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You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here: A Psychiatrist’s Life
Humane, hilarious, and heart-breaking, You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here is an enlightening and darkly comic window into the world of psychiatry.
A woman with bipolar flies from America in a wedding dress to marry Harry Styles.
A lorry driver with schizophrenia believes he’s got a cure for coronavirus.
A depressed psychiatrist hides his profession from his GP due to stigma.
Most of the characters in this book are his patients. Some of them are family. One of them is him.
Unlocking the doors to the psych ward, NHS psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of medicine’s most mysterious and controversial speciality.
Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be a psychiatrist? Are the solutions to people’s messy lives really within medical school textbooks? And how can vulnerable patients receive the care they need when psychiatry lacks staff, hospital beds and any actual cures?
You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here explores these complicated questions from both sides of the doctor’s desk.
This is the perfect read for fans of This Is Going to Hurt, Unnatural Causes and The Prison Doctor.
A woman with bipolar flies from America in a wedding dress to marry Harry Styles.
A lorry driver with schizophrenia believes he’s got a cure for coronavirus.
A depressed psychiatrist hides his profession from his GP due to stigma.
Most of the characters in this book are his patients. Some of them are family. One of them is him.
Unlocking the doors to the psych ward, NHS psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of medicine’s most mysterious and controversial speciality.
Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be a psychiatrist? Are the solutions to people’s messy lives really within medical school textbooks? And how can vulnerable patients receive the care they need when psychiatry lacks staff, hospital beds and any actual cures?
You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here explores these complicated questions from both sides of the doctor’s desk.
This is the perfect read for fans of This Is Going to Hurt, Unnatural Causes and The Prison Doctor.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2024
358 people are currently reading
4114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
September 2, 2025
I loved this! The psychiatrist describing his work and some anonymous cases made for an informative read, but not in a dull way. He was actually very funny, and also managed to show respect and understanding for people suffering. A great read if you’re interested in mental health work, especially for those afflicted with serious mental health issues.
May 14, 2024
What an absolutely heart-breaking joy of a book. I laughed and cried all the way through and hope that Benji writes more.
This is the story of Benji Waterhouse, newly qualified doctor, on his journey specialising in psychiatry. I can't imagine a job more designed to depress and terrify and was delighted to see it was just how I imagined. There was the sense of a real "seat of the pants" diagnosis style but given so little time and so few resources what else could it be?
Not only does Benji have to deal with patients who obfuscate, demur and downright lie about how ill they are - either too much or too little but he's also got to deal with the ones who think they are werewolves or have cured viral outbreaks or are being poisoned by the drugs prescribed to cure them.
So much of the book deals with the limitations of poorly funded units and overworked doctors that it could be depressing but Benji Waterhouse has that rarest of things - an extremely light touch on the steering wheel that continually tips the depressing into snort-worthy hilarity.
Loved it. Looked forward to reading it. Highly recommend it
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House, Vintage for the advance review copy.
This is the story of Benji Waterhouse, newly qualified doctor, on his journey specialising in psychiatry. I can't imagine a job more designed to depress and terrify and was delighted to see it was just how I imagined. There was the sense of a real "seat of the pants" diagnosis style but given so little time and so few resources what else could it be?
Not only does Benji have to deal with patients who obfuscate, demur and downright lie about how ill they are - either too much or too little but he's also got to deal with the ones who think they are werewolves or have cured viral outbreaks or are being poisoned by the drugs prescribed to cure them.
So much of the book deals with the limitations of poorly funded units and overworked doctors that it could be depressing but Benji Waterhouse has that rarest of things - an extremely light touch on the steering wheel that continually tips the depressing into snort-worthy hilarity.
Loved it. Looked forward to reading it. Highly recommend it
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House, Vintage for the advance review copy.
January 19, 2025
Bardzo dobra, brać i czytać. Nie jest lekka, ale jest zabawna. Nie wywróciła mojego myślenia do góry nogami, ale w kilku momentach zmusiła do odłożenia książki i przetrawienia tego, co czytam.
