Furiously Happy

Furiously Happy

Jenny Lawson's stuffed raccoon, Rory
Author	Jenny Lawson
Country	USA
Language	English
Subject	Mental Illness
Genre	Humor
Publisher	Flatiron Books
Publication date	2015
Media type	Print
Pages	329
ISBN	978-1-250-07700-4

Furiously Happy is the second book written by the humor author Jenny Lawson. It is an autobiographical memoir. This book deals with the author's struggle with depression and mental illness. The novel relates stories of the author's adult life.^[1] This book was published on September 22, 2015. It consists of funny short stories from various points in Lawson's life.

Summary

Furiously Happy. Dangerously Sad

This chapter is about her conversation with her mom about how she thinks that she is crazy and her mom keeps telling her that she isn’t crazy just… different. She talks about the different disorders in which she has been diagnosed.

I’ve found a Kindred Soul and He Has a Very Healthy Coat

This chapter is about when she was picking up her medications from the pharmacy she saw that the pharmacist ate some Milk-Bone dog treats. She wants to meet this pharmacist and find out the story behind it yet she never does.

My phone is More Fun to Hang Out with Than Me

This chapter is about how when she cannot sleep at night she calls herself and leaves messages of her "million-dollar ideas" so that she won’t forget them; however when she wakes up and listen to them they are never quite as good as she hopes.

I Have a Sleep Disorder and It’s Probably Going to Kill Me or Someone Else

This chapter starts off about how she never has normal sleep and has horrible insomnia. It then transitions to her taxidermied raccoon, Rory. After this the story transitions once again but this time to her time at the sleep clinic and how she has multiple sleep issues as well. These include periodic limb movement, snoring, seizures, and alpha intrusion.

How Many Carbs Are in a Foot?

This chapter is about how she hates this new healthy food craze that includes things like kale and quinoa. She tries risotto and hates it. She says she would rather eat a buttered and cheesy foot. However, she is lactose intolerant and couldn’t eat the cheese and butter.

Pretend You’re Good at It

This chapter is about her audiobook reading and how she was very nervous and began her reading poorly. While hiding in the bathroom she was given some great advice, pretend you’re good at it. This is exactly what she did and she ended up doing a great reading of her book.

George Washington’s Dildo

This chapter is about the fight between her and her husband, Victor and how they had a misunderstanding when she thought he said George Washington Marital Aids. The fight starts out by Jenny apologizing but not really sure why she is which makes Victor mad and this is how the fight began.

I’m not Psychotic. I Just Need to Get in Front of You in Line.

This chapter is about her being prescribed antipsychotics and the stigma that comes along with that medication and with mental illnesses in general. This chapter, although humorous, is fairly serious.

Why Would I Want to Do More When I’m Already Doing So Well at Nothing?

This chapter is about how she spends her free time and how Victor spends his free time. Victor always tries to direct how she should spend her free time but it is very clear they’re very different people in this sense and they never quite see eye to eye about this subject.

What I Say to My Shrink vs. What I Mean

This chapter is about what she actually says to her shrink and what she’s thinking in her head and the reasoning behind her statements to her shrink.

Look at the giraffe

This chapter is about a stranger who came to her parents house with a huge taxidermied giraffe head. The giraffe is kind of messed up. Victor got her a taxidermied bear head to hang on their wall as well.

The Fear

Jenny has locked herself in the bathroom because she is wiping off the blood on her head and neck due to her excessive scratching and Victor is trying to pick the lock. Victor is used to her self-harm but still worries about her. She harms herself in the form of picking at cuticles and scabs along with scratching her head until she bleeds. After the bathroom episode, Jenny meets with her psychiatrist who tells her that because she can identify her "crazy" behavior, she is not as crazy as she thinks.

Skintervetntions and Bangtox

She doesn’t see the need for cosmetic enhancements and additions but prefers to take away things from her body, such as her skin. This need to strip away from herself is called Dermatillomania and is due to her need to take off the "ugly" outside to help with the "ugly" inside. Jenny then finds a new facial that uses diamond dust to exfoliate off the skin but sees it as ripping off her face. Jenny call her best friends, Laura, and they go to get this facial. When they are at the doctor’s office, Jenny freaks out because when they scan her face, there are a lot of bacteria that are living on her face, that will be killed with the treatment. She sees this as mass genocide of bacteria and starts freaking out in the office. After seeing the bacteria and having the treatment, Jenny goes an entire month without scratching at her face.

It’s Like Your Pants Are Bragging at Me

One of Jenny’s biggest pet peeves is the fact that women’s clothes to not have a lot of pockets so they have to carry around purses. It really bothers her because she sees pursies as being an unfair inconvenience. She later comes up with the idea of sewing a bunch of Ziploc bags together to make a "Pocket Poncho."

