Breaking Badly

by Georgie Dent

At 24, life was good for Georgie Dent. After graduating with top marks she had landed her dream job at a prestigious Sydney law firm and moved in with a boyfriend she adored. She had the world at her feet and no right to break. But she did. Badly.Within a year Georgie was unemployed, back living with her parents and suffering such crippling anxiety that she ended up in a psychiatric hospital.Breaking Badly is the story of a nervous breakdown in slow motion – a life that fell apart and what it took to put it back together again. Brutally honest and warmly engaging, it’s a must-read for anyone who sometimes feels close to the edge.

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

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2019

Reviews

[Lemonade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book and it was a decent read, but unfortunately it didn't seem to offer anything new to the mental health experience of young women. Girl has good job, girl gets anxiety, girl goes to psychiatric facility for help. I appreciate that the author shares personal moments of her life story but it comes from quite a 'privileged' perspective (can afford to go to a private mental health facility, doesn't have to work full time, can live at home, has supportive family, boyfriend and friends etc.). Having worked in legal and forensic areas, I have seen the average public mental health facilities and many patients re-enter many times. The author suggests finding a job you like, eating greens and exercise, but to those with serious mental health issues that could possibly come across as quite patronising.

I commend the author for sharing her personal story, but I guess I am seeking a fresh new perspective; this genre of book needs to offer up something new to the same old 'girl interrupted' storyline that I've already read a lot of before.

[Jen]

I find it impossible to give really honest memoirs ‘a rating’, unless they’re horrible or self indulgent, but this book is excellent. So well written and relatable for me and about 25 women I know (I’d estimate, at least). It’s also incredibly self aware which was so refreshing. I’ll be lending this to anyone who is interested and encouraging them to read. I enjoyed it even more for being able to relate so closely to the content.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exceptionally courageous book. The author unabashedly describes in detail her battle with anxiety and depression and the related physical problems related to her mental health issues. Her courage in dealing with her problems and not being afraid to chase her dreams and deal with the reality of a career that made her unhappy is a terrific story. Really well done, Georgie.

[Sadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book may well help anyone suffering from anxiety, and provides a useful perspective on the strengths of cognitive behavioural therapy.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest, raw, insightful. Confronting at times, but bloody good. I needed this book

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very well written and an important topic. Unfortunately I think many young women can relate to Georgie's story, I don't believe it is an uncommon one. Georgie does address her privilege but boy-oh-boy it was too much for me in the end. I found it hard to stomach. Loving, supportive boyfriend and family, time in a private mental health clinic, months of not needing to work and being supported by parents, 3 healthy pregnancies, work and international travel opportunities... this is just too far removed from the reality of many. I realise Georgie's story shoes that anxiety/depression can happen to everyone but I felt this was just out of touch.

[Beth Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has struggled with anxiety since I was a child and depression since I was a teenager, this book was VERY relatable. I also had a breakdown around the same age - with less at stake and not as severe - so I could really connect. This is an amazing memoir that helped get me out of a bad anxiety cycle. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone suffering from stress, mental illness and/or chronic illness. There is a way out and there are ways of changing your thinking patterns!

[Mia Somerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I needed this book until I read it. Raw and honest.

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two words: white bread

[Mads · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!
I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this book.
My mum heard the author being interviewed on the radio so she picked up this book “because it sounded like” me. Well. I’ve never related to a book so much. This is a must read if you

A) pushed yourself to the point of breaking in school

B) have had a mental breakdown,

C) have noticed how the mind affects your gut

Or

D) all of the above.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I saw a lot of similarities between myself and the author, and I really resonated with the relationship between her and her mother, as it mirrors my own with mine.

5/5

[Tatum Damman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. It was captivating and had some really hard hitting quotable moments. Just see my highlighted sections!
Perhaps this book read so well because I could relate, from the sickness, the desperate search for help and answers even into the final chapters where she became a mother and navigated through those trials with unpredictable health.

This was a heart wrenching journey, and is the reality for so many men and women trying desperately to get their normal back, the life they dreamed of and worked so hard for but was snatched away from chronic conditions.