May 8, 2024
Dr Benji Waterhouse opens the door to his psychiatry office and gives us the opportunity to learn more about the NHS mental health services. From his time as a junior doctor, stints at the crisis team and PICU through to a consultant. We get to meet some of his patients, colleagues, family and learn about his own mental health.
The start of this had me rolling with laughter, it was absolutely hilarious! Unfortunately, that smile is quickly off my face as he gets further in to the mental health crisis and the impact it not only has on the patients, but the staff too.
“Statistically one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point, and while mental illness accounts for 28% of the nations overall disease burden, it receives just 13% of nhs funding. In fact, despite increased demand for mental health support, the number of psychiatric beds in England has fallen from 67,000 in 1988 to be 18,000 in 2019”
Some of the patient’s stories will pull at your heart strings and some will make you chuckle (even though you know you shouldn’t!). I found Paige’s story particularly sad. Unwell, but not unwell enough to have access to the help she clearly needs to get better. It was difficult to read that the stigma of personality disorders doesn’t just lay with the general public, but health professionals too.
“In reality people with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violence. Alcohol and drug misuse is a far bigger risk factor for violence and homicide, yet curiously people don’t fear parties like they do psychiatric hospitals”
As someone who was diagnosed as bipolar, after bouncing around in the system for 15 years, it was an incredibly interesting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my advanced copy.
The start of this had me rolling with laughter, it was absolutely hilarious! Unfortunately, that smile is quickly off my face as he gets further in to the mental health crisis and the impact it not only has on the patients, but the staff too.
“Statistically one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point, and while mental illness accounts for 28% of the nations overall disease burden, it receives just 13% of nhs funding. In fact, despite increased demand for mental health support, the number of psychiatric beds in England has fallen from 67,000 in 1988 to be 18,000 in 2019”
Some of the patient’s stories will pull at your heart strings and some will make you chuckle (even though you know you shouldn’t!). I found Paige’s story particularly sad. Unwell, but not unwell enough to have access to the help she clearly needs to get better. It was difficult to read that the stigma of personality disorders doesn’t just lay with the general public, but health professionals too.
“In reality people with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violence. Alcohol and drug misuse is a far bigger risk factor for violence and homicide, yet curiously people don’t fear parties like they do psychiatric hospitals”
As someone who was diagnosed as bipolar, after bouncing around in the system for 15 years, it was an incredibly interesting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my advanced copy.
September 19, 2024
Šajos jaunā psihiatra memuāros ir tik daudz kā - humora, empātijas, traku stāstu un aizkustinošu brīžu… Autoram ir izdevies panākt nevainojamu līdzsvaru starp medicīnisko pusi un personisko pieredzi - savā darbā Lielbritānijas medicīnas sistēmā ceļā no rezidenta līdz ārstam-konsultantam.
Psihiatrija ir medicīnas nozare, par kuru daudziem
ir viedoklis, t.sk. pašiem ārstiem. Domāju, ka šī grāmata dos lielu ieguldījumu sabiedrības izglītošanā ar savu neizpušķoto ieskatu gan slēgta tipa psihiatriskajā slimnīcā, gan pašvaldības uzturētā konsultāciju centrā, kā arī piespiedu ārstēšanas nodaļā, kurā ievieto smagi garīgi slimos pacientus.
Zinu, ka daudzi Voterhausa darbu salīdzina ar “Mazliet sāpēs” - abas grāmatas ir lieliskas katra savā veidā. Tās vieno humors, “You don’t have to be mad to work here” autoram izdevies par saviem pacientiem stāstot ar lielu sirsnību un cilvēcību, par sevi - atklāti un neslēpjoties aiz baltā virssvārča dotā statusa. Viņš stāsta arī par izdegšanu, sarežģītajām attiecībām ar saviem vecākiem un izaicinājumiem, ar ko sastopas cilvēki, veidojot pirmās nopietnās attiecības.
Ceru, ka šo darbu kādreiz ieraudzīsim arī latviski!
