Heres a zany book that is basically a commentary on our crazy lives here on planet Earth.

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.

Ramblings of a Bipolar Mind. Melinda is never sure what mood her Mother will be in when she gets home from school, will she be sleeping, crying or washing the walls that just weren't dirty? Many a night Melinda woke up to her Mother's strange behaviour. One morning she finds her Mother in the backyard, she had been up all night digging and planting a veggie garden. Melinda wasn't meant to be on this earth for a long time. Katie is born with an unhappy soul never being able to control her fears, emotions or her very surreal nightmares. Going to school was something she hated the children were mean because of her appearance. One night she missed her train after working; she ended up walking home and is abducted by 4 men. Lucky for Katie she is able to fight her way out. Felicity is a new age performer, she is middle aged curved and sexy. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Felicity's favourite saying is -Love Who You Are

"I cracked up - for the first time - on June 4, 1988, three weeks short of completing my Masters degree in Psychology. Some would say I had a nervous breakdown. The psych ward doctors said it was major depression. I say that I saw just how evil my sin is in the eyes of God and it scared the hell out of me . . . I cobbled together some mad reality and blew a fuse . . . I lost my mind, never to be the same again. Thanks be to God! Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!" - from the first chapter "I am honored to endorse this book. Not only does it chronicle the journey of one man's pain and ultimate redemption; but will provide the essential hope to many who are commonly afflicted. This story will declare good news to the poor and proclaim freedom to the captives!!" Rev. Bruce Edwards, Allison Park Church of the Assemblies of God Richard Jarzynka (Ya'Zhynka) earned his masters degree in psychology from Duquesne University in 1989. He attended Law School on a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship until being expelled within one day of the Dean learning that he has bipolar disorder. Rich worked as a counselor, psycho-therapist, and program director with troubled teens and their families from 1984 - 2003. He is currently studying toward ministry certification with the Assemblies of God. And he is not offended by being called crazy, goofy, screwy, loony, or by any other synonym for mentally ill.

Parallel to An Unquiet Mind and The Glass Castle, a deeply personal memoir calling for the destigmatization of mental illness

A stark, lyrical and personal account of the psyche in crisis from the bestselling author of Wild and Kith "I want to describe it for those who have never experienced it but who perhaps know someone with it. If this book can befriend just one person in that terrifying loneliness, it will be worth writing." Tristimania tells the story of a devastating year-long episode of manic depression, culminating in a long solo pilgrimage across Spain. Recording the experience of mania as has rarely been done before, Jay Griffiths shows how the condition is at once terrifying and also profoundly creative, both tricking and treating the psyche. An intimate and raw journey of mental health and recovery, Tristimania illuminates something of the universal human spirit. 'Profoundly poetic. A glimpse of madness from inside the eye of the storm' Observer

‘I’m looking for the words and writing for those who can’t imagine the words.’ Mark Meynell articulates a heart pain that most of us simply couldn’t express. He connects strongly and immediately with fellow cave dwellers. We relive significant moments from boarding school, Uganda, Berlin and London. We visit the Psalms, Job and The Pilgrim's Progress. If you're after neat conclusions and a fair-weather faith, this is not for you. This book serves up gritty reality and raw honesty, but also the heartfelt hope that the author's brokenness 'can somehow contribute to another person's integration' and 'inspire their clinging while beset by darkness or fog or blizzards'. Contents 1 The mask 2 The volcano 3 The cave 4 The weight 5 The invisibility cloak 6 The closing 7 The way 8 The fellow-traveller 9 The gift Appendix 1 Managing the symptoms Appendix 2 Unexpected friends in the cave Appendix 3 Some words from inside the cave

Patrick J. Kennedy, the former congressman and youngest child of Senator Ted Kennedy, opens up about his personal and political battle with mental illness and addiction for the first time. This candid memoir focuses on the years from his 'coming out' about suffering from bipolar disorder and addiction to the present day, and examines his journey toward recovery while reflecting on America's treatment of mental health.

A doctor's bold analysis of the cultural disease that afflicts us all. Despite an astonishing appetite for life, more and more Americans are feeling overworked and dissatisfied. In the world's most affluent nation, epidemic rates of stress, anxiety, depression, obesity, and time urgency are now grudgingly accepted as part of everyday existence they signal the American Dream gone awry. Peter C. Whybrow, director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA, grounds the extraordinary achievements and excessive consumption of the American nation in an understanding of the biology of the brain's reward system offering for the first time a comprehensive and physical explanation for the addictive mania of consumerism. American Mania presents a clear and novel vantage point from which to understand the most pressing social issues of our time, while offering an informed approach to refocusing our pursuit of happiness. Drawing upon rich scientific case studies and colorful portraits, "this fascinating and important book will change the way you think about American life" (Karen Olson, Utne Reader).