Tackling the impact on her family, partner, friends and colleagues, Georgie was exceptionally lucky to have such amazing support in the people around her and you can certainly tell she appreciates this throughout the memoir. Despite the realistic view of how she felt at the moment in time she is reflecting on, you can tell just how deeply she appreciated these people who helped her through.

The negatives are few, at times this book did drag, but not often. I could see how the ending may not be relatable for everyone either. One major possible flaw here for many readers, is that Georgie was fortunate to have a very privileged perspective of her complete breakdown and research into getting better. In Australia this option isn't always possible to the every day person who can't afford privatised healthcare. Many people wait months, year/s to receive treatment. So the reality I guess, for some, is that this book will not be relatable. I do wonder too, would her outcome have been vastly different, if she didn't not have such a supportive partner, family, money to pay for appointments, private health insurance etc etc.

HOWEVER, circling back, this is a memoir on HER experience, and for that it is exceptionally well written.

A must read for anyone battling through chronic health conditions which have head to a drastic change in lifestyle/working/living situations.

[Kylie Purdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What this book shows is that anxiety doesn't pick and choose it's victims. You may appear to have the perfect life - a good job, a great partner, a supportive family - and it can still all go terribly pear shaped. It also draws a very clear line between chronic illness and mental illness. It's no use treating one without acknowledging the other.
I do feel the one thing Georgie Dent didn't address in this book is the fact she was able to access services and rely on family in a way many of those suffering from mental illness don't have. She is one of the lucky ones in that she could remain housed and cared for while she fell apart, many end up very alone and destitute - making the situation much harder to navigate out of.
This book does show there is a way out, that it's not easy, but with access to the right services and support you can return to a "normal" life. Having never suffered from anxiety myself, I did find Georgie's honesty about her thought processes during her "breakdown" and recovery interesting. I had to let go of the idea that in the middle of it you would be able to identify what you were thinking as irrational and accept that was simply not possible. Standing on the outside looking in it's very easy to think you should be able recognise how ridiculous your thought processes are, but this book shows that this is not the case.
Whether you suffer anxiety or not, I do think this is a book well worth reading.

[Greer Collinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be one of the most vulnerable autobiographies I have ever read. While it’s a bit mortifying how relatable some of Georgie’s experiences are, her story is filled with so many reminders of how important it is to prioritise your mental health (but equally, how challenging it can be to do so at times). There are some particularly valuable lessons for anyone navigating their twenties and/or early career.

This book made me feel seen. Absolutely 10/10 recommend x

[Romany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author had a hard time. The book I just finished (Maid by Stephanie Land) was also about an author who had a hard time. It shouldn’t be a competition, but again and again I was shocked and surprised and envious of Dent’s incredible luck, especially in comparison to Land’s hands-and-knees scrubbing of bathtubs. A nice pair to compare and contrast, each deeply sad, perhaps in a similar way.

[Shahedah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Tatiana Bernard · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author warns us the book may come across as privileged, but it was too much for me personally. I stopped after 4 chapters.

[Ellah Haberle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book with a smile on my face and a little tear in my eye. Quick and easy ready but very much worth it

[Pru · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of a young woman who, having just graduated has landed her dream job and moved in with her amazing boyfriend. 12 months later she finds herself unemployed, living with her parents kilometres away and struggling with significant physical and emotional issues. Georgie Dent had a nervous breakdown and this is how she got her life back!

While this isn't an easy read, it certainly is powerful, raw and real. Such a refreshing voice that helps remove the stigma of mental illness and I can't believe I have not seen more of this book on bookstagram. A must read!

[Toni Kely-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly readable memoir about anxiety and depression that left the author unable to function in her mid 20s

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only critique is that i wish there was more to read. Highly recommend for anyone who has experience anxiety.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the most authentic and interesting memoirs I have read. Very well written. I could not put it down!

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into this book extremely optimistic (it's just my type), but had to slog through because it's excruciatingly privileged. I'm not having a go at the author for being born into the life she has, but she barely seems to recognise that her story is FAR from the standard experience. Few people can afford a handful of sessions with a psychologist, whereas she was seeing one weekly. She glosses over the inaccessibility of the private, multi-thousand dollar inpatient program that set her on the path to recovery, and while she acknowledges the strong support of her family, you wonder if she has any idea just how over and above they went. It's easy to say quit your job, get CBT, get your dream job, do yoga when every single other part of your life is effortless.