Nice Bass

She is scared to leave her daughter, Hailey, with her parents when she goes to Japan with Victor. When she drops off Hailey with her parents she finds out that her parents would take ringtails on vacation with them instead of her. While in Japan, Victor hears a noise in the middle of the night and goes to the door to figure out what the noise is when he see someone trying to open the door with bolt cutters. He grabs the bolt cutters from them, open the door, and starts chasing them down the hallway with the bolt cutters. The next morning they find out that it was just the hotel staff trying to open the door for a locked out couple and they had come to the wrong room. Also, she is fascinated by the toilets, but at the same time they confuse her. This entire vacation stressed Jenny out, so she decided that she would now only do staycations. As a side note at the end of the chapter, she talks about all of the different things her dad does to help animals.

It’s Hard to Tell Which of Us is Mentally Ill

Jenny like therapy and want to go to therapy with Victor. Finally, Victor sets up therapy sessions with a marriage counselor. Victor’s individual session was first and since he would not share with Jenny what he told the therapist, she was convinced that he told the therapist stories of how crazy she was. When Jenny went to her session the next week, she was surprised to hear that Victor had only said good things and though the therapist was lying so told her really strange thing to make the therapist think she was crazy. When she got home, Jenny and Victor decided not to go to therapy anymore.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco. (But Replace "San Francisco" with "Near the Lemur House" and Replace "Heart" with a Sad Question Mark.)

She compares her whole week to looking through a trash can for your keys. You throw something in the trash that is not what you meant to throw in the trash and then you search through the trash looking for keys only to find keys somewhere else. Then, you are never able to figure out what you accidentally threw away.

Stock Upon Snow Globes. The Zombie Apocalypse Is Coming.

This chapter starts off by addressing the fact that there are way more assholes at airports than anywhere else. Jenny does not flying due to all of the terrible people and stupid things that you have to go through during the process. During her last book tour, she at a mental breakdown due to all of the anxiety she had from flying, she even contemplated getting an emotional support animal to take with during flying. Also, people due pointless things, such as standing up when they are just going to have to wait, when they fly. When flying, she makes a list of all of the weird things that are banned by security and gathers that everything that is banned is actually what is necessary in order to survive a zombie apocalypse. All is all, people are just 10 times more terrible at airports and on planes.

What I want you to know: Dying is easy. Comedy is hard. Clinical depression is no fucking picnic.

During her last book tour, Jenny avoided having to do interviews because she either didn’t want to or didn’t have pants on. Due to his, she has written this chapter in the middle of the book to serve as a place for interviewers to go instead of having to actually interview her. She address why appendices are where they are, the middle of the body by telling about an argument God and Adam must have had. Victor plays the role of the interviewer and Jenny answers all of the questions. Her answers are fairly sarcastic, witty, and random. Even when she begins to start talking about some of the more serious parts of her mental illness, she throws in jokes and makes fun of herself. She brings up the point that by being able to be the butt of your own jokes to the point that you are willing to share all of the crazy things that happen in life, you will end up helping everyone realize that they are not as crazy as they think and we are all weird. This chapter gives a lot of insight into Jenny’s thoughts on life and helps us see a somewhat more serious side to her.

I'm Turning into a Zombie One Organ at a Time

One time Laura woke up in the middle of the night and there was a possum on her face. She then chased the opossum around the house. Jenny thought this was the worst way to wake up in the middle of the night until she woke up in terrible pain. She woke Victor up and they got in the car to go to the hospital, when he got pulled over for speeding on the way. When they got to the ER, it was just gas. So then, the second time she woke up in pain, they went to the hospital calmy, in which she found out she needed to have her gallbladder removed. After she has surgery, she full of strange things to say to the nurses and Victor was embarrassed by her. Then she went to the doctor after the fact to get her drainage tubes removed and had a talk with Dr. Morales about how the world was going downhill.

Cats Are Selfish Yawners and They're Totally Getting Away with It

She brings up the random thought to Victor about the fact that yawns are not contagious when cats yawn but they are when humans yawn. She looks this up and sees that yawns are contagious because we are selfish and want the oxygen that the person yawning is getting but cats are more selfish because their yawns are not contagious.

Koalas Are Full of Chlamydia

This chapter is mainly about a trip that Jenny takes to Australia with her friend Laura. They get to go for free because of a Tourism Australia campaign that sponsored trips for people who agreed to write about accomplishing things on their "life lists" while on the trip. Laura has her heart set on getting a picture of herself holding a koala while wearing a koala costume, however, she is crushed when she learns that it is illegal to hold a koala in the area of Australia they are in.

