Because We Are Bad

‘Often as chilling as Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, but also full of so much inner and external turbulence that it reminded me at times of The Bourne Identity and Memento. Readers will root for Lily, even when she is attempting to run away from the realities - and sometimes authorities - chasing her … an intense heart-rending roller coaster of a book … Because We Are Bad is the most engaging and well-written account of mental health experiences I have read and should be on the reading lists of courses for mental health professionals.’

– WILL BLACK, HUFFINGTON POST

‘It’s a fascinating read… Buy the book! Buy the book!’

– JO GOOD, BBC RADIO LONDON

‘Remarkable… She writes with literary poise and a gift for mordant observation and self-deprecating humor that belie her youth. I hope this book finds a wide readership. It will offer solace to OCD sufferers who will understand that they are not alone and who might gain hope of remission; for other readers, it will provide a harrowing sense of what many OCD sufferers have to endure just to get through the day.’

– SCOTT STOSSEL, WASHINGTON POST

‘A harrowingly honest memoir of profound psychological struggle. In her courageous book, the author offers compelling insight into the pain and destructive power of OCD as well as the resilience of a young woman determined to beat the odds.’

– KIRKUS REVIEWS

‘London-based model and journalist Bailey offers an authentic and stunning account of her struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder in this beautifully-rendered memoir.’

– PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

‘Because We Are Bad is an emotional, challenging read. Lily takes us deep into the heart of the illness but she is also a deft writer, and even the darkest moments are peppered with wit and wry observations.’

– JAMES LLOYD, OCD-UK

‘A fascinating read. It’s brilliantly written; I felt inside your head.’

– RAY D’ARCY SHOW, RTE RADIO 1

‘I laughed, I cried. I could not put this book down. Intensely moving with flashes of black humour, Because We Are Bad is the compelling account of one young woman’s experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.’

– ROSANNA GREENSTREET, FREELANCE JOURNALIST

Lily Bailey is a model, writer, and mental health campaigner.

As a child and teenager, Lily suffered from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She kept her illness private until the widespread misunderstanding of the disorder spurred her into action. She has campaigned for better awareness and understanding of OCD, including asking companies to stop making products that trivialize the illness.

Her first book, Because We Are Bad (Canbury Press, 2016), chronicles her personal experience of OCD as a child and a young woman. It has been widely praised by OCD sufferers and by reviews for its accurate and occasionally chilling portrayal of a mind ruled by routines.

She has written two books for children: When I See Blue (Orion, 2022), which follows a 12-year-old boy, Ben, who has OCD, and When I Feel Red (Orion, 2024), about a girl, April, who has dyspraxia. She lives in the south of England.

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