The Factory of Maladies: Seven Days on a San Francisco Psych Ward

by Debbie Hartung

A Raw and Visceral Tale. An Inspirational Story for All.A harrowing seven-day journey. The Factory of Maladies is an unflinching memoir that delves into the realities of mental illness, the complexities of family dynamics, and the search for healing.

An inspirational life story. When Debbie Hartung awakens in a psych ward, her memories fragmented, she embarks on a confusing and disorienting experience. With dark humor and frank honesty, Hartung’s narrative exposes the stigma surrounding mental health, uncovers the impact of her family's dynamics, divulges the danger of cults, and explores the inadequacies of our current mental health system.

From heartbreak to healing. Born from the pages of a notebook and a miniature pen smuggled in by a kind nurse, this memoir is both heartbreaking and hopeful, offering readers a deeply personal yet candid story of healing. Through her stream-of-consciousness writing, Hartung confronts PTSD, depression, and anger, turning pain into healing. The Factory of Maladies is more than her experience in the psych ward; it’s a book about healing yourself—an inspirational life story that uncovers, enlightens, and ultimately provides healing to the hopeless.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2025

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the pages of this book, you will experience the 7 days that the author describes after being in a mental institution for 7 days. From the first pages it will tear at your heart and realize the coldness and unfeeling of those that are supposed to care for her.
Imagine waking up in a psych ward and your thoughts and memories unclear and in fragments, as Deborah must come to terms with where she is as we enter her new world and feel her fears, frustrations and uncertainty.
The days all blend into one and the questions make her uneasy but why send her to a halfway house and not home? Who are these drs that are controlling her life and are they doing it in her best intro that if her aunt who does not want her home?
The chapters that follow allow readers to hear the interactions between Deborah and the doctors especially her primary one who seems bent on having her committed and gives her the list of how he can keep her there for certain periods of time and then who knows forever.  Depression is paramount, Connie the girl next door seems to be over the top as others are at times and all she wants to do is go home. The voices she hears, the images she imagines it is so sad and you wonder if the will realize that she is aware of her actions, given too many meds and where will this t take her? 
Group was not what she expected, and the question why are you here seem to make her overpower her but first Kind Nurse in chapter 13 allows her to write responses to questions that would help identify her more clearly. Chapter 14 is a scene in the dining hall and scary. Chapter15 the occupational therapist and the group. Leading up to the scenes in the Day Room and the closet with better scrubs. The chapters that follow are enlightening Deborah interactions with 
different staff page 81 you’ll be surprised. The following chapters you need to read to get the 
full impact of what she endured until a surprise call comes, and her parents are on the phone. Why? Plus, a great chapter 21 definition of self-esteem. When will it all end and will she ever feel free to live her own life?
The chapters that follow bring her into new confinement areas and new people in charge plus a. roommate that she is not sure of, Tiffany who is not exactly staple and then will she find her freedom, how and when? 
This is her story told firsthand and at times you will feel her pain, frustration and fears as this experience is terrifying, harrowing and at times inhuman.  The occupational therapists handed her and others. Questions to fill out, read lists and had them work on them. Her mainstay and even though at times she appeared to give up she manages to find a path to enlightenment and then realizes she is showing us the lack of adequacy of these mental health facilities and the lack of compassion she faces with staff and others. As she writes her thoughts with pencil and paper given to her by a Nurse that is smuggled to her, she relates a story that will haunt readers forever.
The chapters that follow take her inside many rooms, hearing the voices of the others and 34-41 will allow readers to feel the impact of the horror she endured, and Aurelia and Crystal told her aunt was there and why is Thomas there and will anyone set her free?
Miracles and chapter 44 freedom? Then the final chapters will bring it all to light and chapter 48 where Will and did she wind up? Read the afterward and hear her words explaining how long it took to share her story and page 208 will make you smile and admire her and more. Read the acknowledgments and her thank you. A story that takes you inside each area she was placed, what she endured and how she finally fought her way back to function each day. A must-read story told in her own voice, mental illness is very prominent in the news and children, teens and adults care not immune to this. Thank you for giving me the honor of showcasing this important book. The title The Factory of Maladies explains and illuminates the text.
Fran Lewis just reviews
























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[Scott Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not since "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" has their been such introspection into a Psych Ward

Debbie Hartung's "The Factory of Maladies" is a real eye-opener. This memoir, much like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," dives deep into the world of psychiatric wards, but with a personal touch that makes it even more impactful. Debbie's journal entries and her incredible memory bring her experiences to life in a way that's both heart-wrenching and enlightening.

Reading this book, I felt like I was right there with Debbie, experiencing the highs and lows of her journey. Her vivid descriptions and emotional depth made the characters, from fellow patients to hospital staff, feel incredibly real. Debbie's reflections on the stigma surrounding mental illness and the often dehumanizing aspects of psychiatric care were truly eye-opening.

What really stood out to me was how Debbie's story opened my eyes to the horrors of the treatment for our most vulnerable people. Her bravery in sharing her experiences is a call to action for all of us to have more compassion and to improve our services for those in need.

