OMG That's Me!: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and More...

by Dave Mowry

What started out as a couple of blog posts blossomed into a following of over 1,000,000 people—who have all read and been touched by Mowry’s stories. The most extraordinary thing he found when writing about his experiences is that the most common comment about his work is “OMG that’s me. You are telling my story. I don’t feel so alone now.”Living with mental illness is hard, but it’s especially difficult when dealing with more than one condition at the same time. Many books about coping with mental illness focus on one disorder, such as anxiety, panic attacks, or depression. Because Dave Mowry didn’t see any that dealt with his situation of living with multiple disorders simultaneously, he decided to write about it himself. OMG That’s Me! is sometimes funny, often poignant, but always deeply honest, open, and personal. Mowry's stories let you know that you are not alone, there is help and hope, and that you too can recover and live a full life. This book is also a must read for family members and friends who will look through a window into the mind of loved ones living with a mental illness. This book is a must read for Peer Support Specialists, social workers, and mental health professionals who will better understand the mind of their peers, clients, and patients. And ordinary people will finally understand the strength, resilience, and beauty of people facing the challenges of living with mental illness.

Genres: Mental Health, Nonfiction, Psychology, Memoir, Self Help, Audiobook, Mental Illness

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2017

Reviews

[Michael Casteel · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG THATS ME! Speechless

I loved this book, it helped me understand my depression and bipolar and anxiety all in one! Thank you for your words!
Five star. Because it’s so bluntly true and BOLD!
I recommend this book to all mental illness people... and their loved friends and family!

[Doreen Gabriel Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, It is!!

Recently I was diagnosed. It wasn't an easy day, but it brought relief. This book said it all! I told my youngest son, 32, first. He suffers with similar symptoms and is getting a new psychiatrist. No meds have worked so far. It's bonded us closer!! I guess since we're so alike and now he feels he has someone he can really relate to, we're closer than ever!! So glad I read this!!

[Hali Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

His telling of his personal experiences was decent and relatable, but the actual writing was repetitive and juvenile. He constantly brought up his other novel which was irritating, maybe focus on making this one better instead of upselling your other work. Frankly, I hated the format of the book with the comments section that offered little to no food for thought.

[JL · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[whitney singer · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’ve never had the opportunity to talk to another person who is bipolar and struggles with severe anxiety, so this book will hold a special place in my heart. it makes it easier to live knowing that many other people live with my same experiences. i hope to grow up as strong as he is. i felt less alone reading this book.

[Lynne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Is right

I definitely saw myself in the author. This book makes me more confident about writing my own because we all experience mental illness uniquely and differently. People can get a more well-rounded understanding when there is multiple viewpoints.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty repetitive, since these are a collection of various blog posts.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

As someone with mental illness
This book hits home highly recommended
Better understanding ain't just me thats thinking and acting in different ways

[Brooke Pennington · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried to give this book the benefit of the doubt, but after finishing it I am still not thrilled. To start, this book is not what I expected. It is a collection of blog posts by the author, and between each blog post, he adds a comment from one of his readers. To put it plainly, I found the blog posts to be poorly written. Now, more on the topic of what he actually wrote, this book was depressing. I believe when you write a self-help book there needs to be a good mix of sharing your experiences so the reader feels they are not alone while also giving advice and hope. This book was a whole lot of sadness and little to no hope in my opinion. As someone who is diagnosed with Bipolar 2, I would not recommend reading this. Albeit, there was one small segment that made me giggle as it reads “I think there should be a dating service for folks with a mental illness. I can see the postings now: “paranoid white male seeks paranoid white female to share compound in Idaho.” Or “paranoid female seeks male with no government connections.” Or, my favorite, “dual personality female seeks dual personality male… for double dates.” (Mowry, 2017, P. 44)

[Vita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was interesting to a point. Unfortunately author constantly kept repeating himself.

The biggest issue I had with this book was comment section. Exactly, there was a comment section! Sometimes there were the same length as what author had written. Comments taken from authors blog and just copy pasted into his work after each chapter without any input from author himself. Some of the comments even consisted of just "That's so me!" and "Thank you for sharing this story!". And it seemed like, only positive responses that completely agreed with the author were chosen. Bipolar disorder is a roller coaster. It is impossible to agree or relate in everything in this book, but only similar experiences were shared in the chosen comments.

If you want a substantial book about bipolar disorder (not blog posts with added random comments), I wouldn't recommend this one.

[Jenny Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and easy book of the authors blogs and articles about his own experiences with panic attacks, depression, and bipolar disorder along with comments from his readers.

For anyone who suffers from these conditions, it may not be “new” information, but it definitely helped me in articulating these experiences, coming to terms with them, reflecting on aspects of these issues that I dismiss in myself.