Psihiatrija ir medicīnas nozare, par kuru daudziem
ir viedoklis, t.sk. pašiem ārstiem. Domāju, ka šī grāmata dos lielu ieguldījumu sabiedrības izglītošanā ar savu neizpušķoto ieskatu gan slēgta tipa psihiatriskajā slimnīcā, gan pašvaldības uzturētā konsultāciju centrā, kā arī piespiedu ārstēšanas nodaļā, kurā ievieto smagi garīgi slimos pacientus.
Zinu, ka daudzi Voterhausa darbu salīdzina ar “Mazliet sāpēs” - abas grāmatas ir lieliskas katra savā veidā. Tās vieno humors, “You don’t have to be mad to work here” autoram izdevies par saviem pacientiem stāstot ar lielu sirsnību un cilvēcību, par sevi - atklāti un neslēpjoties aiz baltā virssvārča dotā statusa. Viņš stāsta arī par izdegšanu, sarežģītajām attiecībām ar saviem vecākiem un izaicinājumiem, ar ko sastopas cilvēki, veidojot pirmās nopietnās attiecības.
Ceru, ka šo darbu kādreiz ieraudzīsim arī latviski!
March 2, 2024
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in return for an open and honest review.
Found this book funny in parts as the author decides to specialise and we hear him discuss his many patients and how mental health is still underfunded and understaffed compared to physical illness. Liked the candid humour and the book was an easy read.
Found this book funny in parts as the author decides to specialise and we hear him discuss his many patients and how mental health is still underfunded and understaffed compared to physical illness. Liked the candid humour and the book was an easy read.
October 28, 2024
Damn, to była książka w 100% dla mnie. Pośmiałam się, powzruszałam i pozachwycałam tym połączeniem humoru z wrażliwością i szacunkiem. 🫀 Top!
December 23, 2024
Waterhouse is also a stand-up comedian and is definitely channelling Adam Kay in his funny and touching debut memoir. Most chapters are pen portraits of patients and colleagues he has worked with. He also puts his own family under the microscope as he undergoes therapy to work through the sources of his anxiety and depression and tackles his reluctance to date seriously. In the first few years, he worked in a hospital and in community psychiatry, which involved house visits. Even though identifying details have been changed to make the case studies anonymous, Waterhouse manages to create memorable characters, such as Tariq, an unhoused man who travels with a dog (a pity Waterhouse is mortally afraid of dogs), and Sebastian, an outwardly successful City worker who had been minutes away from hanging himself before Waterhouse and his colleague rang on the door.
Along with such close shaves, there are tragic mistakes and tentative successes. But progress is difficult to measure. “Predicting human behaviour isn’t an exact science. We’re just relying on clinical assessment, a gut feeling and sometimes a prayer,” Waterhouse tells his medical student. The book gives a keen sense of the challenges of working for the NHS in an underfunded field, especially under Covid strictures. He is honest and open about his own failings but ends on the positive note of making advances in his relationship with his parents. This was a great read that I’d recommend beyond medical-memoir junkies like myself. Waterhouse has storytelling chops and the frequent one-liners lighten even difficult topics:
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Along with such close shaves, there are tragic mistakes and tentative successes. But progress is difficult to measure. “Predicting human behaviour isn’t an exact science. We’re just relying on clinical assessment, a gut feeling and sometimes a prayer,” Waterhouse tells his medical student. The book gives a keen sense of the challenges of working for the NHS in an underfunded field, especially under Covid strictures. He is honest and open about his own failings but ends on the positive note of making advances in his relationship with his parents. This was a great read that I’d recommend beyond medical-memoir junkies like myself. Waterhouse has storytelling chops and the frequent one-liners lighten even difficult topics:
The sum total of my wisdom from time spent in the community: lots of people have complicated, shit lives.
Ambiguous statements … need clarification. Like when a depressed patient telephones to say they’re ‘in a bad place’. I need to check if they’re suicidal or just visiting Peterborough.
What is it about losing your mind that means you so often mislay your footwear too?
