My Bipolar Memoir of Poetry and Hope

My Bipolar Memoir of Poetry and Hope
Author: Susan Walz
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2017-07-27
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1387124412

My memoir shares my story of what it's like to live, survive and eventually thrive with Bipolar 1 Disorder. Through my unique and creative approach of using poetry and prose, I take the reader with me on my journey full of pain, sorrows, losses, suicide attempts, homelessness, the ups and downs of bipolar and how I learned how to cope, reached recovery and became a bipolar survivor. My journey shows my strength and perseverance to overcome many obstacles and struggles and is full of hope, love, inspiration and my faith in God. My collection of poetry and prose express my pain, sorrow, courage, resiliency, inspiration and hope, all at the same time. Honestly and openly, I share my deep and most inner thoughts in a manner that lets the reader enter inside my mind showing what it's like to live with bipolar, which can be very sad, lonely and painful, but can also be a very positive life full of hope, love and the joy of living and survival. I hope my book will inspire and give hope to everyone that reads it.

Haldol and Hyacinths

Haldol and Hyacinths
Author: Melody Moezzi
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2014-07-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1583335501

With candor and humor, a manic-depressive Iranian-American Muslim woman chronicles her experiences with both clinical and cultural bipolarity. Born to Persian parents at the height of the Islamic Revolution and raised amid a vibrant, loving, and gossipy Iranian diaspora in the American heartland, Melody Moezzi was bound for a bipolar life. At 18, she began battling a severe physical illness, and her community stepped up, filling her hospital rooms with roses, lilies and hyacinths. But when she attempted suicide and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there were no flowers. Despite several stays in psychiatric hospitals, bombarded with tranquilizers, mood-stabilizers, and anti-psychotics, she was encouraged to keep her illness a secret—by both her family and an increasingly callous and indifferent medical establishment. Refusing to be ashamed or silenced, Moezzi became an outspoken advocate, determined to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness and reclaim her life along the way. Both an irreverent memoir and a rousing call to action, Haldol and Hyacinths is the moving story of a woman who refused to become a victim. Moezzi reports from the frontlines of an invisible world, as seen through a unique and fascinating cultural lens. A powerful, funny, and moving narrative, Haldol and Hyacinths is a tribute to the healing power of hope and humor.

Leaving the Hall Light On

Leaving the Hall Light On
Author: Madeline Sharples
Publisher: Dream of Things
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2012-07-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

Leaving the Hall Light On charts the near-destruction of one middle-class family whose son committed suicide after a seven-year struggle with bipolar disorder. & ;& ;Madeline Sharples, author, poet and web journalist, goes deep into her own well of grief to describe her anger, frustration and guilt. She describes many attempts - some successful, some not - to have her son committed to hospital and to keep him on his medication. The book also charts her and her family's redemption, how she considered suicide herself, and ultimately, her decision live and take care of herself as a woman, wife, mother and writer.& ;& ;Highly recommended if your life has been touched by bipolar disorder or suicide, this book will also inspire you to survive other tragedies.& ;& ;"A moving read of tragedy, trying to prevent it, and coping with life after." - Midwest Book Review & ;& ;"Moving, intimate and very inspiring." - Mark Shelmerdine, CEO, Jeffers Press & ;& ;"Poetically visceral, emotionally honest. I will be a better, more empathic psychiatrist, and a better person and friend after reading this extraordinary memoir." - Irvin D. Godofsky, M.D.

I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying

I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying
Author: Bassey Ikpi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2019-08-20
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0062698354

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! In I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying Bassey Ikpi explores her life—as a Nigerian-American immigrant, a black woman, a slam poet, a mother, a daughter, an artist—through the lens of her mental health and diagnosis of bipolar II and anxiety. Her remarkable memoir in essays implodes our preconceptions of the mind and normalcy as Bassey bares her own truths and lies for us all to behold with radical honesty and brutal intimacy. A The Root Favorite Books of the Year • A Good Housekeeping Best 60 Books of the Year • A YNaija 10 Notable Books of the Year • A GOOP 10 New Favorite Books • A Cup of Jo 5 Big Books of Fall • A Bitch Magazine Most Anticipated Books of 2019 • A Bustle 21 New Memoirs That Will Inspire, Motivate, and Captivate You • A Publishers Weekly Spring Preview Selection • An Electric Lit 48 Books by Women and Nonbinary Authors of Color to Read in 2019 • A Bookish Best Nonfiction of Summer Selection "We will not think or talk about mental health or normalcy the same after reading this momentous art object moonlighting as a colossal collection of essays.” —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy From her early childhood in Nigeria through her adolescence in Oklahoma, Bassey Ikpi lived with a tumult of emotions, cycling between extreme euphoria and deep depression—sometimes within the course of a single day. By the time she was in her early twenties, Bassey was a spoken word artist and traveling with HBO's Def Poetry Jam, channeling her life into art. But beneath the façade of the confident performer, Bassey's mental health was in a precipitous decline, culminating in a breakdown that resulted in hospitalization and a diagnosis of Bipolar II. In I'm Telling the Truth, But I'm Lying, Bassey Ikpi breaks open our understanding of mental health by giving us intimate access to her own. Exploring shame, confusion, medication, and family in the process, Bassey looks at how mental health impacts every aspect of our lives—how we appear to others, and more importantly to ourselves—and challenges our preconception about what it means to be "normal." Viscerally raw and honest, the result is an exploration of the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of who we are—and the ways, as honest as we try to be, each of these stories can also be a lie.

