When the time is right you might read William Styron's DARKNESS VISIBLE: A Memoir of Madness, 1990. Styron's profound descriptive ability combined with his particular version of the disorder are meaningful. Kay R. Jamison's AN UNQUIET MIND, 1995 is likewise a profound account since she is is a psychiatrist as well as a sufferer of the disorder and the head of the treatment program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, a resource worth considering.
Most mental professionals I know encourage writing as it allows the mind to clean itself out but I guess that is not always the case. Good luck on your journey.
Have you read Unholy Ghost by Lauren Slater? She writes as a sufferer and professional in the field of mental illness. This book is a compilation of many well known depression warriors ( writers like Larry McMurtey ). It is not a how to book. It is a book of other's journeys into the pit.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions on books, I really appreciate it, particularly since I'll read anything I can get my hands on. I did pick up a copy of Darkness Visible and thought it had some good stuff in it.
Next I'll look for Unholy Ghost - it also sounds promising.
When the time is right you might read William Styron's DARKNESS VISIBLE: A Memoir of Madness, 1990. Styron's profound descriptive ability combined with his particular version of the disorder are meaningful. Kay R. Jamison's AN UNQUIET MIND, 1995 is likewise a profound account since she is is a psychiatrist as well as a sufferer of the disorder and the head of the treatment program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, a resource worth considering.
ReplyDeleteMost mental professionals I know encourage writing as it allows the mind to clean itself out but I guess that is not always the case. Good luck on your journey.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Unholy Ghost by Lauren Slater? She writes as a sufferer and professional in the field of mental illness. This book is a compilation of many well known depression warriors ( writers like Larry McMurtey ). It is not a how to book. It is a book of other's journeys into the pit.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the suggestions on books, I really appreciate it, particularly since I'll read anything I can get my hands on. I did pick up a copy of Darkness Visible and thought it had some good stuff in it.
ReplyDeleteNext I'll look for Unholy Ghost - it also sounds promising.
Thanks!
Calamity