May Cause Side Effects - by Brooke Siem

About the Book

Millennial chef Brooke Siem was among the first generation of teens to be prescribed antidepressants. Fifteen years later, and still on the same medication, she is contemplating suicide. Forced out of her waking dead nightmare, she shares a messy but hopeful story of what happens when blunted and numbed children finally grow up and take charge of their lives.

Book Synopsis

Millennial chef Brooke Siem was among the first generation of teens to be prescribed antidepressants. Fifteen years later, and still on the same medication, she is contemplating suicide. Forced out of her waking dead nightmare, she shares a messy but hopeful story of what happens when blunted and numbed children finally grow up and take charge of their lives.

Review Quotes

"Siem's remembrance is as powerfully affecting as it is thoughtful. She combines a courageously confessional forthrightness with an impressive intellectual appraisal."-Kirkus Reviews

"This is a heart-rending and tender memoir that will start conversations we urgently need to have. It's moving and important."--Johann Hari, author of New York Times bestseller Chasing the Scream and international bestseller Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression--and the Unexpected Solutions

"May Cause Side Effects made me weep. It grabs you from the first page and won't let go. Brooke's depiction of the fragility and strength of the psyche goes straight to the gut, all at once cutting, wicked, and wise."--Laura Munson, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Haven Writing Retreats

"Brooke gives voice to a generation of young people medicated unnecessarily for grief and loss. But she is not cowered, and her bravery is an inspiration to all who would like to live more authentically. Hopefully others will learn from her experience to separate themselves from the withdrawal effects caused by coming off antidepressants, and to find a life beyond."--Mark Horowitz, MBBS, PhD, Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry at University College London and the National Health Service, England

"A gripping story that inspires us all to go back and find the parts of ourselves we lost along the way--to finally, joyfully become who we really are."--Amy B. Scher, bestselling author of This Is How I Save My Life

About the Author

Brooke Siem is a writer and award-winning chef whose work and story has appeared in the Washington Post, Psychology Today, EatingWell magazine, and more. She is a Food Network Chopped Champion and was named one of Zagat's 30 Under 30. She is also the creator of "Happiness is a Skill," a newsletter devoted to antidepressant withdrawal education, safe de-prescribing, and the practice of creating happiness. When she's not writing or cooking, she can be found in Nevada, lounging in the desert sun with her rescue mutt, Bellaroo.