It’s not bad? I don’t really know why, but I just couldn’t get into this book at all. Usually I love graphic novels (yes, I know this is a graphic memoir which is a bit different) but I just couldn’t get into this one.

A raw and real look at a mental disorder that makes O.C.D. understandable and relatable. Katzenstein explains O.C.D. in a clear, concise way, without falling into "poor me" territory. Watching him go through the progression of his illness over the course of the book was rough at times, but it's an important trip to make, I think, as it helped me to understand better what someone with O.C.D. goes through. I'm sure this would be a great book for people who have or know someone with O.C.D., and I imagine this would be helpful for people with anxiety, as well as other mental disorders. I suffer from depression, and found a lot of the content helpful. Katzenstein went through quite a struggle, but he was able to learn how to control and deal with his O.C.D., and that gives the rest of us with mental illnesses hope, always a good thing to have.

#EverythingIsanEmergency #NetGalley

This is an authentic depiction of one man's experience with OCD. It is easy to read and creates visibility for individuals experiencing OCD. Highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful illustrated memoir of what it's like living with OCD throughout a lifetime. This book is raw and strips away the romanticized, Hollywood portrait of what it's like to live with this disorder. I liked how the author had their illustrations grow and develop to directly correlate with their age.

The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

It can be difficult for the average person to understand the struggles of a person with a mental illness. Especially OCD. Movies and television have don us a great disservice in the way they portray OCD, usually as being compelled to count or to wash hands. Its almost always played up for comedic effect and is implied that its something that can be overcome through force of will. This portrayal is not only inaccurate, its really harmful. And that's the important role that memoirs can play, especially a graphic memoir like this one. Art can be uniquely able to show us the complexities of emotions. We see through illustrations Katzenstein's fear, foreboding, and near collapse caused by OCD. We see the self effacing nature of giving in to compulsions, even when the sufferer knows they are irrational. Its not a comfortable read but will drive us to compassion.

What an honest, raw, vulnerable account of one mans struggle with OCD. As a cartoonist, Katzenstein can convey in his drawings what sometimes can’t be accurately portrayed with words (though he dies a great job of this, as well). Do you struggle with OCD? Know anyone who does.? Read this in order to understand the struggle better. I’ve already purchased a copy & recommended it to family & friends alike.

This is a good read for someone suffering from OCD or for someone trying to understand it. I am the former. The author manages to explain certain things in a way that I've been unable to do when communicating with people in my life. There were also a few tips in here that I hadn't heard before. I can't say it's a funny book in general, but there were parts that made me laugh just because they were so true to life.

I loved this book. It is hard to find books written by people that get what it is like to live with OCD. I appreciate that the author let us into his world and see everything. This is a book that can help people understand OCD.

Everything is an Emergency is a heartfelt graphic novel by Jason Adam Katzenstein that details his life with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Katzenstein’s first memories revolve around some common childhood fears, that his parents were able to manage with typical strategies, but these fears became deeper phobias that took more and more managing to control. At first Katzenstein’s phobias could be explained away, but they soon started taking control of his life and his childhood and teenage years were challenging because of his extreme anxiety. He developed OCD tendencies to cope but then became a slave to them. Eventually, he moved to NYC to work as an artist, but his phobias held him back professionally, romantically and affected his relationships with his family members.

Katzenstein defined himself as a tortured artist, so he resisted taking medicine thinking he wouldn’t be him anymore, and that it could affect his creativity. However, he needed to push through and break the destructive cycles he was in, so he explored exposure therapy and medication. And by doing so he actually opened himself up to new avenues of creativity, as he wasn’t locked into panic attacks and crippling anxiety.

Katzenstein’s artwork in black and white was evocative and surreal at times. Some of his swirling expressive pictures reminded me of The New Yorker editorial cartoons, so it was apropos to find out he has had some of his artwork showcased there. He finds humor in his agony, but it also will give you optimism to see that he has worked through many of his issues and has come out stronger because of it. Thank you to NetGalley for bringing to my attention a graphic novel that addresses mental health issues in a respectful and hopeful way and shows that therapy can be a life-saver.

I discovered Everything Is An Emergency through Publishers Weekly's Summer Reads 2020 preview (https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/summer-reads-2020), namely the featured Comics. I was not familiar with Jason Katzenstein's previous titles, so Everything Is An Emergency was my introduction to both his work and his story. I really admire his bravery in managing his at-times-debilitating obsessive compulsive disorder, and sharing his experiences with so much candor. However, I never fully connected with this book as a graphic memoir. I often felt like I was reading an illustrated essay instead of a truly integrated combination of text and illustrations to portray a story; Marbles by Ellen Forney comes to mind as a masterful example of a graphic memoir depicting the author's experiences with mental illness.

This book already has an especial place in my heart. I loved to hear Jason's story. It choked me how much I related to this. (I'll definitely be going to a therapist after this is all over)

His sincerity was welcomed, I hate seeing people "sugarcoating" their experiences, and we definitely do not see that here. He was raw and honest.

I hope he continues to improve.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

An OCD graphic memoir that’s equal parts harrowing and humorous.