Oh, by the Way, I Have a Mental Illness

Oh, by the Way, I Have a Mental Illness
Author: Michael Trzcinski
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2018-02-15
Genre:
ISBN: 9780692920626

Oh, By the Way, I Have a Mental Illness¿By Michael Trzcinski My book examines my struggle with bipolar disorder. I was undiagnosed for years, finally got some help, and now hope to help some folks by describing my life, my mistakes and my growth. I believe my illness has a good side, it has contributed significantly to my ability to be creative, connect emotionally with people and give service. I wouldn't trade my adventures and accomplishments for anything. I raised money for, and helped build, a school in Indonesia where hundreds of bright-eyed kids of several faiths have been educated. I can stand in front of that school and say, This is something that actually makes a difference in the world. I've held several interesting jobs. I've evaluated hundreds of advanced technologies and helped commercialize several dozen of them.I worked as an operative for a U.S. government, doing undercover work overseas for a national security organization. I worked for NASA, where my boss said, Mike, I like the way you think. You think differently from everyone else here. I have mastered the trumpet and written more than 30 compositions and songs. I've learned several life lessons that I think are worth sharing. Above all, I want to help you see that people with mental illnesses are regular human beings. This is my story, my full story, no holds barred.

Hypergraphia and Other Failed Attempts at Paradise

Hypergraphia and Other Failed Attempts at Paradise
Author: Jennifer Metsker
Publisher: New Issues Poetry and Prose
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2021-10-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9781936970711

A collection of poems that delve into the experience of living with bipolar disorder. With Hypergraphia and Other Failed Attempts at Paradise, Jennifer Metsker reaches for an understanding of the ecstasy of madness, utilizing both lyric and prose forms that mimic the sublime state of mania through their engagement with language. Ordinary life becomes strange as these poems question what happens when the mind overthrows the body. At times playful and humorous, at times dark, above all these poems aim to approach mental illness from a personal and compassionate perspective.

Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire

Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire
Author: Kay Redfield Jamison
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 562
Release: 2018-02-06
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0307744612

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • In this magisterial study of the relationship between illness and art, the best-selling author of An Unquiet Mind, Kay Redfield Jamison, brings an entirely fresh understanding to the work and life of Robert Lowell (1917-1977), whose intense, complex, and personal verse left a lasting mark on the English language and changed the public discourse about private matters. In his poetry, Lowell put his manic-depressive illness (now known as bipolar disorder) into the public domain, and in the process created a new and arresting language for madness. Here Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison brings her expertise in mood disorders to bear on Lowell’s story, illuminating not only the relationships between mania, depression, and creativity but also how Lowell’s illness and treatment influenced his work (and often became its subject). A bold, sympathetic account of a poet who was—both despite and because of mental illness—a passionate, original observer of the human condition.

Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle
Author: Hilary A Smith
Publisher: Mango Media Inc.
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2010-05-01
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1609251636

An honest, relatable guide that can help you figure out how to live your life with bipolar disorder, from a bipolar author. Welcome to the Jungle focuses on bipolar people, not the diagnosis: the ways in which each person can find his or her own way through the extreme emotional states and intense experiences that we are calling “bipolar” —whether that means medication or meditation, psychiatrists or vision quests, good sleep or good all-night dancing, or a little bit of everything. Many bipolar books are too clinical, too alarmist, and too clearly written for family members and caretakers of people diagnosed with this mood disorder. Welcome to the Jungle is different. Author Hilary Smith wrote this guide because it is the book she wishes she’d been given when she was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It answers questions, points to resources, and most of all, comes from someone who understands what it’s like to be thrown off course by an overwhelming mental health issue—and what to do afterwards. Just like for everyone else, there are many, many paths that bipolar people can take in life. Learn more about how to live your own life with a mental illness using the help of the insights in Welcome to the Jungle, which covers topics such as:Wrapping your head around triggers, causes of mood swings, medications, and therapistsRecovering from mental breakdowns, manic moments, and major depressive episodesLiving your life beyond the diagnosis—and helping your family to do the same This book is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any illness or act as a substitute for advice from a doctor or psychiatrist. Praise for Welcome to the Jungle “Among the wealth of works on bipolar, this title (wisely pulled from a Guns N’ Roses lyric) nicely stands out as a super reference for younger readers interested in or actually experiencing bipolar disorder and is also a valuable resource for professionals.” —Library Journal

This Fragile Life

This Fragile Life
Author: Charlotte Pierce-Baker
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2012-06-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1613741111

Charlotte Pierce-Baker did everything right when raising her son, providing not only emotional support but the best education possible. At age twenty-five, he was pursuing a postgraduate degree and seemingly in control of his life. She never imagined her high-achieving son would wind up handcuffed, dirty, and in jail. The moving story of an African American family facing the challenge of bipolar disorder, This Fragile Life provides insight into mental disorders as well as family dynamics. Pierce-Baker traces the evolution of her son's illness and, in looking back, realizes she mistook warning signs for typical child and teen behavior. Hospitalizations, calls in the night, alcohol and drug relapses, pleas for money, and continuous disputes, her son's journey was long, arduous, and almost fatal. This Fragile Life weaves a fascinating story of mental illness, race, family, the drive of African Americans to succeed, and a mother's love for her son.

The Other Side of Me

The Other Side of Me
Author: Julie Kraft
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2017-01-17
Genre:
ISBN: 9781542572637

B&W edition (alternate cover) - In this unforgettable memoir, first-time author Julie Kraft takes readers on an intimate journey through her struggles and triumphs with bipolar disorder. No stone is left unturned. In baring her skeletons and soul, Julie offers a rare glimpse into a world that affects millions but is often misrepresented, feared, or hidden. It is Julie's greatest hope that in sharing her story she will open minds, shatter stigma, and offer help to those walking a similar path.