My mind is full of scorpions. A cerebral itch, impossible to scratch. I know these creatures well, but they know me better. They answer to another name, this nest of scorpions, the writhing black mass that lives inside my head...
For as long as Tuppence Middleton can remember, she has struggled with obsessive thoughts and compulsions. She visualises her OCD as scorpions inhabiting her mind, something to be hidden that impacts her life daily:

• Will this lettuce cause me to be severely ill?
• When was the last time that person in front of me washed their hands?
• How many people have touched this door handle since it was last cleaned?
• Should I touch the outside of the airplane to save my loved ones from harm?

Often used as a shorthand for tidiness or as the punchline of a joke, OCD is one of society's most misunderstood disorders and it's rarely spoken about with such honesty and openness.
Beautifully written, moving and often darkly funny, Tuppence recounts what it feels like to share your mind with a nest of scorpions.

Tuppence Middleton is a British actor and writer working in film, television and theatre. She grew up in Somerset, South West England and has lived with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) since the age of 11. Tuppence now lives in London with her partner and daughter. Scorpions is her first book.