Dr. Alex George

If suddenly something goes in the diary, we have to do a call at eight in the morning or seven, or something has to happen in the morning and I can't go for the walk,

that like I really feel so frustrated I can't that to me is so frustrating you know or if I went to my coffee shop on a Saturday I always go to and it was closed I would be like wow that's where I like to get my coffee you know it's like I and I only realize now that's probably not what everyone experienced oh well that's shut I'll go to the other one but I want to go there and order the same coffee I have every Saturday because that's where I go and that's where I get my coffee

And yet I have a life that is, you know, I've sat down, I was mental health ambassador for four years.

I've been in so many crazy situations, which are kind of, you know, throwing yourself YOLO situations, if you like.

So often I do look at it and think my life is rather confusing, which is why...

I wrote this book, Am I Normal?, which I wanted to kind of go through my own life and kind of make sense of it all and work out like, why do I live this way?

And to answer the question on the front, really, because, you know, I think that the crux of everything I've been trying to work out, am I normal?

And I guess the inferred, secondary, unwritten question is, and does it matter?

Because I think this idea of normality is something I suspect that most people have looked in the mirror and asked themselves that question in different circumstances.

And the truth is, you know, the thing that we try and work out is how much is me and how much is the world when we've got this issue of normality.

And I guess at the end, you know, what I'd like to do is understand in what areas that I am normal, what areas that I am not, and to what extent I need to kind of make adjustments, modify.

or ask the world to think differently.

Because there are many things like, for example, I've used the structure of the book as effectively the way that you get assessed for ADHD.

It's not every question, but I've used the chapter titles as like, talk to me about childhood.

What was your relationship with alcohol?

I've asked questions, I guess, that you get asked in the assessment and then dug into them.

And things like grief, you know, we have got a crazy view of grief in this country.

Someone dies that you love.

You've got until the funeral to be really upset and cry and receive flowers.

Once the funeral's done, the flowers stop, the messages and text messages stop.