I plan on sharing this book with those closest to me- the ones who always ask, “how can I help?” because my answer is generally “maybe start with learning more so you can be educated in your support and empathetic towards me.”

[Reading With My Cats · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfectly titled book because OMG that IS indeed me! I highlighted so many lines I should have just put the whole book down and circled it in its entirety like we used to do in catalogues as kids for our Christmas wishlists. Those of us old enough to know what a catalog is anyway.
Some parts were a little repetitive but these were all entries taken from his blog along with some comments but still, I loved this and will refer back to it often I’m sure. It’s nice to have your experience validated especially being newly diagnosed.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Is Almost Me

I've never read a book where I really looked at it and thought "this is it, I get it". Immediately I wanted to shove it in the face of friends and family. Luckily I'm young so I don't relate much when it comes to list years. But I want to believe that with the support of a community I'll only ever deal with the list weeks or months i currently have. This book was a relief.

[Brianna White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really benefited from reading this book. I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder earlier this year and have been struggling to really accept it. But I have been learning to live with it and be stable through multiple medications. It made me feel less alone and not weird for having a mental illness that will never be cured. But there are ways to deal with it. I will probably reread this book when I need a boost.

[Jessica Blackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so relatable for me since I also suffer from Bipolar, Anxiety, ADD, and PTSD. I highly recommend for someone suffering that needs some encouragement. It has brought a new and better light for the disorder for me. Knowing that there are people out there who relate makes it so much easier to deal with. Even if you are looking to understand the disorder better from a great perspective, this is a must read! Help lower the stigma of mental health!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, something to help me realize I’m not alone, there’s hope, there’s help, there’s support and there’s humor in the worst of times.
I may not have bipolar disorder but I do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and this book shows there are people going through what I go through.
Thank you Dave!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was really informative and gave me a better idea of what living with a mental illness might be like. Your heart goes out to Dave and the many other people battling bipolar disorder but his resilience, perseverance and ability to be completely open, make this an enlightening and inspiring read.

[abel gaponiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's me

I recommend this book to anyone that feels alone. Its nice to hear how others cope and handle the situations their in. I like how easy it is to read and understand. Like one of my favorite quotes " misery loves company " I chose this book because I was feeling worthless and wanted to see if anyone was like me, and there was and I smiled.

[Sara Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helps to understand

I love that this was teaching about bipolar by someone who live with it, as opposed to a scientific report on it. Dave made understanding this condition easy, reachable, and personal. He helped to remove the stigma and shame that comes along with living with a mental illness. Most importantly, he made it normal!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The stable me is oh so tired of picking up the pieces and finding new ways to move forward, but forward I go. Thank you.”

This book wasn’t an easy one to get through as it was triggering at times, but I’ve also never felt more seen and less alone. I’m grateful for such personal experiences and stories from Mowry, accompanied by others, being shared with the world.

[Damian Konopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and compassionate look at bipolar

Being an advocate for the mentally ill, I read with great interest Mowry’s book and applaud it. So much that we experience is the same with this illness, and some things are different. A powerful read.

[Kristy Damico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes it's definetely me.......

This book gave me hope, when the world makes dealing with Mental Health so very difficult. Reading this book let me let my guard down and learn some of the reasons why and how it's ok to not be ok. Thankyou

[Erin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and an insightful look at what someone with bipolar disorder experiences. Also, so encouraging to see how the author is helping others with BPD. I was reminded how little we know about what someone else could be going through.

[Marcus Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to be seen

Aptly titled!
It's nice to feel seen and understood. This book is ridiculous in how it breaks down and share what most of us if not all BP-afflicted persons go through.
This is a must-read for bipolar sufferers and our support networks.

[Tim Arguello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Relateable

I pretty much related to every chapter. The first book I have read on the subject. It does help to know others deal with same physical and mental symptoms. Looking into his other book. Good easy comfortable read.

[Melissa Blows · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repetitive and was really just a big ad for his other book. The comments from other “commenters” take up the bulk of the book.. you’re essentially reading blog posts and comments in a book format..not a fan.

[Jessica Howard]

Most could’ve been journal entries, but that gave me the insight to bpd i was looking for.

“I am going to remember the good feeling I have today, and I am going to cherish it”

“They missed seeing that someone with bipolar disorder is just a regular guy with hopes and dreams.”

[Cindy Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written truth that rings true.

[Katherine C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really resonated with me. It’s comforting to know that I’m not going through this roller coaster ride alone.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw real and hopeful

Easy to read and made an impact. Dave's writing is raw but very relatable. Telling how it really is with bipolar will no doubt help many people.