Try these...

• Help me remember her name! by S.Walker, 12/8/98
  
  

 Touched With Fire : Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament; Kay Redfield Jamison &   An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

In Touched with Fire, Kay Redfield Jamison, a psychiatrist, turned a mirror on the creativity so often associated with mental illness. In this book she turns that mirror on herself. With breathtaking honesty she tells of her own manic depression, the bitter costs of her illness, and its paradoxical benefits: "There is a particular kind of pain, elation, loneliness and terror involved in this kind of madness.... It will never end, for madness carves its own reality." This is one of the best scientific autobiographies ever written, a combination of clarity, truth, and insight into human character

OR:

Fairytales in Reality

my victory over manic depression

An autobiography by Margo Orum

At thirty-one Margo Orum suffered a brief psychotic episode which was later diagnosed as manic depression (bipolar disorder). In the seven years that followed she endured six manic episodes and three crippling depressions. Fairytales in Reality is her compellingly honest account of her experiences. From the heights of euphoria - believing at times that she was the Messiah - to the depths of fear, confusion and loneliness, Margo reveals her thoughts and emotions with unnerving clarity. We share her embarrassing moments, the rocky path of her search for love, and her triumph at discovering ways to manage the illness and reclaim control over her life.

This powerful autobiography - at times frightening, often funny but always fascinating - is a journey of personal fulfilment from which we can all learn. Above all it is an inspirational story of survival and hope.

OR:

   Agents in My Brain : How I Survived Manic Depression by Bill Hannon

In this compelling autobiography, Bill Hannon offers an engrossing first-hand account of living with the grandiose delusions which rendered him incapable of holding a job or accepting help from his friends and family. From his earliest manic episode during a high school trip to Israel to his struggles with misdiagnoses and the frightening side-effects of prescribed drugs, Hannon guides the reader into a world in which crossword puzzles are coded messages from the C.I.A. and a scrap of masking tape on a car windshield means his conversations are being monitored.

Now effectively managing the disease, Hannon has worked as a facilitator of support groups for the Depressive and Manic Depressive Association and is a guest lecturer in college psychology classes.

Good Luck

No Replies