On The Edge of Insanity

In this commanding debut memoir, Watson conveys what it’s like to live with multiple mental illnesses. Watson’s comprehensive autobiography recounts her life before and after she was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorders. The memoir spares no details, and Watson’s raw voice and transparency make it an unflinching, unfiltered look at life with paralyzing illnesses. For example, the author admits to a narcotics addiction and provides a comprehensive look at her excessive bathroom and shower routines, which involve “washing the same arm in the shower ten times” and “brushing my teeth in the same pattern five times.” She ends nearly every chapter with helpful tips for living with OCD, depression and bipolar disorder—an innovative approach that eliminates the distance between her and her readers. She also makes it clear that her mission in writing and publishing this memoir is to help others understand these disorders. As a mix of facts and self-reflection, this memoir is an invaluable medical narrative; to read it is to feel her pain as if it’s one’s own. However, if the book’s brutal candor is its strength, it can also act as its flaw; the tell-all honesty can be helpful, as when the author analyzes her symptoms, but sometimes it can be superfluous and overlong, as when she lists the names of the medications she’s currently taking. A stronger edit might have made for a more sharply focused and coherent book, as it lacks a narrative storytelling structure. That said, its energy and the stream-of-consciousness voice lend it an authenticity that might have been lost if it were more refined. An admirably sincere, if unpolished, memoir.

Brave and revealing, On The Edge of Insanity shows what life is like inside an OCD mind. Emily Watson’s struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder begins on the cusp of her adulthood. A bright physics student in a challenging program, she suddenly finds herself distracted by the overwhelming need to wash her hands, repetitively flip light switches, and perform other meaningless rituals…In On the Edge of Insanity, Watson explains what OCD is and how it feels from the patient’s point of view. This book would be a useful companion to a discussion about how mental health problems are experienced. While it often comes across as a recital of agonies, Watson does a fine job overall of conveying the full extent of her condition. The book does not shy away from verbatim transcriptions of the obsessive thought processes that make life with OCD so difficult. People who have never experienced mental health issues may be shocked at the level of debilitation inherent in this condition. The representation of the author as an intelligent, sensitive person plagued by an uncontrollable mind may help dissolve continuing social stigma against the mentally ill. Ultimately, the author admits that she had originally hoped to publish this book after getting her mental health under control, but the fact that her struggle is ongoing may invite further discussion about the importance of mental health maintenance and the unrealistic nature of a quick fix. Despite her condition, Watson maintains a fairly positive attitude, highlighting some of the more comically absurd aspects of OCD in vignettes usually titled along the lines of “Emily’s Helpful Tips.” These include guides to hand washing and hygienic packing. Her quirky personality gives this book an endearing quality that might have been lost if the treatment had been purely serious. Read full review at: https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/on-the-edge-of-insanity/ - Clarion Review

Watson is an aspiring author, makeup artist, and photographer who has lived much of her life battling mental illness. She received a BS in physics and led an active life ranging from traveling through Europe, going on dinosaur digs, ballroom dancing, scuba diving, and hanging out with friends before succumbing to her disorders. Despite her struggles, she is learning to overcome her illnesses and lead a full life filled with promise and adventure.