I did appreciate the stories of her experiences with the (again, very expensive) specialists - as many people with chronic illnesses would have dealt with similar. But then again she says her Crohn's just went away and never came back. It was like reading a fairytale where everything was wrapped up and they lived happily ever after.

[Amelia Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really well written and easy to read. This book opened my eyes to what anxiety and depression can be like. Being exposed to mental illness in my personal life, it allowed me to gain an insider's perspective on what some of the people in my life might be going or gone through. Although this book covers a period of the writer's life when it was at the lowest low, it offers hope and left me feeling hopeful and forever amazed at just how strong the mind can be for better and worse. Definitely recommend!

[Khanh Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Mia Freedmans podcast with Georgie who wrote the book. The podcast was moving and so was the book, written so true, open and honestly. It really helped me get a better grasp of how someone lives with a chronic illness, anxiety and also what services are available out there to assist. I’m grateful to Georgie for sharing her story and recommend it to anyone going through a similar journey or knows of someone who is.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

To those complaining that this book ‘adds nothing new’ and ‘gives advice from a place of privilege’ this is not meant to be a self help book. This book is a beautiful memoir that tells the story of a girl who had everything and still broke! I absolutely adored this book and found solace in reading about an experience quite close to my own where that person was able to recover to a place where they had a life that fulfilled them and made them happy.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone that has struggled with Anxiety & Depression for over 20 years I felt like I was reading my own life story although we were from different economic worlds growing up.

I found myself crying, smiling and knowingly nodding throughout the book as I reflected back to my own dealings with Mental Health.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

'After I fell apart, it was suddenly apparent that anyone whose approval of me relied on my remaining some kind of perfectly functioning robot - a perfect student, a perfect lawyer, a perfect anything - was entirely superfluous. It was also clear the only person who had ever expected that from me, was me.'

In this memoir Georgie Dent reflects back on when she was 24 years old and suffered a mental breakdown. She examines her thought processes that led her to pursue a career that she didn't enjoy and exacerbate her chronic health symptoms. Georgie's inner dialogue at this time was relentless;

'I managed to get myself in the shower, where I stood motionless under the stream of hot water, blinking back tears, trying not to catastrophise. The idea of having to take another sick day was sickening.
You can't! It's not an option. Just pull yourself together and get into the office.'

This book shows the mindset that leads to anxiety. Such elements as, the pursuit of perfectionism, placing unrealistic expectations on yourself, ignoring how you are feeling to please what you perceive others want, overreacting to small incidents and the knowledge that despite all that you are doing, you really can't control anything.

I found some of the responses from medical staff truly appalling and resulting in feeding her destructive inner dialogue. She was referred to as a 'heart sinker'; when you see the patient's name and your heart sinks and 'cappuccino'; her life management skills compared to a weak, white, milky coffee. Seriously unprofessional. Even though Georgie acknowledges on several occasions that she has a privileged upbringing I don't think that this should undermine her's or any individuals lived experience of chronic and mental illness. Making judgments on outward assumptions is ruinous.

Georgie writes this book openly and generously. You can feel her determination to share her story in the hope of helping others. I did find the ending drawn out, although she does insightfully display that managing her mental health is ongoing.

'I started to recognise that this was my life, that it was my mistakes and my flaws and my illnesses that had landed me in hospital, and the fact other people had not succumbed to the same forces was neither here nor there. I wasn't in a race with anyone except myself. And to be honest, I didn't want to run anyway. I just wanted to stop and live.'

Good advice:
'What I wanted and what I needed became my absolute priorities, and it meant being truly self centred, which I relish. '

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breaking Badly by Georgie Dent is the second Australian memoir I've read within the last month that examines mental health. While Nicola Redhouse turned to psychoanalysis and medication, Dent discovers that CBT strategies are effective in managing her anxiety.

