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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
Queria morrer, mas no céu não tem tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee
195 reviews
kartoffel_00's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
From an objectively lense this isn't really a masterpiece or anything. But what this book definitely is, is that it's honest and comforting.
Its vivid and repetitive just like the state of a mind dealing with depression and anxiety.
Just like the author mentions in one of the essays how they hate being told to cheer up and would rather someone listen to them and empathise, reading this book I felt that someone could empathise with my struggles too.
My only regret with the book is that I could have read it slower to take things in more properly but as I connected with the subject matter a lot that proved a struggle.
Its vivid and repetitive just like the state of a mind dealing with depression and anxiety.
Just like the author mentions in one of the essays how they hate being told to cheer up and would rather someone listen to them and empathise, reading this book I felt that someone could empathise with my struggles too.
My only regret with the book is that I could have read it slower to take things in more properly but as I connected with the subject matter a lot that proved a struggle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Extremely, extremely brief mention ofsigreads_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism
seraphiina's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
I am SO conflicted about this book.
First of all, I had great sympathy for Baek Se-hee. Having struggled with mild depression and anxiety most of my life, I could relate to a lot of her insecurities, and I know it's a huge step to be honest towards yourself; let alone the entire world! I resonated with her thoughts and I found myself thinking that I wish I could meet her and try to convince her that she was absolutely not a mean or bad person; just someone going through a rough time without the proper tools to deal with it.
Here is the big caveat: The format of the novel is a collection of transcripts betqeen Baek Se-Hee and her psychiatrist. Which is honestly interesting and refreshing.
But I found myself SO upset with the psychiatrist. At best, she gave banal advice that even most girlfriends or parents would be able to give. Well-meaning, but not necessarily grounded in any psychological theory. At worst, she seemed condescending and unprofessional, constantly reminding our poor author of how "extreme" she was in her thoughts without giving her proper tools to assess and change the way she was thinking. It was so frustrating to see such a clever and bright young woman be undermined with downright toxic advice such as "try to change your way of thinking 😊" - thanks, I am cured.
I feel the overall message of the novel is positive and I am happy that Baek Se-Hee found some growth and recovery in this subpar therapy and through this writing journey. But as a reader, I found myself wanting to rip my hair out.
I recommend this if you are experiencing similar issues and want to resonate with the fact that you are not alone and things will get better; but look further for actual helpful advice.
First of all, I had great sympathy for Baek Se-hee. Having struggled with mild depression and anxiety most of my life, I could relate to a lot of her insecurities, and I know it's a huge step to be honest towards yourself; let alone the entire world! I resonated with her thoughts and I found myself thinking that I wish I could meet her and try to convince her that she was absolutely not a mean or bad person; just someone going through a rough time without the proper tools to deal with it.
Here is the big caveat: The format of the novel is a collection of transcripts betqeen Baek Se-Hee and her psychiatrist. Which is honestly interesting and refreshing.
But I found myself SO upset with the psychiatrist. At best, she gave banal advice that even most girlfriends or parents would be able to give. Well-meaning, but not necessarily grounded in any psychological theory. At worst, she seemed condescending and unprofessional, constantly reminding our poor author of how "extreme" she was in her thoughts without giving her proper tools to assess and change the way she was thinking. It was so frustrating to see such a clever and bright young woman be undermined with downright toxic advice such as "try to change your way of thinking 😊" - thanks, I am cured.
I feel the overall message of the novel is positive and I am happy that Baek Se-Hee found some growth and recovery in this subpar therapy and through this writing journey. But as a reader, I found myself wanting to rip my hair out.
I recommend this if you are experiencing similar issues and want to resonate with the fact that you are not alone and things will get better; but look further for actual helpful advice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
cherryalienfairy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
5⭐️ for me because i resonated a lot with the author. it was a challenging read for me because as i got through the first few chapters, i felt resentful that i never got to meet a therapist like hers. i felt validated and seen through her shared experiences. a difficult read, but i made it and it was worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, and Mental illness
jazzuar's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness
giuliawanders's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
I was inspired by how much the author opens up in this book.
I also thought it was really interesting to delve into the mind of someone who I don’t relate much to and to see how a different culture affects mental health.
I also thought it was really interesting to delve into the mind of someone who I don’t relate much to and to see how a different culture affects mental health.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
robinks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The concept was cool, but in practice, I didn’t like how the book was arranged. Each chapter was a random combination of commentary and conversation, making it hard to follow at times, and it was unclear what the timing of the sessions looked like relative to each other. Also, the last chapter suddenly switched gears into short essays, which I didn’t like. Additionally, as a therapist myself, Sehee’s therapist was giving so much advice and perspective packaged as truth that I did not agree with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Eating disorder, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Lesbophobia
loinereads's review against another edition
I got so BORED.
I really wanted to go through with this book as I am going to therapy myself, I thought it would be comforting to hear about someone else’s trauma and difficulties with self esteem and anxiety.
But the main character’s problems felt very frivolous to me. I absolutely lacked empathy and even though I can understand the extent of help this book could bring to some people, it’s just not for me.
I feel very respectful still towards the author because it mustn’t have been easy to keep track of all these sessions and confide through a book that can be read by so much.
As I listened to the audiobook, I just felt like I was feeling worse than ever (when in reality not at all! I am fine considering everything I’ve been through) but I kept comparing my own experiences to the ones told in this book and I kept making me feel worse.
I think it’s definitely a book for people who know something’s wrong with their approach of life and social engagement and want to have a starting point of understanding the causes and maybe even get some tools to deal with their existential dread but It might really be boring for people who understand their trauma and already have some tools to deal with them.
I really wanted to go through with this book as I am going to therapy myself, I thought it would be comforting to hear about someone else’s trauma and difficulties with self esteem and anxiety.
But the main character’s problems felt very frivolous to me. I absolutely lacked empathy and even though I can understand the extent of help this book could bring to some people, it’s just not for me.
I feel very respectful still towards the author because it mustn’t have been easy to keep track of all these sessions and confide through a book that can be read by so much.
As I listened to the audiobook, I just felt like I was feeling worse than ever (when in reality not at all! I am fine considering everything I’ve been through) but I kept comparing my own experiences to the ones told in this book and I kept making me feel worse.
I think it’s definitely a book for people who know something’s wrong with their approach of life and social engagement and want to have a starting point of understanding the causes and maybe even get some tools to deal with their existential dread but It might really be boring for people who understand their trauma and already have some tools to deal with them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Mental illness and Child abuse
gillthequill's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.5
2.5 Stars. This is not a book for everyone. That is perfectly fine. I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't transcripts of therapy sessions. Because of the book's nature, I knew I wasn't going to get a traditional narrative structure, and that's fine. I knew there wasn't going to be a neat, tied in a bow ending. But I was left with this constant feeling of "thank god I'm not living in her brain." Honestly, I was ready to rate the book lower... until I came across the final third. And the author clearly acknowledging lessons they've learned, the psychiatrist admitting the mistakes they made, and the small vignettes of the author's life were compelling. In fact, it made me realize how damn brave the author was for sharing these deep, thought provoking, sometimes very unflattering truths. That alone makes it worth attention, even if it didn't resonate with me. Someone will identify with this book and take great lessons from it, and that is fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
montsett's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness