I had never heard of PANDAS before her diagnosis, so I wasn't "looking for it". Of course, there were multiple tests to rule out other issues such as seizure disorders. After just a few days on amoxicillin she was dramatically improved, and after a couple of months more on antibiotics, she was "back". I was lucky not to watch my child deteriorate for more than a year, as was the author's experience. We also did not spend tens of thousands of dollars on psychiatric visits and medications. Again, because we had a sharp pediatrician and an up-to-date pediatric psychiatrist.

Looking at her now, one would never know that just over a year ago my daughter couldn't speak normally (only in "baby talk"), couldn't write or draw because her hands trembled, couldn't tolerate the feeling most clothing or shoes, hopped rather than walked while flapping her hands, couldn't make even the smallest decision, spit constantly because she was afraid of swallowing it (usually at other people), was obsessed with germs and full trash cans, counted animals, babbled repetitive noises constantly, and flew into frequent "feral" rages that endangered everyone in the house. This is not behavior that is "unusual", "troubling", or "acting out" that might be assigned to stress. This is bizarre, debilitating, and sudden. There was no divorce, no move, none of the event or "lifestyle" triggers people are wont to assign cause.

I have no scientific argument to offer the skeptics because that is not my field. However, I know when one of my other children has strep because my daughter will start to show minor PANDAS symptoms. What appeared to be just a headache and a cough in my son will turn up a positive strep test. There also appears to be a genetic predisposition to strep-related complications. We spent last New Year's Eve in the ER because suddenly my son could not walk, his knees were swollen, and his lower legs were covered in a bizarre rash. The diagnosis? Strep. His complication was something called anaphalactoid purpura.

Do I think that all OCD is caused by strep or other infectious triggers? No. But in a subset of kids displaying sudden OCD-like behaviors there is convincing evidence that it is somehow related to strep throat infection. Parents (and doctors) owe it to themselves and their children to at least run a strep test if they are ever faced with sudden, explosive onset of these behaviors. If this book makes even one parent or doctor pause and consider then it will have been effective.

I do not think the author even remotely argues that all, or even most, OCD is caused by strep, and that should not be the focus of critique. There are harsh words for "dismissive" doctors, and this receives too much literary focus vs. the lack of efficacy of their prescribed treatments (makes a good screenplay, but detracts from a book, in my opinion).

Read this book because it's a harrowing, gripping tale that illustrates what parents and doctors DON'T know. And it could happen to you or someone you know. I shudder to think how many children may have been institutionalized in the past that could have led fulfilling, productive lives. Tragic, and inspiring.

Such an interesting and well-written book. I definitely learned a lot about how a simple infection can be related to and/or cause Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette Syndrome. I did not know much about this topic prior to picking up Saving Sammy, and I couldn't put the book down. Beth's love for her son was clearly evident and I appreciated the honesty and her willingness to share their story.

This book, and Beth Maloney's other book Childhood Interrupted, have been invaluable resources in dealing with PANDAS. Due to a number of factors, including the newness of this diagnosis and the medical establishments' resistance, one is basically on their own when dealing with this illness. These books provide valuable resources and also help one understand the different ways PANDAS manifests itself. The author herself has been very accessible and has responded to e mails. She continues to be an advocate for research and treatment of PANDAS.

As a clinical psychologist, I was trained to believe that mental illness is not "caught." Individuals may be born with a certain genetic predisposition or they may acquire their disorder as a result of difficult life experiences, but since psychoanalysis there has been no accepted theory of infection or transmission. (Even now, as this book will tell you, there is still not wide acceptance.)

Then along comes this important, well-written account. The author, an attorney who serves as a guardian ad litem on behalf of neglected and abused children, started to notice that her 12-year-old son Sammy was exhibiting some strange behaviors: stepping over invisible walls, holding his breath, spinning and jumping, not being able to eat when he saw bare feet, etc. Things escalated to the point where it would take him perhaps two hours to go from his house to the car and another couple of hours to get from the car to his intended destination. He could no longer tolerate people touching him or the tasks of personal hygiene. He could not open doors or flush the toilet. He could not eat food as he did before, bringing him to the brink of emaciation and dehydration. Eventually he became housebound, and his mother along with him. When she sought medical help, Sammy was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and later Tourette`s Syndrome. She was told that his condition might wax and wane, but that it was basically incurable.

