Having suffered from my own mental health and PTSD for many years, I always like to hear from others who can share their own personal stories. It doesn't just make an argument for honesty, it makes one for kindness and understanding (without ever taking them for granted). Final note to say is to say that the comedy in this book will have you laughing at things you thought were morally wrong to laugh at, but here you are belly laughing at suicidal jokes.

This a searingly honest must read. Joe has wisdom, kindness and a deep understanding of mental health issues. He is also hilarious with a delicious sense of humour. His book will save lives and I cannot recommend it highly enough * Lorraine Kelly *This book is incredibly honest, and I know it cannot have been easy to write. But it is so beneficial and I know that this book will save many people's lives. The book is a real rollercoaster ride of emotions, echoing the life of Tracini himself. He doesn’t delve into where his BPD came from, although it’s fairly obvious his Mum and Dad weren’t Mr and Mrs Perfect Pants Parents. Perhaps that’s because they’ll be reading his book? But he does make it obvious they were more likely to take a pair of shears to pernicious weeds in the garden rather than dig them up by the roots. Disapproval and emotional distance are clearly big factors in his family dynamic. Feelings aren’t a choice. We don’t choose how we feel. The only choice we have is weather or not to tell someone about it” I will now use a simple but hopefully effective metaphor to demonstrate how much easier it is to understand something you can’t see if you imagine that it’s something you can. At the end of the book he says in a typically self-deprecating way: “hopefully this book makes you more able to see what’s happening in someone else’s brain and feel less alone with what’s happening in yours.”

I didn't know anything about BPD till I watched Joe's videos. He has a very dark side and a very funny side of himself. He tries to explain what your life is like when you essentially have a brain that's trying to kill you every day.' - Davina McCallHow has the relationship changed him? “It’s given me something to live for more. Having Holly in my life has made me feel more capable of some sort of future, though I can’t think long term.” Tracini is developing a BPD standup routine, which he hopes to take on the road. “It’s called Ten Things That I Hate About Me. It’s basically a Ted Talk gone wrong,” he says.

In my opinion, this book is a must-read for anyone trying to better understand other people's experiences, and to really appreciate that you can never, ever tell what a person may be going through just by looking at them. He tries to explain what your life is like when you essentially have a brain that's trying to kill you every day.' But I had run out of options. I'd done everything I 'd been told to do and I still thought about killing myself every day. So I wrote this book to save my life. I managed to get my hands on this book 4 days early and devoured the whole thing in a day. I’ll start by saying that this book is a very heavy read, and as Joe points out, if you’re not ready to read this book or easily triggered then please don’t read it. Nicest man in showbiz". Cornish Guardian. Northcliffe Media. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012 . Retrieved 13 August 2011.However, the interview caused a divide between viewers, with one saying: "Get him off, this is causing me anxiety. #lorraine" Read More Related Articles Life is just so exhausting, he says, that there is not a moment when he is unaware of himself. Has he never felt inner calm? Actually, yes, there was one day, recently. A truly extraordinary book. Brave, beautiful and brilliant. Heartbreaking, harrowing and frequently hilarious. Joe Tracini travels to the horrible heart of his abominable illness and unflinchingly examines the misery it has heaped upon him and everyone around him. Incredibly, he emerges from the darkness with a timeless tale of love, hope and redemption that will be of immeasurable help to people facing the most destructive demons and, crucially, everyone who loves them. Please read this book. It will make the world a better place * James O'Brien *