Scorpions

Brought to you by Penguin.

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:

• Have I killed my cat?
• When was the last time that person in front of me vomited?
• How many people have touched this door handle since it was cleaned?
• Should I tap 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 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025