Warning: This is Not a Motivational Story

This book is a personal account of the author's struggles with depression, anxiety, fame, suicidal thoughts, and addiction, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any problems.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2021
Publisher: Permuted Press

This book is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any of your problems. In actuality, this book expresses all of the problems I've encountered in my life since I was a child.

Hi, my name is Yousef Saleh Erakat, aka Fousey. I am a YouTuber, actor, wannabe motivational speaker, artist, and a depressive with over 15 million total YouTube subscribers, a couple of Hollywood movies on my resume, some big awards on my shelf, and, for the first time, I will be opening up about how I survived my struggles with depression, anxiety, fame, suicidal thoughts, and addiction.

Welcome to my life.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 11, 1987, to Palestinian parents who had immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. My childhood was filled with a lot of love and support from my family, but I also faced a lot of challenges.

Growing up, I was always the youngest in my family, and I often felt like I was being left behind. My older siblings were always busy with their own lives, and I often felt like I was missing out on the fun and excitement that they were experiencing.

As I got older, I started to feel more isolated and lonely. I struggled to make friends and to connect with other people. I was often bullied at school, and I felt like I had no one to turn to.

In high school, I started to develop a passion for music and acting. I joined the school choir and started to perform in local plays. I also started to write my own music and to record my own songs.

Despite my passion for music and acting, I still struggled with depression and anxiety. I often felt like I was not good enough and that I was never going to achieve my dreams. I started to self-harm and to cut myself.

One day, I decided to take control of my life. I started to seek help from a therapist and from my family. I also started to focus on my own self-care and on building my self-esteem.

It was not an easy road, but I slowly started to make progress. I started to feel more confident and more self-assured. I started to make friends and to connect with other people.

I also started to pursue my dreams more aggressively. I auditioned for acting roles and for music competitions. I started to write more songs and to record more music.

Despite my successes, I still faced a lot of challenges. I struggled with fame and with the pressure that comes with being in the public eye. I also struggled with addiction, particularly to drugs and alcohol.

In 2018, I overdosed on drugs and alcohol and was hospitalized for several days. It was a wake-up call for me. I realized that I needed to take control of my life again and that I needed to get help.

Since then, I have been working hard to recover from my addiction. I have been attending therapy and working with a support group. I have also been focusing on my own self-care and on building my self-esteem.

I am still not perfect, but I am proud of the progress that I have made. I am proud of the person that I have become. I am proud of the life that I have built.

In conclusion, this book is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any of your problems. In actuality, this book expresses all of the problems I've encountered in my life since I was a child.

However, I hope that my story will inspire you to seek help and to take control of your own life. I hope that you will realize that you are not alone and that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.

Thank you for reading my story.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 147 x 216 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781682619858