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On the outside, Terri Cheney was a successful, attractive Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer. But behind her seemingly flawless façade lay a dangerous secret--for most of her life Cheney had been battling bipolar disorder and concealing a pharmacy's worth of prescriptions meant to make her "normal." Cheney describes her roller-coaster life with shocking honesty--from glamorous parties to a night in jail; from flying fourteen kites off the edge of a cliff in a thunderstorm to crying beneath her office desk; from electroshock therapy to a suicide attempt fueled by tequila and prescription painkillers. The events unfold episodically, from mood to mood, the way she lived and remembers life. In this way the reader is able to viscerally experience the incredible speeding highs of mania and the crushing blows of depression. This book does not simply explain bipolar disorder--it takes us in its grasp and does not let go.--From publisher description.… (more)
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I think I would have
The author's approach of describing vignettes of her life out of chronological order was effective in conveying a sense of being adrift -- out of place, out of time -- without the usual cues and structure that we take for granted in our lives.
Cheney ends on a positive note, describing a poignant moment when she makes a conscious decision to let go of alcohol -- a step toward greater mastery over her illness. The reader is left with the impression that she can better manage her illness and has found a career path better tailored to her. Like other reviewers, I found myself wanting to know more about that -- I wanted more of a sense of closure -- but perhaps that was deliberate, and indeed consistent with her overall approach, if the author continues to live in the Land of Uncertainty.
This is the closest I ever want to come to this awful disease!
Overall, I recommend it as an excellent read for someone who wants to know what it feels like to be manic-depressive, but I would not recommend it as essential reading for someone who is coping with the disease, nor would I recommend it as an informational resource.
That said, it's comforting to read about another person's experience of mental illness, how that intersects with social relationships and work. While each person's experiences are unique, Cheney's memoir sheds light on her experience and hopefully will help some of it's readers feel more "normal" and less alone.
Manic is interesting and honest.
For most people, there is no such thing as too much happiness. However, for Cheney, surges of happiness tend to foreshadow danger because they signify a descent into mania. The manic episodes become charged by bursts of unlimited energy which spurn sexual impropriety and complete lack of self control. Her portrayal of her experience with depression reveals her vulnerability and loneliness, leading to a number of suicide attempts, both spontaneous and planned. There is no chronological order to the book, as Cheney explains, because “life for me is not defined by time, but by mood”. While this disjointed style takes some getting used to, it is also effective in mirroring the chaotic nature of manic depression, just as Cheney had wanted.
Cheney’s writing style is personal and inviting, as though she is recounting her tragic tales to a close friend. Many events in her life are quite shocking and the vivid descriptions of her suffering are sometimes hard to digest. Nonetheless, these stories are an important part of her past and a reality of those who must cope with manic depression. They remind us of how fragile human beings can be and that appearances are not always as they seem. Cheney’s pain is clearly manifested throughout the novel but the humor intertwined in her narration shows a sense of acceptance and maturity. Her ability to look back upon the most excruciating years in her life with insight and understanding is remarkable. Terri Cheney should be applauded for her courage to open up to the world about her struggle with bipolar disorder. I know I am grateful to her for letting me in.
Really terrifying. I've seen close up depression in its depths. While that's a dismal state, it strikes
One of Cheney’s
More factual information about bipolar disorder would have been nice. Placing Cheney’s illness and behavior in context and along a continuum would have been more educational. As a memoir, this book provided good insight into Cheney’s most extreme episodes and behaviors. However, readers should not assume that Cheney’s experience is typical of all manic depressives. A disclaimer to this fact would have been appreciated.
This book was an intense read and was very hard to pick up at times. The opening chapter was the toughest believe it or not for me. The lack of control, impulsive, super hyper, manic mood swings; all reminded me of my own child and this broke my heart. This book might seem difficult for others to read since the author is in the Hollywood environment and is somewhat glamorous. However, I would ask the readers to look beyond that and see the importance of the message. The idea that one can survive and live with bi-polar disorder is something to celebrate. The struggles that these souls have to go through is horrible and the author gives the reader a small window of what that is like. As a parent to a special needs child I have to recommend this book to the special needs community. It is worth your time and please read it all the way through. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel even when we can’t see it.
So many of the books written about individual bipolar patients are about the extreme cases,
If you know or are a manic-depressive, please do yourself the favor of getting your hands on a copy of this book. Graspable language and honest admissions make this book a must read for the loved ones who suffer along with us, and frank descriptions of mood shifts and her own truth make this one a must read for those of us whose brain chemistry causes the suffering.
I want to mark this with highlighters and make all those who care for me read it, she spoke my truth better than I've been able to in so many places.