Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules

Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WWE superstar AJ Lee candidly shares her lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and how embracing her diagnosis gave her the confidence to take back control of her life. “ Crazy Is My Superpower is at once breathtakingly honest, hilariously funny, self-deprecating, and incredibly inspiring.”—Julie Klam , New York Times bestselling author of Friendkeeping Everything I was told should be my greatest insecurities and weaknesses, everything that I’ve been labeled—SHORT, NERDY, SKINNY, WEAK, IMPULSIVE, UGLY, TOMBOY, POOR, REBEL, LOUD, FREAK, CRAZY—turned out to be my greatest strengths. I didn’t become successful in spite of them. I became successful because of them. Growing up AJ was a quiet girl trying to act “normal” when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, and inspiration in tough, unconventional female characters. It wasn’t until she discovered pro wrestling that she learned superheroes could be real. Determined to become the superhero she’d always admired, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to achieve her dream of wrestling professionally. Yet she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and to dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy. With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspira­tion for her superhero persona, shattering the stigma attached to mental illness. Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to an empowered wrestling champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an un­flinchingly honest story and brave confessional about her long road to self-acceptance. “This book is for every young woman who couldn’t find a seat at the lunch table. AJ Mendez writes about loneliness, mental illness, and finding her place in the world with genuine vulnerability and, perhaps more important, genuine strength.” —Amy Koppelman, author of A Mouthful of Air, Hesitation Wounds, and I Smile Back “AJ Mendez is a stunningly gifted writer. Crazy Is My Superpower is at once breathtakingly honest, hilariously funny, self-deprecating, and incredibly inspiring. I absolutely loved every page of this book.” —Julie Klam , New York Times bestselling author of Friendkeeping and You Had Me at Woof “This woman is 5’2” of raw talent, heroic honesty, and gut-busting humor. AJ’s story left me both breathless and feeling like I should be jumping up and down shouting, ‘Yes, yes, oh my god, f**k yes!!!!!’” —Deborah Copaken, New York Times bestselling author of Shutterbabe and Ladyparts “AJ Mendez’s candid account of her struggles and success offer young women a wonderful role model regarding how to be yourself, stand up for what you believe in and embrace the ‘crazy.’ AJ’s story promotes empowerment, not just through physical strength, but through emotional strength as well.” —Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, family psychologist and author of Princess Recovery “This compelling memoir, written with genuine humor and strength, shows how AJ persevered over circumstances that a lesser human would have been destroyed by. She is truly a superhero.” —Caroline Rhea, actor, TV host, and stand-up comedian “AJ Mendez is the role model we desperately need in today’s culture! Authentic and inspiring, AJ embraces her challenges, bravely discusses her past, and shows us all how to turn pain into power.” —Emily Roberts MA, LPC, The Guidance Girl psychotherapist, and author of Express Yourself: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are “[Mendez] successfully uses her own life story to show how a perceived weakness can be an unstoppable strength.” — Library Journal AJ Mendez Brooks is a former WWE wrestler and three-time Diva champion under the ring name AJ Lee. She is an animal rescue ambassador for several organizations including the ASPCA, and works with Girls Make Games, a program encouraging young women to pursue science and tech-based careers. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Phil “CM Punk” Brooks. Sitting down with a counselor for the first time was an awkward experience. I had talked to a guidance counselor in high school, but that was primarily about applying to college and why there were so many curse words in my poetry. I had never locked eyes with someone who was so interested in finding out what was bothering me.   In a way, I felt like I was ignoring everything my parents had taught me. We weren’t supposed to reach out to anyone for help. We weren’t supposed to admit there was a weakness inside of us. I felt like I was betraying my mother by exposing her secrets to a stranger. But I didn’t think I had any other option.   I kept trying