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
December 28, 2023
A bitter-sweet memoir written by a young doctor specializing in psychiatry. It´s hilarious, it´s sad, it´s horrifying, it´d depressing. All at once.
The author tells us what it´s like to work in an underfinanced and understaffed system (that´s an euphemism big time!), a system that should care about the most vulnerable members of our society, yet it mostly struggles to somehow manage the situation. The system is on the brink of collapsing, and it looks like nobody cares.
A few facts:
* "(...) mental illness accounts for 28% of the nations overall disease burden, it receives just 12% of NHS funding." Oh well, this should come as a big shock, but somehow we know that already.
* "(...) the number of psychiatric beds in England has fallen from 67.000 in 1988 to just 18.000 in 2019." Now this is something that deserves a big WTF moment.
* "Sometimes patients are sent up to 300 miles away to the closest hospital bed. In 2019 psychiatric patients travelled the equivalent of twenty-two times around the world for out-of-area beds - can you imagine us making someone on crutches do that?" - yes, I can.
* ECT, known as shock therapy, where they run some electricity through your brain is still on. Nope, this isn't a joke. On a private note - while I was at university ages ago, we were told that frying brain is a thing of the past, which was a great relief. Twenty years later I met someone recently then released from a mental institution in Ireland who claimed that she had received the ECT therapy. I wanted to call her a liar. Now this. Once again it looks to me like Eastern Europe is far more advanced and more civilized than Western Europe. And the funny thing is that there is no proof at all that the shock therapy works!
* 6.000 tonnes of untouched food ends up in a bin every year, and this is just in hospitals!
The reality is that NHS is somehow a toxic corporation to work in. They aim to help people, but they rarely do. Despite some amazing people working there, despite the efforts of many it's not working. As Benji said the "work was making me ill" and yet he mustn´t have said to his superiors openly what and why, because he would have gotten a black stain on his record. Honesty is NOT appreciated at all. So if you tell the truth about working more hours than the European Working Time Directive allows, they will sack you. No wonder they haven´t got staff.
I´m sorry if I made you feel like this book is depressing, grim and boring. It´s NOT. I found it hilarious. Not to spoil the funny parts for you, let me just tell you that in the Acknowledgments the author thanks... "the makers of Jaffa Cakes and Yorkshire Tea for keeping me nourished and focused during the writing process." How sweet. I have never ever read thanks to tea and cookies. I love it, do you?
The author tells us what it´s like to work in an underfinanced and understaffed system (that´s an euphemism big time!), a system that should care about the most vulnerable members of our society, yet it mostly struggles to somehow manage the situation. The system is on the brink of collapsing, and it looks like nobody cares.
A few facts:
* "(...) mental illness accounts for 28% of the nations overall disease burden, it receives just 12% of NHS funding." Oh well, this should come as a big shock, but somehow we know that already.
* "(...) the number of psychiatric beds in England has fallen from 67.000 in 1988 to just 18.000 in 2019." Now this is something that deserves a big WTF moment.
* "Sometimes patients are sent up to 300 miles away to the closest hospital bed. In 2019 psychiatric patients travelled the equivalent of twenty-two times around the world for out-of-area beds - can you imagine us making someone on crutches do that?" - yes, I can.
* ECT, known as shock therapy, where they run some electricity through your brain is still on. Nope, this isn't a joke. On a private note - while I was at university ages ago, we were told that frying brain is a thing of the past, which was a great relief. Twenty years later I met someone recently then released from a mental institution in Ireland who claimed that she had received the ECT therapy. I wanted to call her a liar. Now this. Once again it looks to me like Eastern Europe is far more advanced and more civilized than Western Europe. And the funny thing is that there is no proof at all that the shock therapy works!
* 6.000 tonnes of untouched food ends up in a bin every year, and this is just in hospitals!
The reality is that NHS is somehow a toxic corporation to work in. They aim to help people, but they rarely do. Despite some amazing people working there, despite the efforts of many it's not working. As Benji said the "work was making me ill" and yet he mustn´t have said to his superiors openly what and why, because he would have gotten a black stain on his record. Honesty is NOT appreciated at all. So if you tell the truth about working more hours than the European Working Time Directive allows, they will sack you. No wonder they haven´t got staff.
