A review by kuatepet
I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book quite literally saved my life. I read it when I finally moved away from home, got health insurance, and decided to get some mental health support. Life was beginning to spiral downwards for me, so while I waited for my appointment date, I found solace in reading memoirs and personal essays. I suspected my diagnosis would be Bipolar Disorder (shoutout to my family for always pointing out my mood instability throughout childhood), which is what attracted me to this book. I read the synopsis and wanted to read a first-hand account of what living with Bipolar 2 was like. It took only a few pages for me to start bawling and accept my truth. Although the details certainly differ, I kept thinking throughout my reading journey, "Wow, this is exactly what I went/am going through." Less than a month after finishing the book, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 and put on the proper medication.

Bassey Ikpi's bravery and vulnerability saved my life by reminding me that I am not alone. Her essays are raw, detailed, and brutally honest about the pain of mood instability. Just the title alone captures the complexity of communicating with yourself and the world when living with unpredictable emotional fluctuations. Alongside bell hook's All About Love, I mention this book to anyone who asks for a reading recommendation.