My Sh*t Therapist: & Other Mental Health Stories

by Michelle Thomas

A shocking, heart-rending and blisteringly funny account of what it's like to live with mental illness, by a powerful new comic voice. When Michelle Thomas suffered her first major depressive episode six years ago, she read and watched and listened to everything about mental health she could get her hands on in an effort to fix herself. God, it was tedious. And, quite frankly, depressing.Which is the last thing she needed. What she did need was a therapist who would listen and offer a wellness strategy catered to her specific needs. What she got was advice to watch a few YouTube videos and a cheerful reminder that 'it could be worse'. An honest, hilarious and heart-rending account of living with mental illness, My Sh*t Therapist will help you navigate the world, care for your mind and get through sh*t diagnoses, jobs, medications, boyfriends, habits, homes and therapists.You'll find no scented candles or matcha tea 'cures' for mental illness here. Instead, learn how a modern woman and her friends and followers navigate life with their brilliant but unpredictably sh*t brains.Having a crappy mental health day? I've got you.Want to chat antidepressants and breakdowns?Pull up a pew and let's get into it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health, Psychology, Audiobook, Self Help, Memoir, Biography

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2019

Reviews

[Vicky "phenkos" · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. Not a bad book by any means. However, I realised this about myself: I'm a sucker for drama. I seek drama in everything from fiction to philosophical treatises. How can philosophical treatises have drama, you ask. Oh, they can, when they bring in the fate of the universe and the gods and prospects of evil... And no, 20th century analytic (or Anglo-american) philosophy does not have drama. End of.

This book does not have drama either. It is not a process of discovery, a fighting with one's inner daemons, stooping to the lows of despair before one surges to the heights of self-actualistion only to plunge again to the depths of the abyss... It is rather a dispassionate account of what it is to live with depression, mind-numbing and life-threatening depression (only just), coming from an author who had her few minutes of fame when a blogpost of hers on body shaming went viral.

Things I liked about the book (and you might like too): a sincere, unflinching and humorous account of living with a mental health condition coupled with a discussion of how stigma and prejudice blights the lives of mental health sufferers. If you don't know enough about mental ill health and believe that these people can snap out of it, READ THIS BOOK!

Things I didn't like about the book (but you might have a different opinion): the fact that 'sh*t' prefaces every chapter in the book: my sh*t job, my sh*t love life, my sh*t meds, etc., etc. Yeah, sure, when one is depressed, everything seems sh*t to them. But then why did Michelle Thomas choose 'my sh*t therapist' as the title for her book? One suspects it was because 'my sh*t meds' wouldn't provide a good selling point. But it does dash the readers hopes when they expected to read all about the shitty therapist but get only one slim chapter instead.

I also didn't like that at the end of each chapter there is a list of responses Thomas got from other depressed people on depression and medication, jobs, dating, etc (I suppose through a blog). It does give perspective but it takes away even more from the drama of the whole thing.

So, all in all, as I said, an ok book. Find out for yourselves, I expect some people will love it, others may be not so much.

[↠Ameerah↞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I wasn't sure if Michelle would only discuss her own personal experiences and struggles with mental health or it if it were more of a self-help kind of book. In the end, it was somewhat a mixture of both, with the pleasant addition of other people's experiences also included. It strikes a great balance between advice, storytelling and gentle encouragement.⠀
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Michelle is very candid about her experiences- the good and the bad- which is both refreshing and comforting. She delves into the layers of mental illness with nuance and wit. I quite enjoyed listening to the audiobook and recommend it for way Michelle brought her story to life with her engaging and animated narration. It is wonderfully reassuring and although she tackles some serious topics, Michelle's humour takes away the heaviness of it and makes it less daunting.  ⠀
When conversations about mental-health become a norm and are no longer taboo, we are able to learn, empathise and most importantly seek help when needed without the fear of the stigma attached. Michelle's book positively adds to the conversation and I think we need more books like this. Books written by people who actually experience and live with it.
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I think an important reminder I took away from this is that showing up for yourself first is imperative in being able to show up for others, and whilst learning or picking up new positive habits are important, unlearning harmful behaviours/habits is equally so.