I´m sorry if I made you feel like this book is depressing, grim and boring. It´s NOT. I found it hilarious. Not to spoil the funny parts for you, let me just tell you that in the Acknowledgments the author thanks... "the makers of Jaffa Cakes and Yorkshire Tea for keeping me nourished and focused during the writing process." How sweet. I have never ever read thanks to tea and cookies. I love it, do you?
April 24, 2024
When I picked this up, I didn't really know what to expect. It was a memoir and non fiction and I don’t expect to live it as much as I did! Forget every Hollywood portrayal of any psychiatrist EVER. This darkly funny memoir by Dr. Benji Waterhouse offers a honest look behind the scenes. But this isn’t just about his patients; it’s a personal journey too. As Benji grapples with the long hours, emotional toll, and societal stigma surrounding his profession, you’ll see the human side of a doctor confronting the complexities of the mind. "You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here" is a thought-provoking and entertaining memoir that will make you laugh, cry, and gain a whole new respect for the world of psychiatry.
June 12, 2024
4.5⭐️
This was so funny, and sad, and heartbreaking – everything at once, really!
If you've read "This Is Going to Hurt" by Adam Kay, you'll know by now that the NHS in the UK is far from ideal.
And in this book, they're unfortunately still just as understaffed and underfunded as in Adam's Kay memoir.
I felt that I got to know the author quite well through his stories, and I must say that I admire his honesty about his own feelings of doubt, hopelessness, and melancholy. And his honesty about his family – because his family anecdotes were fantastic. They were just incredibly funny (and relatable😎), and some of them were quite moving.
There were many interesting observations and reflections on mental illness in this book that I will be thinking about for some time.
A very good book!
This was so funny, and sad, and heartbreaking – everything at once, really!
If you've read "This Is Going to Hurt" by Adam Kay, you'll know by now that the NHS in the UK is far from ideal.
And in this book, they're unfortunately still just as understaffed and underfunded as in Adam's Kay memoir.
I felt that I got to know the author quite well through his stories, and I must say that I admire his honesty about his own feelings of doubt, hopelessness, and melancholy. And his honesty about his family – because his family anecdotes were fantastic. They were just incredibly funny (and relatable😎), and some of them were quite moving.
There were many interesting observations and reflections on mental illness in this book that I will be thinking about for some time.
A very good book!
May 27, 2024
This is the personal and private view of how it is to work in psychiatry for the NHS. It’s funny and heartbreaking at the same time. We get a view on how dire the needs are, how poorly these are being met and the struggling personnel keeping up the front. Well worth reading! The author’s humor makes up for the despair.
January 26, 2025
Cilvēcīgs, sirsnīgs, atklāts ieskats psihiatru (un pacientu un viņu ģimeņu) ikdienā. Caur smiekliem un asarām, ar nebeidzamiem neatbildētiem un pagaidām neatbildamiem jautājumiem.
November 30, 2024
DNF 31%.
Zabawnych lekarzy wyczerpaliśmy na Adamie Kay'u.
Zabawnych lekarzy wyczerpaliśmy na Adamie Kay'u.
January 12, 2025
this made me laugh and cry (a lot). i think it takes a specific kind of person to choose to be around suffering all day, and it can be deeply unsettling to face the reality of how much you can really help. walking through benji’s reckoning with this in a field as tough as NHS psychiatry is heartbreaking and beautiful. he doesn’t shy away from calling out the bs in psychiatry, or from exploring his own experience with mental illness. these insights are intertwined throughout the book with retellings of patient interactions, therapy sessions, and childhood memories. this book is deeply personal and hilarious, and it feels like you’re right next to benji on the rollercoaster as he’s trying to figure this mess out (especially if you listen to the audiobook - highly recommend).