On paper, Dent had the 'perfect' life. A recent law graduate, she landed a sought-after position at a prestigious Sydney law firm; had just moved in with her boyfriend; and was surrounded by supportive family and friends. Very quickly, things changed. Dent was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and began to suffer pain and crippling anxiety. Within a year, she had left work, was living back home with her parents, and finally ended up in a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Dent describes her year as 'worrying herself sick.'

I preface my thoughts on this book with two important points - firstly, what works for one person, doesn't for the next and therefore, no judgment. Secondly, chronic pain is a game changer. People who are living with chronic pain will do anything for relief and until you've been in that situation, you can't really know.

Dent's describes her experience of CBT -

I changed my life because I changed the way I thought. It was as complicated and straightforward as that.

And, like Redhouse, considers the links between our physical and mental health -

Early on it had felt like I was losing my mind because I had lost my body, but several months on I was beginning to wonder if it might have been the other way around.

I think many elements of Dent's story will be familiar to readers, particularly her 'perfectionist' approach to every aspect of her life. Dent's 'faulty thinking' (that's a CBT term) was such that she saw her path as linear - she either achieved or not, got better or not - this type of binary thinking leaves no room for 'progress' or small victories/ defeats -

Two immutable facts of life make this paradigm calamitous: perfection is impossible to achieve, and failure is inevitable.

There is a 'happy' ending to this story. Dent manages her anxiety, marries the boyfriend, has a career change (to journalism), has three kids, and continues to live a fulfilling life. And therein lies a common problem with memoir - there is no 'ending' because life goes on and yet, authors feel compelled to provide a conclusion. This is particularly problematic in the case of this story - an ending (that Dent is content and managing her anxiety) is 'binary', the very type of thinking she learnt to fight.

Furthermore, the neat conclusion makes her problems seem far more easily resolved than I imagine they were in reality. The fact is, anxiety is something that is managed, not 'cured'. It can be managed in many different ways (from medication to meditation), and Dent found that CBT worked for her.

3/5 Interesting but not ground-breaking.

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firsty, I really appreciate Georgie sharing her experience with mental health.
As some constructive feedback I’d say that whilst I understand this is her personal experience, I feel the book could have been more powerful to readers if her experiences with mental health were contrasted against the majority of other people’s experiences.
She did not have a ‘standard’ experience, but rather a very privileged experience, and I feel it’s important that people know how many barriers people with mental health face.
I would have appreciated if some reflections had been included on general experiences of how hard it is for people with mental health issues to access treatment, and the ongoing nature of their illnesses. For example she did not address any issues such as: the side effects when trying to find the ‘right’ medication, dealing with the stress of finding the ‘right’ psychologist’, the cost of psychologist and psychiatrists, the limit of only 10 government subsidised appointments per year, the huge waiting lists for these appointments, and the overall impact that financial strain places on your mental health. Many people cannot access these services due to the cost.

I am not at all downplaying her struggle, and really relate to the difficulty of finding a diagnosis, the impact of mental health on your family members, and the relationship between chronic illness and mental health.

I just feel if her goal was to open discussion about mental health in Australia, the discussion would benefit from her reflecting on her personal experience compared to the majority of other Australians. This would create better awareness of the issue in the community.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating memoir by an Australian journalist who was so crippled by anxiety and depression in her mid 20s that she lost the ability to function and ended up in a psychiatric hospital. It began with her being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and later with vertigo. Trying to hold down a high pressure job in a law firm with very real physical issues that she was unable to find relief from tipped her completely over the edge. As she blamed herself for her inability to cope, her mental health spiralled downward.

Georgie is very honest and articulate about everything she went through and the tools that she still uses to manage her - very full, very successful - life.

It's a highly readable book. I tore through it and found it relatable and interesting. I did feel that it runs out a steam a bit towards the end - the final third is not quite padding but is less interesting than what comes before. I also felt that in her determination to express how supportive and loving her partner and parents were, she ended up making them seem a bit unrealistically perfect and making her a bit less likeable than I imagine she is in real life. I felt like I really understood what she went through but not that I really got to know who she is, if that makes sense.

I would definitely recommend this - even if you never suffer from anxiety or depression it's an interesting read and if you do, or know someone who does, it's terrifically encouraging.