** Content warning for mental health issues. **

Jason Adam Katzenstein is just a kid when he starts developing irrational fears. It begins with a creepy statue in his grandparents’ house; then he starts having nightmares about the Man with Red Eyes from A WRINKLE IN TIME. Next come the compulsions, such as the need to pick up every. single. piece. of. litter., in an attempt to boost his karmic points, a la THE GOOD PLACE. These are closely followed by obsessions: with cleanliness and contamination and, later, feelings centered around guilt, panic, and relationships.

EVERYTHING IS AN EMERGENCY: AN OCD STORY IN WORDS & PICTURES is a graphic memoir outlining Jason’s journey. As his OCD continues to escalate, his parents get divorced (it’s his child development specialist, Mary, who breaks the news). He experiences aggressive outbursts and fights with his stepdad; turns to dieting and exercise as a means of controlling something, anything in his life; discovers the transformative power of art; goes to college, makes friends, falls in love. Along the way, another therapist diagnoses Jason with OCD. But it’s not until he hits his rock bottom that he’s able to undertake the difficult work of getting better: both by going on meds, which could affect his work, and by confronting and neutralizing his fears through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a form of Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT).

EVERYTHING IS AN EMERGENCY hit me smack dab in the feels. Though I don’t have OCD, I have struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember, and found so many of these panels relatable on a visceral level. The CBT/ERP scenes are especially agonizing, since I’ve been living my own version of this for the past three and a half years. But it’s also counterbalanced by Jason’s delightfully dark sense of humor, conveyed masterfully through his artwork.

I was immediately taken by this quirky illustrated memoir. While not clinically diagnosed with OCD, I related to the author in quite a few ways. I was fascinated by the characterization of his feelings of contamination, guilt, panic, and relationships. I appreciated his reflection on how his troubles directly affected those close to him and not knowing how to help. I enjoyed all the comics that accompanied the mini stories throughout the book. This was a fast-paced read. I was rooted for him to succeed and to overcome/cope with his anxiety. Lately I have been interested in graphic memoirs especially those surrounding mental illness. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in experiencing intrusive thoughts that have the capability to encompass daily life. The ending felt a little abrupt and I felt myself wanting to read more.

Amazing graphic representation of OCD by a cartoonist! Everyone's experience with OCD varies, but I saw myself in Jason's story and found his struggles, coping mechanisms, and experience with ERP very true to my own experience, even though our triggers differed. How the author describe his childhood life along with the dark shadows that keep haunted him, never knew how desperate and miserable OCD people struggling with it since early life. The books gave voice and images about OCD.

This graphic novel is a humorous, heartfelt ode to the author's struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder throughout his life. I don't read too many graphic novels, but I picked this one out because of the subject matter. I wasn't disappointed. Katzenstein unravels his story in a conversational tone as he combines blunt honesty with a disarming sense of humor. He discusses his breaking points with the illness and outlines his experience with therapy and medication. I enjoyed the way this book discussed various topics surrounding this illness without stigmatizing any of it. Ultimately, the author has struggles, breaking points, recoveries, but in all of that, he uses humor, creativity, and enjoying those small moments of relief in life to carry on. Something we could all learn from. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars. Funny, insightful, relatable. Would recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an e-copy of this title.

As someone with OCD, I found this graphic memoir both hilarious and very relatable. I'd recommend it to those with OCD as well as those who want to understand a little more what the disorder is like.

I liked the art style in this and the story. I learned a lot about OCD but I also related to some things that this character has felt. I feel like this will be beneficial for other people if they have similar concerns for themselves or others.

This book is so relatable and the comic format really does the topic justice. I feel like this book will go over well with both people who have the same mental health concerns as the author but also others who know family or friends with these conditions. I really enjoyed this one.

So very powerful. How brave of Jason to share his story with the world, not leaving any of the dark parts out. His struggle with OCD growing up and into adulthood is one that will stay with me for a long time. I had a brief idea of what OCD could be before this book, but now I can honestly say my heart went out to Jason and goes out to every human who struggles with this mental disorder everyday without relief. This story could help some students at my school to give them hope so I will be purchasing it for them. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

In a way, <em>Everything is an Emergency</em> by Jason Adam Katzenstein isn't what I expected it to be. I guess when I requested it I was really just looking for something that would be relatable. As this is more a life story that happens to be about a man with OCD than anything else, I often found myself dissociating a bit from the work as a whole. In general, a fantastic autobiography, <em>Everything is an Emergency </em>didn't really stick with me in the end.

I think everyone experiences mental illness in their own way. Jason's way doesn't quite align with mine, but then I certainly don't have the level of OCD that he has. The important thing here, though, is that this is a very real and personal account of something that the author has lived with his entire life. Told in a series of adorable and, at times, hilarious comics, <em>Everything is an Emergency </em>immerses its readers in a world they may never have experienced otherwise.

This was a read I deeply appreciated. Autobiographies are incredibly important stories to those who author them. In the case of this book it is a constant uphill and downhill battle of finding out who you are and how to manage your life. Perhaps the most relatable piece of this entire book was the regular instances in which the author is pushing the rock up the hill and then following it back down.

The ups and downs of life are different for everyone and it was nice to get a look at this one.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>