Tristimania

Where does 'self' end and 'illness' begin? Is manic depression a quintessential part of oneself, or quite the opposite: an illness which skews the self to its own image? Does the medication alter who you are? Does one become inauthentic in taking these mind-altering substances?From the award-winning writer of A Country Called Childhood and Savage Grace comes author Jay Griffiths most personal work yet. On November 11th, after a long struggle to finish her book Wild, overwhelmed and beaten down by both exhaustion and stress, Griffiths felt herself began to slip into a bout of mania. Adding to both her genetic vulnerability and long-term stress, she experienced a sexual assault that would end up triggering a psychotic break in her psyche.This extreme bout of manic-depression would lead to psychotic hallucinations, endless doctor visits and new medications that would take over her life for an entire year. Tristimania is a unique memoir in...