mental illness is significantly more common in healthcare professionals, especially in mental health, yet there’s still an ironically large amount of stigma around getting help for it. i really appreciate benji’s bravery in sharing his experience in the NHS as a psychiatrist and a patient with humour and without sugarcoating. this is the kind of book that’ll stick with me for a while, and i really recommend it even if you’re not interested in psychiatry.
mental illness is significantly more common in healthcare professionals, especially in mental health, yet there’s still an ironically large amount of stigma around getting help for it. i really appreciate benji’s bravery in sharing his experience in the NHS as a psychiatrist and a patient with humour and without sugarcoating. this is the kind of book that’ll stick with me for a while, and i really recommend it even if you’re not interested in psychiatry.
May 12, 2024
A brilliantly witty insight into life as a mental health professional. Working in this area I love reading a book that brings mental health into the forefront and shows the highs and lows of this profession. The openness from the author was much appreciated. I think it’s accessible and human. Definitely would compare it to Adam Kay, but better as it mental health focused! Everyone read this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
July 22, 2024
Sadly a true insight to the day to day workings of the mental health system. Thank goodness for his sense of humour. I now have even more empathy for the junior doctors I work alongside.
August 6, 2025
A really honest reflection of training as a psychiatrist in the NHS. An often bleak setting where some of the most chronic and debilitating illness are treated. Benji manages to use humour (like most doctors I’d argue) to balance his emotions and face adversity, whilst struggling to maintain his compassion in often a compassion-less setting. Didn’t put me off psychiatry, which i think is probably a high compliment!
June 11, 2024
A gut wrenching, witty memoir of an NHS psychiatrist. We get the insights of Benji’s draining professional life and a peak into his personal life.
So many important notes on mental health and how it is viewed, treated, and more importantly neglected by the majority.
I wanted to laugh and cry.
So many important notes on mental health and how it is viewed, treated, and more importantly neglected by the majority.
I wanted to laugh and cry.
September 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a counsellor myself, I absolutely loved this book. It gave me a whole new level of respect for those working in the depths of mental health services, and it also helped me reflect on the difference between my own work, supporting clients through often very difficult issues, and the intensity of working with people whose struggles may require hospitalisation.
Benji’s honesty throughout is refreshing, real, and moving. The way he shares both the challenges and the humour in his work makes the book so relatable, while also shining a light on the reality of supporting people through such difficult times.
A heartfelt thank you, Benji, for writing this, it’s both inspiring and grounding.
As a counsellor myself, I absolutely loved this book. It gave me a whole new level of respect for those working in the depths of mental health services, and it also helped me reflect on the difference between my own work, supporting clients through often very difficult issues, and the intensity of working with people whose struggles may require hospitalisation.
Benji’s honesty throughout is refreshing, real, and moving. The way he shares both the challenges and the humour in his work makes the book so relatable, while also shining a light on the reality of supporting people through such difficult times.
A heartfelt thank you, Benji, for writing this, it’s both inspiring and grounding.
October 20, 2024
Książka bardzo interesująca i przede wszystkim ważna, zwracająca uwagę na to, o czym czasami się nie mówi, albo mówić nie wypada.
Benji Waterhouse zabiera nas za kulisy swojej pracy. Pokazuje nam życie osób dotkniętych różnymi chorobami psychicznymi, jednocześnie podsycając wszystko humorystycznymi wstawkami, które sprawiają, że o wiele łatwiej można zrozumieć daną sytuację i rozpatrzyć ją na spokojnie.
Autor z chorób psychicznych robi coś zaskakująco 'normalnego'. Tam gdzie śmiać się nie powinno, autor robi coś całkowicie odwrotnego i niejednokrotnie wywołuje uśmiech na ustach czytelnika. Pozostaje kwestia tego, czy czytelnik ten humor zaakceptuje i będzie wyciągał z książki jak najwięcej, czy tylko się zniechęci. Niemniej książka jest naprawdę godna polecenia, bo odkrywa takie karty, których czasami samemu odkryć nie można.
Za książkę bardzo dziękuję pani Bognie Piechockiej oraz wydawnictwu Znak Literanova.