Voodoo Vagina

This chapter is very short and random. It is about an educational felted vagina for children that is mailed to Jenny. She places it on her desk, but her cat steals it.

The World Needs to Go on a Diet. Literally.

This chapter is about Jenny’s body-image issues and insecurities about her weight. She talks about how her doctor recommends that she lose twenty pounds and about how she feels bad about herself in dressing rooms.

Crazy Like a Reverse Fox

This chapter is very short and hard to follow, but it is about Jenny’s reaction to Victor saying she’s crazy and comparing her to a fox.

An Essay on Parsley, Wasabi, Cream Cheese, and Soup

This chapter is about Jenny’s philosophical thoughts and experiences with parsley, wasabi, cream cheese, and soup. She includes a side note at the beginning of the chapter explaining how she was drunk while writing this chapter, which is helpful in understanding her thought process throughout the essay.

And Then I Got Three Dead Cats in the Mail

This chapter is about some "cat skins/sleeves" that Jenny got in the mail from a woman who worked at at a vet hospital where they have "ethically achieved dead cats." The woman wanted to make mittens out of dead kittens for Jenny.

Things I May Have Accidently Said During Uncomfortable Silences

This chapter is compiled of very random things that Jenny has said during awkward silences with her psychiatrist.

My Skeleton is Potaterrific

This chapter is about Jenny’s experiences during adolescence and her views on popularity. The girls in Jenny’s class were focused on the "Three P’s," which were popular, pretty, and petite. Jenny felt that she could never be any of those things, but she eventually realized that popularity is overrated.

It's Called "Catouflage"

This chapter is about Jenny’s trip to the doctor after she discovers giant bumps on her head. She is told that she has a folliculitis staph infection, however, she is very skeptical of his diagnosis.

We're Better Than Galileo. Because He’s Dead

In this chapter Jenny goes more in-depth about her mental illnesses. She talks about the variety of phobias that she has and her social anxiety.

Things My Father Taught Me

This chapter is composed of different bits and pieces of life advice that Jenny’s father has shared with her, mostly having to do with taxidermy.

I'm Going to Die. Eventually.

This title of this chapter explains the whole first half of it. She goes in to see her therapist and says that she has come to the realization that everybody dies and she is going to die eventually too. After her and her therapist talk about this they start talking about other problems in her life, which include thinking there are going to be dead people in bathroom stalls and thinking that every black trash bag is filled with a dead body, or at least could be.

And This Is Why I Prefer to Cut My Own Hair

This whole chapter is a short conversation between Jenny and her hairdresser in which she confuses a Brazilian blowout for a Brazilian wax and "Hilarious comedy" ensues over the crazy mistake.

It's All in How You Look at It (The Book of Nelda)

This chapter is called this because she said if this were a book in the bible it would be called the book of Nelda because Nelda is her mother and this book talks about her a lot. This chapter talks a lot about perspective and how they knew they were a poor family, but always made the best of it.

Well at Least Your Nipple Are Covered

This chapter is an argument between her and her husband Victor. Victor says that she looks okay before they go out, Jenny gets offended because okay isn’t good enough and goes to change. They then have a conversation about how to use words to describe things.

Death by Swans Is Not as Glamorous as You’d Expect

This chapter starts out by talking about the home buying process, and how Jenny and Victor continually buy and sell houses after repairing them. This time they think they have the perfect house, but somebody comes in and instead of putting ant killer in their yard they put grass killer and make it look all bad. Then she gets attacked by a herd of swans and the whole chapter changes and only talks about swans because it would be too much to ask to stay on one topic for too long in this book.

The Big Quiz

Jenny posts a blog post asking for help because she is struggling, she says it isn’t funny but she posted it just for help. She says she does not feel successful during the month and wants people to tell her how to feel successful. She then takes a quiz on how to be a better person and that’s how this chapter gets the title "The Big Quiz"

Cat Lamination

Jenny and Victor argue about how to take care of the cat hair everywhere. Jenny suggests laminating the cat because that’s funny.

That Baby Was Delicious

Jenny talks about raising kids and how hard it is. She fears that she is being a bad parents when in reality she really isn’t. She talks about how people judge you based on what your kids are like, and these judgments are harsh but accurate.

These Cookies Know Nothing of My Work

Jenny and Victor go to a financial-planning meeting. Jenny is her usual weird, quirky, socially awkward self and embarrassed Victor. She lists all of her embarrassing business experiences she has had in the past.

It Might Be Easier. But It Wouldn’t Be Better.

Jenny explains that her illnesses never gets better but they get easier to deal with. People supporting her help out a lot and she has learned to cope with a lot of her problems. She says that quitting on everything might be easier, but it wouldn’t be better, hence the name of this chapter.

