An upcoming memoir by Dr. Benji Waterhouse, an NHS psychiatrist and stand-up comedian, promises to shed light on the realities of psychiatric care through unvarnished and humorous storytelling.
“You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here,” published by Vintage (Penguin Random House) and releasing on May 16th, draws from Waterhouse’s experiences as a front-line mental health doctor. The book explores the struggles psychiatrists and severely mentally ill patients face amid chronic underfunding, staff shortages, and lack of effective treatments.
“Conditions such as schizophrenia, personality disorders or bipolar no longer carry the weight of stigma that kept many suffering in isolation and silence,” Waterhouse said.
“My book is about these people, the patients I care for as an NHS psychiatrist. The ones for whom cold-water swimming and mindful colouring won’t touch the sides.”
Dr Benji Waterhouse
The memoir recounts poignant and absurd scenarios Waterhouse has encountered, like a woman in a wedding dress arriving at the hospital in search of Harry Styles, or a lorry driver with schizophrenia believing he has a coronavirus cure. Waterhouse also opens up about his own struggles with mental illness.
Despite the heavy subject matter, the author aims to inject humor as “a universal balm that helps us all carry on.”
The book has already generated buzz, with comedians Jo Brand and Fern Brady praising its honest yet funny exploration of psychiatry. Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh called it “very funny and deeply sympathetic.”
Mental illness accounts for 28% of England’s disease burden yet receives just 13% of NHS funding. The number of psychiatric beds has plummeted from 67,000 in 1988 to 18,000 in 2019, underscoring strained resources.
Waterhouse’s revelatory work was acquired by Penguin after a nine-way auction, with TV rights already sold to BBC Studios’ House Productions. For readers, it offers an enlightening and entertaining look inside one of healthcare’s most challenging realms.
‘You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here’ is released on 16th May and available to pre order here