I HIGHLY recommend "The Factory of Maladies." It's a powerful read that deserves five stars for its honesty, depth, and the important message it carries. Let's all take a page from Debbie's book and strive to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with mental health issues.

[Kelly Elmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Hartung's book, The Factory of Maladies is a profound work of literary art. Her narrative captures the reader and takes them on a eerie adventure to the last place anyone would expect to find themselves - unwillingly plopped in a psych ward in San Francisco.
While the story takes you to uncomfortable places, it also confronts fears and stigmas and opens a very personal window into the mental healthcare system.
Debbie's narrative is beautifully descriptive and will have the reader dialed in until the very end.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Since when was being mentally ill a crime?” The world as viewed through a challenged mind

Author Deborah Hartung opens windows of understanding with her fascinating, highly articulate memoir, THE FACTORY OF MALADIES. Her gifts as an artist, as well as her knowledge gained in her studies in neuropsychology, enhance the flow of sharing her experience during a week-long hospitalization in a psychiatric ward following a failed suicide attempt. Describing the lost-in-fog sensation during her ‘incarceration’ produces a response from the reader of ‘thank goodness she now remembers the hospitalization to write this memoir!’

Few authors have been able to create the visual and auditorial reality of the perceptions and experiences of mentally challenged patients with the skill Hartung possesses. An example, ‘After an interminable wait for morning, doors began to quickly open and slam; I heard the distinct sound of the mentally ill shuffling down the hallway, no destination in mind, just wandering aimlessly in green slipper socks. Each day bled into the next without any distinction or differentiation – complete and utter timelessness.’ Her incredibly sensitive imagery of other patients, nurses, and environment, electing to forego quotation marks for hyphens to blend comments with perceptions, makes the sensory input more dramatic resulting in successfully attempting to describe a challenged mind.

The impact of an attempted suicide on her family (her father and mother and maternal aunt Aurelia – a New Age cult member involved intricately in the author’s mental deterioration), friends, and her beloved Krishna, away on a trip to India during this period, elicits compassion and heightened comprehension of the mind journeys of the mentally ill. The varied attitudes of the staff of the psych ward as well as the fascinating Occupational Therapy sessions that allow insights as to approaching self-concept, self-esteem, and other modes of positive focus couple with the responses of Hartung’s fellow patients in producing heightened appreciation of today’s psych ward habitats. “Although our symptoms manifested in different ways, we suffered from the same illness invisible to the naked eye: unbalanced brain chemistry. Furthermore, we were being held in a psychiatric unit against our free will and receiving the bare minimum of care without therapy or proper medical intervention.”

In addition to being an engrossing memoir experience, this book is successful on many levels and introduces an author of significance. Very highly recommended!!

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Factory of Maladies: Seven Days on a San Francisco Psych Ward is the recollection of life-changing events that happened in a week that author Debbie Hartung spent in a San Francisco Psych Ward. Waking up in a foreign place and confused, staff and family tell Debbie that she must confront her actions and decisions if she wishes to be released, but that’s difficult when her memories are blocked and she doesn’t even know where she is! Hartung’s experience provides insight into the reality of an individual committed to a psych ward in current times (leaving readers’ imaginations to run wild when considering how it must have been in the past).

In her week-long stay in the hospital, people placed in helping positions show their true colors toward those they are assigned to protect and provide for, and Hartung shares further insight into helpful and harmful ways, through personal experience, to interact with a patient; the reader may take it a step further and apply this knowledge to anyone with mental health problems (i.e., everyone at some point in their lives).

Hartung’s writing seems effortless, but by reading the Afterward and putting myself in her shoes, it is evident that she overcame much more than most people will ever realize to put her thought-provoking, impactful, and eloquent words on each page. Her recollection is organized and concise, making for a pleasant reading experience. Her priorities are clear and honorable: first, getting herself better, then, close second, thinking of others, and sharing her story to provide wisdom and guidance. As I work in the mental health field, I found her story inspiring, humbling, and necessary as a reminder and motivational tool for all readers – the staff assigned and those not assigned but in the view of the patients, as well as readers with or without a history of mental health problems, to find the hope and meaning needed at any point in their lives, to keep going and push forward.

I found her title clever, and combined with the cover art, it piques interest and curiosity at first glance. The subject matter is timely and inclusive, serving as a warm invitation to a large and diverse audience; every detail is meaningful to the overall storyline. However, a more mature reader will get the most out of The Factory of Maladies by Debbie Hartung, given greater life experiences to draw from, and some minimal mature content.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Factory of Maladies is a gripping and important look into our mental health systems and the stigma surrounding mental health in general. After a suicide attempt, San Francisco author and artist Debbie Hartung awakens in a mental ward. Confused and trying to process what happened, The Factory of Maladies is her personal journal of her seven-day stay in the ward.

Prior to her hospitalization, Debbie was involved in her aunt’s New Age cult. This book warns of the dangers of cults and the damage they can do to the mind, as well as how family dynamics complicate things further. Her aunt was given control over medical decisions, making Debbie feel further alienated from those who are looking out for her best interest. For example, her husband is away on a trip during this period of time, and ultimately, his return allows her release. The ward itself is far from a caring place, and Debbie highlights the shortcomings that result from the doctors and other patients. It is a call for reform of the mental health system, all backed up by personal experience.