Epilogue: Deep in the Trenches

This is actually a well thought out, meaningful ending to this book. She ends it with a few meaningful messages that might help people out and change their mentality. The last three pages of this book that were in this epilogue were more meaningful than the rest of the pages in this book combined.

Characters

Jenny Lawson

Jenny, the author of Furiously Happy, describes her experiences dealing with anxiety, depression, and a handful of other mental disorders throughout the novel. She has written two books and is also a blogger. She is married to Victor Lawson and has a seven-year-old daughter named Hayley.

Victor Lawson

Victor is Jenny’s husband and her polar opposite. He has a corporate job and is far more serious than Jenny. He loves his wife but often gets irritated with her unpredictable nature.

Hailey Lawson

Hailey is Jenny and Victor’s daughter. She is Jenny’s only child and is rarely mentioned through the novel.

Laura

Laura is Jenny’s best friend. She convinces Jenny to travel to Australia with her.

Jenny’s Therapist

Jenny’s therapist is mentioned is featured in several chapters throughout the novel, especially in "Things I May Have Said During Uncomfortable Silences" and "What I Say to My Shrink vs. What I Mean." Jenny feels that her therapy sessions are very helpful.

Notable Quotes

• "According to the many shrinks I’ve seen in the last two decades I am a high-functioning depressive with severe anxiety disorder, moderate clinical depression, and mild self-harm issues that stem from an impulse-control disorder. I have avoidant personality disorder (which is like social anxiety disorder on speed) and occasional depersonalization disorder (which makes me feel utterly detached from reality, but in less of a "this LSD is awesome" kind of way and more of a "I wonder what my face is doing right now" and "it sure would be nice to feel emotions again" sort of thing). I have rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune issues. And, sprinkled in like paprika over a mentally unbalanced deviled egg, and things like mild OCD and trichotillomania- the urge to pull one’s hair out- which is always nice to end on, because when people hear the word "mania’ they automatically back off and give you more room on crowded airplanes."
• "I am furiously happy. It is not a cure for mental illness . . . it’s a weapon, designed to counter it. It's a way to take back some of the joy that's robbed from you when you’re crazy."
• "My grandmother used to say, "Those are not the kind of underwear you want to get hit by a bus in," but I don’t think the underwear has been invented that would make me want to get hit by a bus. Plus, when you’re hit by a bus I think your underwear is probably the last thing on your mind."
• "I’ve always been a fan of therapy. You spend an entire hour talking about yourself and someone has to fake being fascinated by the strange assemblage of minutiae that is you. I shop around for great therapists the way drug addicts shop around for doctors with loose prescription pads. I’m not looking for drugs. I;m looking for good actors. Or people so boring that my life actually seems interesting to them. Either way. I’m not picky."
• "Depression is like . . . it’s like when you meticulously scroll up through hundreds of pages in a Word document to find a specific paragraph you need to fix, and then you try to type but it automatically takes you right back down to the bottom because you forgot to place your cursor where you wanted to type. And then you bang your head against the desk because you have your head planted on your desk and you see her shoes behind you so you immediately say, "I'm not sleeping I was just banging my head against the desk because I ***ed something up."
• "ME: I was just thinking that when I see other people yawn I yawn because it’s contagious, but when I see cats yawn it never makes me yawn.

VICTOR: You know, you don’t actually have to tell me everything that pops into your head.

ME. So then I went on the internet to find out why that is and apparently we yawn when other people yawn because we see them getting lots of delicious air and our brain is all, "***, THAT LOOKS DELICIOUS. GRAB SOME QUICK BEFORE THAT *** TAKES IT ALL.

VICTOR: So you yawn because you’re selfish. Got it."

• "When I look at my life I see high-water marks of happiness and I see the lower places where I had to convince myself that suicide wasn’t an answer. And in between I see my life. I see the sadness and tragedy in my life made the euphoria and delicious ecstasy that much more sweet."
• "Then he waited until I was out of town and bought an old (but very sweet) house that needed massive repairs, had lots of issues, and could probably kill us. In short, he bought the "me" of houses.
• "When I got near the house I saw Victor our front watering the lawn and I screamed, "ARE THEY BEHIND ME?" He turned and looked at me. I was certain they must still be because he looked ***ing terrified, but then I looked back and there was nothing."
• "How can we be expected to properly judge ourselves? We know all of our worst secrets. We are biased, and overly critical, and occasionally filled with shame. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say that you are worthy, important, and necessary. And smart.
• "I used to have a lot of guilt for having depression but then I realized that’s a lot like having guilt for having brown hair."

References

1. Hughes, Kathryn (2015-09-16). "Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson review – how to feel OK when you have a brain that is trying to destroy you". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-04-29.