Then a friend of her mother's told Maloney--who was suffering by now under the strain of Sammy's demanding care--that her own son had similar symptoms for ten years due to an undiagnosed strep infection. A blood test confirmed this diagnosis for Sammy and helped to identify his condition as PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections). Children with this disorder typically show a sudden onset of symptoms including motor or vocal tics, obsessions and/or compulsions. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is unknown, but is suspected to occur when the body produces antibodies to fight the bacterial infection of strep and mistakenly attacks the brain instead.

Armed with this information, Maloney marshaled her prodigious research, analytic, documentation, and advocacy skills on Sammy's behalf. She cut a swath through those doctors who were ill-equipped or even resistant to work with this diagnosis, until she found an outstanding developmental pediatrician and child psychiatrist who helped put together a treatment protocol consisting of vaious antibiotics and other drugs. Immediate progress was apparent as soon as treatment was initiated, letting everyone know they were on the right track, but there were setbacks and adjustments that had to be made along the way. Eventually, however, Sammy recovered and has now been symptom-free for five years. He went on to pursue his genius in math and to resume being the happy and well-adjusted kid he was before his illness.

Bottom line, do I accept the contagion theory? I don't have enough information to say yes or no. But I do like the fact that this book stimulates new questions for mental health professionals to ponder and investigate.

I really enjoyed reading Saving Sammy, and it was one of those books that I finished in a couple of days because it really captured my interest. What I won't do is recap what it's about, since the description and other reviews do that well already. Instead, I'll describe who I think would enjoy reading it.

First, I think mothers will cheer on the real main character in this story, the single mom who goes through so much to deal with her son's symptoms, pursue a treatment, and maintain life for her other two sons as well. Also, this will be interesting to anyone who enjoys reading colorful case studies; this is not simple, garden-variety OCD, and the course of Sammy's illness takes many interesting turns. It's a satisfying story on both counts because it has a happier ending than most real-life stories of its kind. This story is a good reminder of how professionals like counselors, psychiatrists, and pediatricians really benefit from knowing what they can about findings in other fields, and maintaining an open mind about how they are interrelated. Finally, it would be wonderful if this story leads to some children being successfully treated for PANDAS (Sammy's ultimate diagnosis).

However, I am somewhat concerned that more often this story will raise false hopes for parents of children with OCD or similar disorders. Part of why it's a good read is that it's not a typical case. Assuming she's telling her family's story accurately, I don't think Maloney makes an unfair case that ALL or even most OCD is really PANDAS, and thus treatable in the same way Sammy's was. But part of the nature of what makes this story worth reading may also convince many parents that there is a cure for their own child hidden just around the corner if they will only push hard enough - and all too often, there isn't.

As a clinical psychologist, I was trained to believe that mental illness is not "caught." Individuals may be born with a certain genetic predisposition or they may acquire their disorder as a result of difficult life experiences, but since psychoanalysis there has been no accepted theory of infection or transmission. (Even now, as this book will tell you, there is still not wide acceptance.)

Then along comes this important, well-written account. The author, an attorney who serves as a guardian ad litem on behalf of neglected and abused children, started to notice that her 12-year-old son Sammy was exhibiting some strange behaviors: stepping over invisible walls, holding his breath, spinning and jumping, not being able to eat when he saw bare feet, etc. Things escalated to the point where it would take him perhaps two hours to go from his house to the car and another couple of hours to get from the car to his intended destination. He could no longer tolerate people touching him or the tasks of personal hygiene. He could not open doors or flush the toilet. He could not eat food as he did before, bringing him to the brink of emaciation and dehydration. Eventually he became housebound, and his mother along with him. When she sought medical help, Sammy was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and later Tourette`s Syndrome. She was told that his condition might wax and wane, but that it was basically incurable.

Then a friend of her mother's told Maloney--who was suffering by now under the strain of Sammy's demanding care--that her own son had similar symptoms for ten years due to an undiagnosed strep infection. A blood test confirmed this diagnosis for Sammy and helped to identify his condition as PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections). Children with this disorder typically show a sudden onset of symptoms including motor or vocal tics, obsessions and/or compulsions. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is unknown, but is suspected to occur when the body produces antibodies to fight the bacterial infection of strep and mistakenly attacks the brain instead.

