What I hope you take away from this book: good Mexican food deserves to go viral; good underwear never features the word 'string'; good mental health is the single most important thing you need to live a happy life. I don't have a psychology degree - in fact, I once tried to throw a typewriter at a child psychiatrist (this was in the days before MacBook pros) - but I do have experience, understanding and coping mechanisms to help you get your sh*t together. From anxiety and eating disorders to OCD and psychosis, I want to help break down taboos surrounding mental health conditions (which directly affect 1 in 4 of us each year - you are NOT alone) and help you come out the other side happier and healthier. I'd also like to gift you with a deeper understanding of what's going on in your head, and how to navigate through life without feeling overwhelmed or isolated. Where my lack of medical background becomes an issue, Dr Radha swoops in to the rescue. As a GP, mental-health expert and co-host of BBC Radio 1's The Surgery, I've worked with her to make sure all the information and advice is spot-on. She's clever, she's kind and she GETS it. I wish my teenage brain had had access to Dr Radha.
After My Mad Fat Diary published, and the TV show followed, lots of people from my past got in touch to say they'd thought I'd been a largely splendid teenager. And, to most people, I probably was. Because I was very adept at hiding my OCD, my anxiety, my depression, my eating disorders, behind a smile and a big sack of silly. And that is why I've written this book. Because I hate to think of any teen going through what I did, and feeling like they can't talk about it, or need to hide it. This is a book to break down taboos, to start conversations, to help you talk about things that seem impossible. It's a book for fans of Gemma Cairney and Open, Ruby Wax and Frazzled, Matt Haig and Reasons to Stay Alive, Bryony Gordon and Mad Girl. And most importantly, it's a book to make you feel like you're not alone.
