Many of the chapters expand on, and give context to, Borchard’s blogs (disclosure: I was interviewed once for Borchard’s Web site, and we have corresponded on issues related to bipolar disorder). And what freedom and humility and community there is in that laughter.Īnd so, with in-your-face chapter headings such as “Confessions of a Holy Whackjob” and “Booze: The Quiet Car in My Very Loud Brain,” Borchard takes the reader on a guided tour of her own mental illness, from massive breakdown to gradual recovery-and, ultimately, to a kind of shaky but serene wisdom. And besides, “wounded” people are so much more fun to hang out with than “flawless” folks who deny their illnesses.

My labels have freed me to live in better harmony with the person I wish to be. In calling myself a manic-depressive, would I trap my psyche in sick mode? By accepting my diagnosis of bipolar disorder, would I prevent healing?”īut, with her characteristic independent streak and her acerbic humor, Borchard answers her own questions: Borchard, who writes the popular blog “Beyond Blue” ( is well aware of her own departures from the “party line” sometimes taken by various advocacy groups. On the other hand, readers who suffer from severe mood disorders-or whose friends, family, or loved ones do-will find consolation, wisdom, and empathy in Therese Borchard’s provocative new book. There is more than enough in this self-description to offend at least a half-dozen constituencies, and the book may miff readers who seek politically correct bromides concerning mental illness.

Which could possibly explain some of the above. a sugar addict, a caffeine junkie, a reformed binge smoker, and an exercise fanatic a hormonally imbalanced female, a PMS-prone time bomb. I’m a manic-depressive, an alcoholic, and an adult child of an alcoholic a codependent, a boundaries violator, and a stage-four people pleaser. It is safe to say that few authors of mental health–related books would introduce themselves by presenting these credentials:

Beyond blue anxiety