Somewhere Over The Rainbow, I Lost My Damn Mind by Derek Thompson

Amazon Synopsis:  I figure that if I have to endure the worst parts of bipolar disorder, like psychosis, I get to laugh as much as possible along the way. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I've Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic's Mood Chart is the story of one Millennial's bipolar life, with moments ranging from the ridiculous to the terrifying to the hilarious. Blending pop culture references and cyberspeak with psychiatric terms, it combines the funny, conversational tone of Sh*t My Dad Says with a nonlinear narrative structure similar to that of Manic. 

The book began as a blog: if you had a delusional relationship with Britney Spears, wouldn't you brag about it to the entire world? To create the book, I organized the blog entries like a mood chart, a therapeutic tool which assigns colors to states of mind. The entries are divided into three sections, Depressed, Normal and Elevated, and cover the past three years: my psych ward getaways, my vision of fighting alongside Jesus at Armageddon, my attempts to find a woman who accepts that I sometimes lose my mind. Therapy "sessions" with a fictional psychiatrist provide my present-day reflections on each entry. (I had to create my ideal shrink because I tend to fight with the real ones.)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow will be the first humorous memoir about bipolar by a member of the Millennial Generation--today's young adults. My book's humor, cultural references and Internet origins will appeal to Millennials, now entering their twenties and thirties, as well as younger Gen Xers. More than an account of coming to terms with a mental health condition, it's a story of being young and feeling lost, dealing with heartbreak and still finding plenty to laugh about, no matter what happens.

My Review:  Since the author did such a good job of describing his book in the synopsis, I'm not going to summarize the book - but give my opinion.  I am not personally bipolar, but important people in my life have suffered from it, and this book helped greatly to understand some things from a bipolar point of view.  The author,  Derek, tells us about his personal experiences with being bipolar, dividing the book into sections called a mood chart.  We have a section of mania, a section of normal and a section of depression.  His chapters are short, coming from a blog that he keeps as therapy.  He labels each chapter with snarky keywords that relate to what he's discussing.  Some of them are words you would never expect to see together, but oddly enough, they go together in the chapter.  At the end of the chapter there is a brief discussion relating to coping with being bipolar. 

Derek puts it all out there, the good, the bad, the embarassing.  He has a healthy sense of humor and is able to laugh at himself throughout the book.  The book is not only inciteful and educational, but it's fun and enjoyable to read.  I recommend it to anyone living with being bipolar or anyone that is a part of a bipolar person's life.  It will really give you a better understanding of their experience.