Mad Girl

An eye-opening confession.

Bryony Gordon is on a mission; she is determined to get mental health issues out into the open so they can be discussed and accepted. Having suffered with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) for many years, along with the other conditions it has caused, Bryony recognises that the default position is to brush such issues under the carpet where they breed and fester. She believes that bringing them out into the open will allow people to receive treatment before things go seriously downhill.
Bryony Gordon is a popular columnist for Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper, which enables her to get her book recognised where a lesser name, with the same problems, might struggle.

She admits that even she has hidden her show more problems wherever possible. Developing OCD at the age of 12, she went on to suffer from Bulimia, Alopecia, Depression, Alcoholism and drug dependency - yet her first book, The Wrong Knickers, made no mention of these issues. Now in her thirties, married with a young daughter, she has written a revealing memoir that she hopes will help other sufferers to recognise and treat their conditions.

For me, there were some eye-openers, particularly that OCD could be quite so debilitating. Not just a matter of double checking that the house is locked, but repeating mantras to protect her family and even bringing the iron to work in her handbag to be sure it wasn't still on.
The episodes of heavy drinking were upsetting to read, but the way she fell so easily into drug dependency was frankly shocking. Now as a young mum she must be worried that her daughter doesn't go the same way.

The book is typically self depreciating, written in a very British style, with humour and honesty. I think this is its niche market. Our book group are not all British and it wasn't as well received as its Amazon star ratings might suggest. The author is coming to our Literary Festival in March and it will be interesting to see how she is received. show less

The writing style makes this an easy and funny read. I enjoyed it and what Bryony has been through is quite shocking. She seems self aware of the tropes that surround writing about mental illness but unfortunately her story fits them all, so while this was an interesting insight into the life of someone with OCD, it's isn't a new one.

We begin by hearing about how she's not one of those crazy people with a messed up childhood. No, she's perfectly normal thank you very much. Then bam, mental illness strikes out of the blue. I felt this stigmatised people who have been through trauma which caused mental illness, and tried to paint a picture of mental illness that appeals to the masses. That tells me this book wasn't really for me.

The show more support she gets from her family is astounding and this is not something a lot of people with mental illness can count on. Her mother realising what is going on, taking her to the doctor, helping her insist on being seen immediately is almost too good to be true. Then being able to see a therapist almost immediately is a privilege available to only a few.

While Bryony acknowledges some the privilege she has, unfortunately she hasn't had the experience to be able to shed much light on how shocking mental health treatment in this country actually is. I'm tired of reading rich and privileged people's experiences of mental health. show less