I figure that if I have to endure the worst parts of bipolar disorder, like psychosis, I get to laugh as much as possible along the way. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart is the story of one Millennial’s bipolar life, with moments ranging from the ridiculous to the terrifying to the hilarious. Blending pop culture references and cyberspeak with psychiatric terms, it combines the funny, conversational tone of Sh*t My Dad Says with a nonlinear narrative structure similar to that of Manic.
The book began as a blog: if you had a delusional relationship with Britney Spears, wouldn’t you brag about it to the entire world? To create the book, I organized the blog entries like a mood chart, a therapeutic tool which assigns colors to states of mind. The entries are divided into three sections, Depressed, Normal and Elevated, and cover the past three years: my psych ward getaways, my vision of fighting alongside Jesus at Armageddon, my attempts to find a woman who accepts that I sometimes lose my mind.
More than an account of coming to terms with a mental health condition, it’s a story of being young and feeling lost, dealing with heartbreak and still finding plenty to laugh about, no matter what happens.
I honestly have no clue even where to begin with this book.
You shouldn't laugh at mental illness , but darn it....just the way Derek puts things you can't help yourself.
I found it so flipping hard to keep a straight face reading this book.
I should of known right away when in the beginning the "Glossary de Slang" stated DIA (Denver International Airport) as the "Emerald City".
Lord, Help me I even got the "Super Troopers "Meow"" thing too!
You're walking through moments in Derek's life some good and some bad...His first date to the drive in, to thinking 911 is calling to check on him at San Jose airport. Right to the finish line.
All that aside this book does open your eyes on something very serious....There are people out there that think they can control the rain during football games...think they meet people at airports and heaven forbid think they're at the end of days...
It's nothing they've done wrong and nothing they can control, but have to live with everyday.
Derek just made a lighter more enjoyable read of it all.
Truly a wonderful read!
Ps- Derek...I'm so glad to see that your health is going good for you now :0)
Would you like to read this wonderful story yourself?
Want to know more about the author?
Derek Thompson
Derek Thompson grew up in South Charleston, Ohio and received a BA in communication in 2005 from Wittenberg University. After graduation he pursued a corporate sales career at AT&T where he excelled in the high paced sales environment. That’s up until he was unexpectedly and rudely interrupted by his first manic episode in 2008 which changed everything; they tend to be real bitches like that. The episode took him back home where he struggled to understand what his new mental health condition diagnosis of bipolar disorder type I was and meant.
To cope with this confusion he began writing a blog as a therapeutic process to deal with his new crazy life and have some fun along the way. He currently resides on one of his family’s farms in rural Ohio.
Visit Derek at his website
(His posts are very enjoyable)
This book was provide to me by the author for a review. I was in no way paid for any review good or bad.
This tour is part of Pump Up Your Books Blog Tours.
Hello BJ. This is a very nice blog you have here.
ReplyDeleteI see in your photo that you are wearing a hat. It is a very nice hat, I hope you haven't lost it or thrown it away by accident.