Armed with this information, Maloney marshaled her prodigious research, analytic, documentation, and advocacy skills on Sammy's behalf. She cut a swath through those doctors who were ill-equipped or even resistant to work with this diagnosis, until she found an outstanding developmental pediatrician and child psychiatrist who helped put together a treatment protocol consisting of vaious antibiotics and other drugs. Immediate progress was apparent as soon as treatment was initiated, letting everyone know they were on the right track, but there were setbacks and adjustments that had to be made along the way. Eventually, however, Sammy recovered and has now been symptom-free for five years. He went on to pursue his genius in math and to resume being the happy and well-adjusted kid he was before his illness.

Bottom line, do I accept the contagion theory? I don't have enough information to say yes or no. But I do like the fact that this book stimulates new questions for mental health professionals to ponder and investigate.

I really enjoyed reading Saving Sammy, and it was one of those books that I finished in a couple of days because it really captured my interest. What I won't do is recap what it's about, since the description and other reviews do that well already. Instead, I'll describe who I think would enjoy reading it.

First, I think mothers will cheer on the real main character in this story, the single mom who goes through so much to deal with her son's symptoms, pursue a treatment, and maintain life for her other two sons as well. Also, this will be interesting to anyone who enjoys reading colorful case studies; this is not simple, garden-variety OCD, and the course of Sammy's illness takes many interesting turns. It's a satisfying story on both counts because it has a happier ending than most real-life stories of its kind. This story is a good reminder of how professionals like counselors, psychiatrists, and pediatricians really benefit from knowing what they can about findings in other fields, and maintaining an open mind about how they are interrelated. Finally, it would be wonderful if this story leads to some children being successfully treated for PANDAS (Sammy's ultimate diagnosis).

However, I am somewhat concerned that more often this story will raise false hopes for parents of children with OCD or similar disorders. Part of why it's a good read is that it's not a typical case. Assuming she's telling her family's story accurately, I don't think Maloney makes an unfair case that ALL or even most OCD is really PANDAS, and thus treatable in the same way Sammy's was. But part of the nature of what makes this story worth reading may also convince many parents that there is a cure for their own child hidden just around the corner if they will only push hard enough - and all too often, there isn't.

This mother wnet through hell for her child to figure out what was wrong with him. She research, observed and fought the dim witted arrogant medical community.
To have your child go through hell like Sammy did is frightening. I have a son who is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. He was 12 when we finally found out what was going on. We fought the medical community and teachers.
I know what this woman went through.
This is a excellant book, and makes you look beyond the norm for a answer on what is going on in the body.
Highly recommend.

This is an amazing story that every parent needs to read, especially if your son or daughter has behavior that might suggest a "quirky" personality or an outright mental illness. Most people do not realize that strep is extremely prevalent at schools and elsewhere, and your son or daughter may not have any symptoms like a sore throat or a fever. Insist that your physican or clinic staff administer a strep test. And if those come back negative and your child still as odd behavior, get a blood test to rule out strep. These are some of the least expensive tests and should be routine for your physician to run. Physicians often have "notices to patients about antibiotic use" posted visibly in their offices which explain why they won't administer them if your child has no typical symtoms of a fever, etc. As a parent you need to push for the antibiotics. Has anyone ever noticed at all of these mental health issues with our school aged kids have increased dramatically since phsycians started limited antibiotic usage? Another amazing statistic: there are as many people with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) as there are people with diabetes. Shocking. We need to step forward and get treatment for this. The brain is a vital organ in the body just as is the heart, liver, kidney or pancreas and all of those maladies are widely treated with medication and people share their stories routinely when one of those organs is involved. Brain disorders need to get attention. Especially when some of them are so easily treatable!

This nonfiction book is riveting. I stayed up late to read this fascinating account of a medical mystery. It is informative and told in an engaging style. The Audible version was well narrated and pleasant to listen to.

Extraordinary. Very, very helpful. You get to understand how theese sick kids think and what to do and not to do. Makes feel not alone, gives you hope...no words can describe what this book means to us.
And for any who is intersted in reading it, with no sick kid, once you start, you will not want to stop, to get to know how Sammy and Beth ended up this this unexpected trip.
Angélica.
Chile.

