The Compulsion Cloud
The Compulsion Cloud written by Averi Ridge Castaneda and illustrated by Vicky Kuhn is about a young girl named Holly with obsessive compulsive disorder. The story begins with Holly talking with her therapist about “A scary cloud that is following me around. It fills my head with anxious thoughts. The cloud tells me to do certain things. And if I don’t do it what it tells me, I feel very scared and nervous.”
I like the way the author uses the idea of a black cloud to explain how Holly is feeling about her OCD thoughts. Her therapist treats Holly’s OCD with Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. Throughout the story, Holly learns how to give the black cloud less power by standing up for herself. The Compulsion Cloud is an excellent book to increase awareness about OCD and to start an important conversation about this disorder.
Averi Ridge Castaneda is a social worker and is passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people. She herself was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at 19, so she understands the struggle of managing OCD. Follow her on Instagram here.
To learn more about OCD, visit the International OCD foundation here.
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