Benji Waterhouse zabiera nas za kulisy swojej pracy. Pokazuje nam życie osób dotkniętych różnymi chorobami psychicznymi, jednocześnie podsycając wszystko humorystycznymi wstawkami, które sprawiają, że o wiele łatwiej można zrozumieć daną sytuację i rozpatrzyć ją na spokojnie.
Autor z chorób psychicznych robi coś zaskakująco 'normalnego'. Tam gdzie śmiać się nie powinno, autor robi coś całkowicie odwrotnego i niejednokrotnie wywołuje uśmiech na ustach czytelnika. Pozostaje kwestia tego, czy czytelnik ten humor zaakceptuje i będzie wyciągał z książki jak najwięcej, czy tylko się zniechęci. Niemniej książka jest naprawdę godna polecenia, bo odkrywa takie karty, których czasami samemu odkryć nie można.
Za książkę bardzo dziękuję pani Bognie Piechockiej oraz wydawnictwu Znak Literanova.
August 7, 2025
I was gifted this by my supervisor after finishing 6 months on psychiatry as a token to remember my time there - on an initial read of the acknowledgments (where my supervisor had a shout out) and subsequently stalking of social media I realised that it’s actually their friends book! :/ HOWEVER I really enjoyed this - a very witty and realistic account of working on psychiatry. Imagine Adam Kay’s “this is going to hurt” psychiatry edition! Really recommend for anyone wanting to get a bit of insight into psychiatry services in the UK or if they want to gain an insight into what I have been up to for the last 6 months (especially given it’s all based at the hospital where I worked!)
May 28, 2024
I really liked this.
At first I took a while to get into Benji and his Adam Kay style of storytelling the life of a doctor, specifically a psychiatrist doctor working in the NHS. But he rapidly grew on me and I found myself laughing and being moved by his patients, their loved ones, colleagues and Benji himself.
It really worked how he melded in his own misgivings, lack of confidence on the job and struggles in life more generally whilst having such a duty of care day to day for others.
For example, his tutor or therapist may say something to him and we as the reader know that he has all kinds of frank responses, but of course answers 'yep, all good' and so life moves on. Like I say, often very funny but with a heavy dose (excuse the pun) of 'if you didn't laugh you would cry'
At first I took a while to get into Benji and his Adam Kay style of storytelling the life of a doctor, specifically a psychiatrist doctor working in the NHS. But he rapidly grew on me and I found myself laughing and being moved by his patients, their loved ones, colleagues and Benji himself.
It really worked how he melded in his own misgivings, lack of confidence on the job and struggles in life more generally whilst having such a duty of care day to day for others.
For example, his tutor or therapist may say something to him and we as the reader know that he has all kinds of frank responses, but of course answers 'yep, all good' and so life moves on. Like I say, often very funny but with a heavy dose (excuse the pun) of 'if you didn't laugh you would cry'
December 17, 2025
Very interesting book, it shows the depressing realities of mental healthcare in the NHS, where depression, anxiety and even OCD are seen as "minor". Having to send home suicidal patients because another one is "more" suicidal is absolutely mad (excuse the pun).
It was well written, entertaining even if dark.
It was well written, entertaining even if dark.
November 28, 2024
This book was so relatable although I’m a social worker and the author is a psychiatrist. I loved the humor, the clients, the interactions with people, how open Benji was open about their struggles, their journey in getting help and growing as a professional and also hitting rock bottom. It was funny and inspiring. Def a great book :)
June 15, 2025
Really loved this! A perfect blend of funny and entertaining yet thought provoking and informative. One small thing being that I don’t understand why the audiobook had this Minecraft like music between each chapter. Apart from that, it was amazing, I was itching to get through this as quick as possible
January 19, 2025
If u loved this is going to hurt you’ll love this more as it hurts more🥲
September 10, 2025
Absolutely loved this. Honest, funny, touching and also a fascinating/damning insight into the state of mental health services. Really very moving.
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March 31, 2025yikes…
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