This book was engaging from the beginning as it unfolded to tell the story of a young boy who "caught" OCD. I know a lot about OCD, But never thought you could actually catch it. It is heartfelt how the mother's perseverance in saving her child helps to bring to light the close mindedness of some of our medical professionals. A great read for any parent.

This book has helped countless parents find out the cause of their child's mental disturbances. It is well written and full of interesting information. I wish that the book touched more on IVIG for PANDAS kids, but still an excellent story of how a mom saved her child from a lifetime of mental illness.

As a patient advocate who has spoken with pediatricians who confirm their belief in the existence of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) it seems to me that the few angry, dismissive reviewers are the ones who need to open their eyes to the fact that they do not know everything there is to know. Attitudes like theirs make it easy for certain members of the medical and pharmaceutical establishment to avoid actual research and progress. It was exactly that kind of arrogant dismissal that slowed the realization that many ulcers are caused by bacteria instead of stress. Just as not all ulcers are caused by heliobacter pylori, not all cases of OCD are caused by strep infections - the key is in determining the correct cause in order for the treatment selected to be correct. If you shut your mind to a potential cause, you shut off the opportunity of doing the best job for the patient. The research on the amount of patients who are misdiagosed by their physicians is ongoing - but it is not unusual to see statistics such as 1 patient in 6 being misdiagnosed, and a major cause of this is a physician not considering all of the options for what results in various symptoms, and not acknowledging that different people experience illnesses in different ways. The area of knowledge around parasites is growing - and it is fascinating. Two books I enjoy on the topic of parasites are: "Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are" by Marlene Zuk, and "Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures" by Carl Zimmer.

A book every parent should read. It will change the way you view and talk to your pediatrician about behavioral issues with your children. We need to educate about P.A.N.D.A.S. affecting more children than we realize!!

About: A mother writes about her son's experience with hellish Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome-like symptoms and the long road to finding a cause and treatment.

Pros: Quick, engaging read of an interesting and rare medical phenomenon

Cons: No citations, only a selected bibliography. Blurbs are from doctors who treated her son. Maloney seemingly resents the doctors who didn't agree with the eventual diagnosis, while understandable, her negative view of those trying to help but missed the cause, turned me off a bit

Grade: B

Saving Sammy is an earnest, heart-felt true story of a mother's determination to find a cure for her 12-year old son's inexplicable and sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The story is both tragic and hopeful at the same time, as we root for Sam and his mother to figure out a way to stop the OCD and live a normal life.

I did not feel tremendous empathy for the mother or Sam as depicted in the book, possibly because I've never known anybody with OCD. The person I felt the most empathy for was Sam's youngest brother, who had to put up with some extremely bizarre behavior. Of course, the mother probably suffered as much emotional pain as anybody could, even more than her afflicted son with OCD, but I never really got a sense of who the mother was or what made her tick. I wanted to know more of her back-story. For example, she was recently divorced when Sam came down with OCD. She barely mentions her ex-husband, never calling him by his own name, and only fleetingly mentioning "Sam's father". She also casually mentions that even being at the same social event with her ex made her extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to know more about how they broke up - things must have been awful for her to feel that kind of animosity towards her ex. Or maybe, she's not really as nice as she lets on - I'll never know.

If you like stories about heroic single mothers overcoming great odds to save their children, you will probably like this story. I found that I kept wondering what kind of terrible marriage the mother must have had for her to completely write her ex-husband out of the story. Now, that would have been interesting to read about.

