Depression & Mood Disorders, Mental/Psychological Disorder Patients - Biography, Addicts & Alcoholics - Biography

I'm Not Crazy Just Bipolar: A Memoir

Name: I'm Not Crazy Just Bipolar: A Memoir
Author: Williamson, Wendy K.
ISBN: 9781452068510

by Williamson, Wendy K.

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Overview

Just as a photographer might shoot a photo through a colored lens, Wendy Williamson skillfully holds up the filter of mania and depression for her reader to peer through. With heart-wrenching honesty and humor, she shows the effects of bipolar disorder on the mind, body and soul of those who suffer from it. Despite Wendy's struggles, this is a not a book that brings the reader down, rather a road map for wellness and a vastly informative, yet entertaining, guided tour of bipolar disorder for those who don't understand it. With her perceptive self-awareness, the author is equal parts comedienne and educator, and she tells the unbelievable highs and lows of her story with a clear, grounded candor.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

In this candid but commonplace mental health memoir, Williamson describes a life spent battling addiction and bipolar disorder. Undiagnosed well into her early 20s, the author's condition lead to manic episodes in college involving alcohol abuse, drug binges, risky choices, and extremely unsafe behavior. Additionally, Williamson battled depression and, during her 30s, was hospitalized, attempted suicide several times, and struggled with her weight. Now that she is stable, Williamson presents her memoir as a guide for people affected by bipolar disorder—those who suffer from the condition as well as their family, friends, and acquaintances. Williamson's prose is direct and thankfully not given to flowery language or circumspectness about her condition. The book is straightforward and the author achieves something difficult in a memoir: she remembers feelings from a period of her life, while still providing distance and perspective. Williamson's analysis of the mental health field and mental health professionals is insightful without being preachy, and she presents her story with grace and humor.