Born in 1990, Baek Se-hee was a creative writing graduate and worked for five years as a social media director at a publishing house. Behind this façade of a successful professional life, she was struggling with dysthymia, a long-lasting form of mild depression. For a decade, she received psychiatric treatment, and the idea for her book was born when she began posting notes from her therapy sessions on a blog. The positive feedback she received convinced her to turn her experience into a memoir.
Tragically, Baek Se-hee passed away in 2025 at the age of 35. However, in a final act of selflessness, her family confirmed that she had donated her organs, saving five lives. Her legacy continues through her writing, which many describe as a hand reaching out in the dark.
The narrative challenges the stereotype that depression always looks like staying in bed for weeks. Baek shows that one can work, have friends, and laugh, while simultaneously wishing for everything to stop.
Feeling guilty for enjoying a meal (like spicy tteokbokki) while feeling like your life is falling apart. Key Takeaways from Baek Sehee
If you are looking for I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki , the English edition translated by Anton Hur is widely available through legitimate digital channels: i wanna die but i want to eat tteokbokki english version pdf
: Unlike severe clinical depression that might leave someone unable to get out of bed, dysthymia allows people to function outwardly. Baek Se-hee goes to work, socializes, and eats, yet carries a constant undercurrent of sadness and self-doubt.
Tteokbokki is a popular South Korean dish that originated from the court cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty. The main ingredient is tteok (떡), which refers to Korean rice cakes. These rice cakes are chewy and made from glutinous rice. The dish gets its name from the Korean words "tteok" (rice cakes) and "bokkeum" (stir-fry).
Readers sit directly in the room during 12 weeks of private therapy sessions between Baek Se-hee and her psychiatrist.
First, let’s break down the title, because it does all the heavy lifting. Born in 1990, Baek Se-hee was a creative
The title is inspired by the best-selling South Korean "therapy memoir" by Baek Sehee. If we were to spin a story around that same bittersweet energy, it might look like this: The Spice of Survival
You can check your local library app (like Libby or OverDrive) to borrow the digital ebook for free. The Lasting Impact
Available for instant reading on the Amazon Kindle Store .
The striking title perfectly captures the central conflict of the book. It highlights the strange coexistence of severe depressive emptiness and the lingering desire for life's small pleasures, like eating a favorite spicy rice cake dish (tteokbokki). The positive feedback she received convinced her to
: Translating or understanding such a statement requires sensitivity, especially if it's from someone who might be struggling with mental health issues. The English version of such a statement would ideally convey the emotional complexity and potentially seek support or understanding.
The unique formatting of the book makes it incredibly accessible to readers. Instead of reading like a standard, continuous autobiography, the book is structured as a series of .
This Korean bestseller is a raw, honest therapy memoir that quickly became a global sensation, selling over a million copies across 25 countries. It documents the author Baek Se-hee’s real-life conversations with her psychiatrist as she navigates a "mild but long-lasting" form of depression known as dysthymia.