New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
"A brilliant, honest, necessary book that exposes the
intricacies of the human brain while showing us the way creativity and
friendship can anchor us. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered
if they see the world a little differently." -Ada Limón
A New Yorker cartoonist illustrates his lifelong
struggle with OCD in cartoon vignettes frank and funny
Jason Adam Katzenstein is just trying to live his life, but he
keeps getting sidetracked by his over-active, anxious brain. Mundane events
like shaking hands or sharing a drink snowball into absolute catastrophes.
Jason has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental illness that compels him to
perform rituals in order to protect himself from dangers that don't really
exist. He checks, washes, over-thinks, rinse, repeat.
He does his best to hide his embarrassing compulsions, and
sometimes this even works. He grows up, worries about his first kiss, falls in
love with making cartoons, moves to New York City -- which is magical and
gross, etc. All the while, half his energy goes into living his life, while the
other half is devoted to the increasingly ridiculous rituals he's decided to
maintain to keep himself from fully short-circuiting,
Then, he fully short-circuits.
At his absolute lowest, Jason finally decides to do the things
he's always been told to do to get better: exposure therapy and medication.
These are the things that have always freaked him out, and they continue to
freak him out. Also, they help him recover.
Everything is an Emergency is a comic about all the self-destructive
stories someone tells himself, over and over, until they start to seem true. In
images surreal, witty, and confessional, Jason shows us that OCD can be funny,
even when it feels like it's ruining your life.
