Scattershot: My Bipolar Family, by David Lovelace, is a true story about a family's struggle with mental illness. David's mother, father and brother were all diagnosed with manic-depressive illness. David is also bipolar.
I found the details of David's youth very interesting. The family was "strange" but the illness was not identified or recognized. David's father was a Presbyterian minister and scholar. His mother was a quiet artist who was plagued with depression. David and his brother started exhibiting signs of manic-depressive illness in their teen-age years. His sister was the only family member that did inherit the genes that led to this illness.
David spent many years traveling around the world in a manic state. He was hospitalized and prescribed several anti-psyhotic drugs. He learned that he could live a normal life if he stayed on his meds.
This book serves a noble purpose. It illustrates how mental illness is truly a family affair. It is not something to be hidden and ignored. It needs to be treated like any other illness. This book offers hope for recovery. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for those suffering from manic-depressive illness.
No comments:
Post a Comment