“Because life’s too short to not spend it worrying.”
I got this book for my birthday, and just had to share it with you. It feels all too appropriate given my mental state these last couple days.
This book (incorrectly titled in stock photos–it really does say “Disorders,” not “Illnesses”) is surprisingly thorough and informative. DiClaudio has divided the book into nine classes of mental disorders (Anxiety, Dissociative, Factitious, Impulse-Control, Personality, Psychotic, Sexual, Sleep, and Somatoform), and each has a minimum 2-page listing, complete with symptoms (“Quiz Yourself”), Inner Monologue, Diagnosis, Causality, and Treatment. Also, the material is constantly hilarious. Some favorites:
Hyperexplexia
“Because everything, everywhere, is always shocking.”
Susto
“Because you’d lose your soul if it wasn’t attached to your body.”
Capgras Syndrome
“Because for all you know, your mother could secretly be a robot.”
Cotard’s Syndrome
“Because if you were dead, would anybody even tell you?”
Dissociative Fugue
“Because you never know when you might be lying to yourself about everything in your entire life.”
Synesthesia
“Because sometimes an apple sounds like a primary color.”
Foreign Accent Syndrome
“Because it’s not pretentious if you can’t stop doing it.”
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
“Because you have to stay calm, you have to stay calm, you have to…SMASH THAT TABLE!”
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine Disorder
“Because you’ll do what you’re told, and you’ll do it now.”
Windigo Psychosis
“Because there’s no better cure for a boring winter evening than transforming yourself into a demonic ice spirit and hitting the town in a cannibalistic feeding frenzy.”
Frotteurism
“Because a day without grinding your crotch against a random stranger on the subway is like a day without sunshine.”
Penis Panic
“Because if there’s one thing that will ruin your day, it’s having your penis stolen.”
Body Integrity Identity Disorder
“Because sometimes two legs is 0.7563 legs too many.”
______
Of course, it is much more thorough than that; I’m simply passing out titles. So if this intrigues you at all, get a copy–you won’t be disappointed.
Oh, and for the record, Dennis DiClaudio has also written:
Now back to my synesthesia and irrational fears.