I am a Professor of Psychiatry at University of California and I myself am diagnosed anxiety, OCD and depression for the last 25 years.
Any time someone writes a review it is always an invitation for comments. Please be nice if you do not agree with my point of view.
Contemplating between 2 or 3 stars, I decided to give it 2 stars for overall work. The author definitely has a way to draw to in the book; it makes you keep on reading and reading as each chapter leaves you hanging. I almost read the entire book in one sitting. There is definitely more to OCD than what's in the book. (as another 2 star rated had described as well) The book hardly goes on to anything beyond a definition you can find on google. The medical information is flawed; no one knows where OCD comes from and there's so many kinds of OCD including the most difficult one to cure; tormenting thoughts. That you cannot see. This mother obviously loves her children and it's touching to read her side of the story as I usually hear it from the patients. The mother was lucky that Sammy's OCD was obvious and IN SIGHT and he was willing to open up to share about it at such a young age. I don't even know where to begin. OCD can be from so many things; I repeat SO MANY THINGS. What surprised me was there was little talk of PTSD there wasn't ANY talk of COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY which proves MOST EFFECT in not only my own studies as both a patient AND a professional but there is evidence of it; scientific proof. I have lived in hell most of my life with my OCD taking control of my life; I took forever to get anywhere, EVERYTHING could be contaminated, I had thoughts that passed through my head that were unpleasant and I lived in fear. There is scientific evidence that ALONG WITH MEDICATION AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY the brain CAN change it's chemicals to balance itself. Two good reads are "Brain Lock" and "You Are Not Your Brain" (both available on the store) that goes into depths about it. SO many people including myself have benefited from SSRI but of course EVERYONE is DIFFERENT and trying to figure out the needs of a paitent does take time. Sometimes you get lucky and just the antidepressant works (there are TONS of different ones to try) and sometimes there needs to be a combination of pills. Towards the end of the book it gets disappointing and I got that feeling of "wasting time at a movie" but in this case a book - type of feeling. Please seek professional help immediately and shop around for a psychologist or psychiatrist. It can make all the difference. I guess since the book is not a "self help" book it can get away with the story... but there was just too many "what??" "wait a minute" moments that ruined it for me.

If you know someone who has been diagnosed with OCD,
this might be one of the books that you will want to read.

To me, it read more like a journal. And also to me
it seemed that the mom was plagued by denial for far too long.
She does fight a valiant fight. She is like any mother would be,
unprepared to deal with the behaviors that come with this illness.

There are some very interesting points and theories here.
Some may very well be worth researching if it is pertinent to you.
My job is not to review the mom who clearly did her best.

I am here to review the book. It is a book of facts as this mom saw them.
It is a story of her journey with her son. I found it difficult to read
for some reason that I for some reason cannot put a finger on. Perhaps it
is the journal-like reporting. Perhaps it was the repetitiveness of the descriptions
of Sammy's actions? I am simply not sure.

Please look at my star ratings on my profile.. because to me..
a three star book is a good solid read. This book had a lot to offer, but
could have done with a little more presentation of cause and effect.
Perhaps I seem harsh, but this is my opinion.

Do not pass this one by if you have an interest in this subject.
I will be placing it on the shelves of our staff library where I work
because it has value. I think it will be helpful, and even more importantly
encouraging to some.

the mom set out ot portray the challenge of ahving a kid with his specific ocd problems. not all ocd cases are the same, so it cannot speak for all parents. but for some, it might be helpful.

however, there is too much of the mom's plight. it makes me feel like she does not realize how much the kid should be the focus of this problem. when you have a kid, or kids, you really decide to no longer have a life of your own, whether the kid has a significant problem or not. kids take a lot of work. suck it up and do your job, mom.

As a psychologist who specializes in working with people struggling with anxiety disorders and, in particular, with OCD, this was a very difficult read. This is the story of a loving mother who nevertheless either did not get the right assistance or chose to disregard it. There is no doubt in my mind this boy needed a combination of effective cognitive-behavioral therapy(not so easy to find) and medication. The supposition that Sammie's condition is somehow related to PANDAS is interesting but the very clear evidence of other explanations causes this book to seem irresponsible to me. At the risk of seeming to be attacking this long-struggling, loving mother--something I have no desire at all to do--I think it's vital as a public service to say that this boy's symptoms were closely connected to his mother's and their family's struggles. There is important information provided by the book's complete lack of reference to more intensive psychotherapies(weekly psychotherapy is not intensive), which I cannot believe were never offered. Often, parents respond to such suggestions by saying something like "my son is not crazy" and prefer more medication-heavy approaches over psychological treatment. There is also important information revealed in the almost complete absence in the story of the role the father played. Finally, the extensive degree to which the author describes her personal struggle is understandable and is deserving of our compassion, but nevertheless it is also quite informative and undermines the book's primary supposition. If you or your child has OCD, go see a well-trained, licensed psychologist who treats OCD. Talk with this kind of specialist, test their understanding of the problem, see whether their explanations of the nature and course of OCD seem to "fit" your observations and then carefully weigh your options. OCD is a psychological condition that always--always--involves a complex reaction to one's environment.