There are little nuggets of advice sprinkled throughout the book which is helpful and make it a useful resource to refer back to in times of need.⠀
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[Bexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Loved this book and could not put it down. I recommend it to everyone to read. It's the best book I've read recently. Thank you

[The Essex Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is brilliant. I’ll be adding it to my mental health toolkit for future reference for sure. It’s witty and very helpful, with lots of information at the back for resources if you’re struggling.

[Suzanne Maughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book has really helped shed some light on how I'm feeling. Thank you.

[Hannah Upton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it a 2.5
It's basically a series of entries in someone's diary about different sh***y things that have occured in her life. I didn't really come out of reading the book having learned anything new. However, the writer is quite charming and has a sense of humour.

[Saniya Ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michelle Thomas suffered from a major depressive episode 6 years ago and tried everything she could to fix herself, including going to a therapist who told her to read The Catcher in the Rye. What she actually needed was a therapist who understood what she was going through, listened to her and tried to provide proper treatment for her illness. This book is about her experience and journey as a mentally ill person and how she realized what her triggers were and how she went about trying to fix them.

This book is honestly hilarious and emotional at the same time. You understand her struggles while going through the worst period of her life, but on the next page, she's making fun of the whole situation, making you smile as well. It is raw and true and heartbreaking with absolutely zero filters.

At the end of each chapter, she also adds experiences of people from around the world sharing their experiences of living with mental illnesses and how they coped with them. For someone who is going through a bad patch or who has been diagnosed, this book will definitely be a good and enlightening read. And it will definitely make you feel that you're not alone

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I READ A NON-FICTION BOOK!

Some books arrive at the perfect time!

I was feeling lonely, miserable and depressed when I crabbed this booked from my shelf hoping to have a laugh. Well.. it did not make me laugh. Although "& other mental health stories" is in lighter and smaller font it's what the book is actually about and shitty therapists are small part of the actual story. So I didn't find laughter but I found solace and recognition. I felt that I wasn't alone and that its normal and so many others feel the same way.

I dont read non-fiction usually and this won't convince me to read it more. It couldve been shorter and more compact, maybe couldve added more other stuff in there instead of writing the existing stuff out to be longer. It seemed like a self-help book and Im not a fan of those but it did have useful tricks to survive. Author deserves high praise for being able to write emotional and personal stuff in such a rational and well organized way but that couldve been the job of a kick-ass editor.
I looooved the parallel between bee allergy and depression! Also how we get understanding and days off work so easily when we hurt our leg (for example) even though depression can hurt harder but it isnt visible so people around it can't understand it as easily. Oh and the bit about Tinder was exactly what I needed in my life right now!

But now someone please write an actual book filled with bullshit shitty therapists say!

[Tiina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mulle meeldis. Autor rääkis enda elust, aga lisas juurde ka teiste kogemuslugusid, mis käisid kindla teema kohta ega polnud kõik stiilis "ja nüüd on kõik korras!". Autor seletas rahulikult, kuidas tema depressioon kulges ega õpetanud lugejat, et kõik peaksid samamoodi elama. Pigem näen, et sellest tekstist on kasu oma sümptomite äratundmiseks. Ta rõhutab mitu korda, kui oluline on arstiga ühendust võtta.
Mõnda peatükki oli väga raske lugeda - hullumeelne, kui orki võib nõustajaga lennata - aga üldmulje oli väga positiivne.

Päris mitu kahtlast tõlkeviga oli. Nt TITAANIK. Film on ikka "Titanic" eesti keeles ju?! Ja "paanikaatakk" on pigem "paanikahoog". Oleks võinud suts tugevam tõlge ja toimetajatöö olla. Olen veidi üllatunud, sest Tänapäeva kirjastuses tavaliselt asjad korras.

[AdiTurbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book about mental health, made all the more important because it wasn't written from a professional point of view, but from that of the sufferers, going through the author's own personal story of dealing with mental health issues as well as those of many others. This helps normalize the experiences and drawing attention to the fact that so many of us are struggling and aren't very happy in our lives. Thomas also provides hands-on tips from her own experience that helped her cope, in very clear, compassionate and uncondescending language that makes you feel understood and may indeed help many people. Read this if you, too, are struggling, and need some guidance, hope and good ideas to help you out of your situation.

