[(The Pits and the Pendulum: A Life with Bipolar Disorder )] [Author: Brian Adams] [Jan-2003]

by Brian Adams

Writing a prize-winning play, spending a week doing nothing but build Lego constructions, and sinking all his savings into wildly impractical money-making schemes - these are just some results of the periods of intense creative energy Brian Adams has experienced throughout his adult life. As a sufferer of bipolar disorder, Brian Adams has been hospitalized several times with debilitating depression and undergone electric shock treatment, and gained and lost 11 jobs. This account provides an insight into how it feels to experience bipolar disorder.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Memoir

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an excellent account which lets the reader know just how disabling bipolar disorder is, but which doesn't wallow in self-pity. Instead the tone is one of gentle humor, self-deprecating, with "conversations" the author imagines might occur as a result of his illness. He talks about the sadly still very real stigma attached to the disease, and the ins and outs of various drugs. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know about bipolar disorder. Certainly it's much better than that horribly overrated An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness.

[Reix · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 just okay

I found difficult to keep reading this book but I made it. I'm sorry that it made me feel bored.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insights into bipolar disorder and a lot of snark.