Vreau să mor, dar tot vreau să mănânc tteokbokki

This memoir records a series of therapy sessions between Baek Se-hee, a young professional in social media marketing, and her psychiatrist. The dialogue focuses on Baek’s experience with dysthymia, a persistent state of low-grade depression characterized by chronic feelings of inadequacy and emotional exhaustion. Through transcribed conversations, Baek examines the contradiction of feeling a desire for self-destruction while simultaneously seeking comfort in simple pleasures like her favorite spicy rice cakes. She discusses her struggles with external validation, social anxiety, and the exhausting practice of maintaining a cheerful facade to mask internal emptiness.

Readers who identify with high-functioning depression or the pressure to perform happiness will find a mirror in these transcripts. The book serves those looking for a clinical yet personal look at psychiatric treatment without romanticized conclusions. Instead of providing a definitive cure, the text offers tools for identifying behavioral patterns and managing the cycle of self-criticism. The reader leaves with a realistic perspective on living with a chronic mental health condition and the understanding that small joys can coexist with immense sadness.

Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and open-ended; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?