For the more than 2 million Americans with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable behaviors can take a harsh toll, as author Jared Douglas Kant knows all too well. Diagnosed with OCD at age 11, Jared became ruled by dread of deadly germs and diseases, the unrelenting need to count and check things, and a persistent, nagging doubt that overshadowed his life.

In The Thought that Counts, Jared shares his deeply personal account of trial, tribulation, and ultimately triumph. Using anecdotes, narratives and sidebars, this book adds a human face to a...