[Issam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of my favourite book.
A huge thanks to my friend for giving me the book. Thank you so much ♥️
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"Having depression has never made me creative. Depression just makes me depressed."
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"Me and myself are pretty tight these days."
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"I am proud that I am who I am."
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"I see my mental illness as a gift now. Sure, it's a gift that I wouldn't wish on anybody. But I know I am strong, and I have to be. My mission is to enjoy life just for the sake of it. I find peace in little things, mostly nature. I know that I need more me-time than most people."

[Evelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, honest, very real, and raw account of Michelle's (and others) journeys with mental health.

[Darren-lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Respect for her honesty....

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read (or listen) and easily digestible in audio form. Listened to it at work and didn't have to do the whole back and forth listening and relistening.

Michelle accounts her life with depression and it's not glamourous, it's realistic, and really what is needed when it comes to mental health. It's a down to earth retelling on the realities of day-to-day life with depression. And having someone recount how the mundane is made more difficult is nice.

[Emma H · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most relatable (compared to my own experiences) mental health books/memoirs I’ve read. Will be sharing with family and friends.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was honest and funny. Made me cry probably around three times. Super heartwarming.

[For The Love of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a realistic look at mental health from someone who has experienced bad mental health. This book was honest, open, funny, sad and all the things in between. Many realistic stories. The author through her authenticity shares all her experiences of mental health. Also in addition the story at the end of a very different mental health aspect that differs from the authors and her graceful acknowledgment of her own bias in mental health conditions and her change in thoughts due to knowledge. Excellent book if you want to hear real everyday stories of dealing with mental health.

[Ashraf S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really heartwarming read and a much needed one during such a difficult time.

Thomas is very much my ‘Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.’ Reading her journey with mental health was really uplifting to see how much she conquered and achieved. It also helps that her account was honest and raw; being transparent with mental health and not cutting corners helps the conversation feel a little more normal.

Overall, a really delightful read.

[Maili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muidu tore ja #relatable raamat vaimsest tervisest mõistlikus tõlkes. Siiski oleks võinud lisaks ontlikult tõlgitud Suurbritannia vaimse tervishoiu süsteemi iseärasustele mainida ka Eesti ressursse ja võimalusi. Kuigi autori enda kogemus on enamasti kultuuriülene, on Eesti lugejal vähe kasu teadmisest, milline kraad peab UK psühholoogil olema.

[Kertu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suurepärane lugemine! Väga vahetu, tekst voolas (ja tõlge oli ka päris nauditav, paar näpuviga v.a) ning hästi struktureeritud lugude jaotus, kus autor põimis enda kogemuse vahepeale mõne asjalikuma mõtte-soovituse ja teiste peegeldused. Usun, et see teos võib olla toeks nii neile, kes vajavad vaimse tervise muredega tegelemiseks julgustust, kui ka pakkuda selgust neile, kes seda maailma ei mõista.

[Zoe-Katarina (KattieKay) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice quick read that offered some insight into how other people have dealt with/have issues with various aspects of their life with their various mental health conditions. It was interesting to read the different perspectives offered and to feel less alone in how my mental health conditions have affected different aspects of my life.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book right around the time I was myself starting to have a mental health crisis back in 2021. After moving to another country, a lot of therapy, and an almost all new life, I re-borrowed it from the library and finished it up, more than 2 years later.

A lot of what the author mentions is what eventually helped me recover….

Recommended for those looking to understand what their loved ones might be going through and how to help them.

[Maisie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always think it’s so admirable when someone shares their most vulnerable moments, so I can’t fault this book for that. I found it an interesting read and I am always curious as to what people think of the mental health support from the patient side.

[Heather Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fab. listened too on audible. Would definitely go back too.

Good mixture of stories and very interesting and useful.

[Emma Thurgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, simple and uplifting book about mental health. I've turned to this to quiet my mind after busy and stressful days and it has done an amazing job.

[nati · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

[Triinu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ei olnud halb raamat. Lihtsalt polnud ka eriti hea. https://loterii.blogspot.com/2023/06/...

[Ken Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real-world tale that invokes understanding and invites empathy.

[Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is probably best for those trying to understand common mental health Illnesses. If it was pitched as that maybe it would have gotten a 3. The obviousness of the book made it hard for me to read. The collected schizophrenias i believe is a much better book for those struggling with mental illness

[Eduarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So thankful to Michelle for sharing her life and pains. It empowers everyone struggling with mental illness. It also helps fighting the stigma associated with these illnesses.