I think that this passage summarizes the theme well: “Although our symptoms manifested in different ways, we suffered from the same illness invisible to the naked eye: unbalanced brain chemistry. Furthermore, we were being held in a psychiatric unit against our free will and receiving the bare minimum of care without therapy or proper medical intervention. I had seen enough in my tenure on the psych ward to glean that most patients were given medication as a stabilizer, and then after they were fed for a day or two, they were released back into the world without any true resources, only to reappear in a few days, weeks or a month later with the same–or worse–mental health issues. We were largely misunderstood and judged by society.”

Debbie’s writing style is thoroughly descriptive and brings the scenes to life. I could visualize the hospital itself and empathize with her emotions. The Factory of Maladies provides a unique account of a specific circumstance; however, those who struggle with mental illness will likely relate to her story. Debbie has a real talent for writing and I hope to see more from her in the future!

[John J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The images are seared into our memories from watching the movies like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” or “Girl, Interrupted” or other films featuring what used to be known as insane asylums. Our mental health systems have come a long way but definitely not far enough as readers can see from Debbie Hartung’s searing, frightening memoir “A Factory of Maladies: Seven Days on a San Francisco Psych Ward.”
From the very beginning of the book as Hartung is just coming to terms with where she is after an “incident” that is later revealed as a suicide attempt, her detailed description of her surroundings is harrowing. It is scarier when, as the days go on, it seems she might not be able to escape from her confinement as an untrustworthy aunt has control of her medical power of attorney.
Hartung’s colorful writing about her fellow members of the psych ward and of the people who work there is fascinating. And her vivid telling of her story as she gradually emerges from a cocoon of silence to begin to fight for her freedom has you cheering her on, especially when her live-in boyfriend returns from a long trip to India and rescues her from the captivity.
The events of this book serve as a cautionary tale to all as to how fast independence and freedom in life can slip through our fingers when poor decisions are combined with unfortunate circumstances. It makes you think about just how much we live on a razor’s edge and could find ourselves in a very bad situation very quickly.
Hartung’s courage in writing this book is profound. It is not easy to reveal such raw emotions and face the events that resulted in life’s poor choices. But it is an important look at mental health and how we treat those we deem to be mentally ill. Her storytelling is spellbinding and riveting, and you will want to stick with the story to find out how it turned out for her. Highly recommended.

[Brad Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tale from Inside a Psych Ward from an Insider

From the outset the reader knows this is a story about the author’s week long stay in a waystation government psych ward, and from there ‘The Factory of Maladies’ grabs the reader and holds them tight. I know from friends who have worked in multiple government psychiatric facilities that Debbie Hartung’s experience is common. These places are indeed factories, and often factories of pain. I visited such facilities and met the patients, and that uncertain feeling she expresses, of what someone might be capable of, hangs in the air at every turn.

When the story begins Debbie is in the midst of crisis and is dumbfounded about where she is and why she is there. Her mind is trashed from whatever happened and the descriptions of every sensory experience provide the reader with a play-by-play of each emotion, each glance, each bite of food, each personal interaction—all related with emotional verve, fear and concern. Each day brings bits and pieces to the surface, like a murder mystery getting solved one lost memory at a time.

Once you are immersed in the story, the compelling writing will force you back inside, back into every cold, dingy room, back to talking with all the rude medical bureaucrats, back to wanting to know more and more. Debbie Hartung achieves many goals with this book, and shedding light on such imperfect institutions is certainly one of them. ‘The Factory of Maladies’ is a fascinating view into a place we don’t like to think about or acknowledge, I strongly suggest this book for a better understanding of mental health institutions in our society and the nature of a mental health crisis in action.

Brad Butler, Author of ‘Without Redemption.’

[Lloyd Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my long and (semi-)illustrious reading life, I have read many thousands of books (literally). And, believe it or not, thanks to our book club, I have read nearly 40 different genres! But I have NEVER read anything like Debbie’s 7-day experience in a psychiatric hospital. It was jaw-dropping. A couple of times I even thought of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the author even mentions the movie in the book). But even that couldn’t capture the reality of what Debbie Hartung went through.

Aside from what she actually experienced and the incredible bravery it took for her to let the whole world see, let me mention a couple of things about her writing. First and foremost, Debbie is a terrific writer. She not only makes the reader understand what she went through; but she also makes the reader feel what she went through. She definitely gets a bunch of kudos from me. On top of that, she can flat-out write. Take a look at this:

I saw faint wisps of my breath, like smoke curling up gently and effortlessly from the end of a cigarette in a black-and-white movie. The rain came down in a steady drizzle and created tiny droplets of film over the window, like an all–gray pointillism painting.
See what I mean? And make sure you take a good look at a few of the lists that the Occupational Therapists gave the patients to fill out. If those are real lists, then it’s crazy what the patients had to work on. And if Debbie created them from memory, it’s even more amazing!

Most importantly, I can’t emphasize enough how Debbie made us feel reading about what her and so many other patients had to go through. That is enough, by itself, to make you want to read The Factory of Maladies.

[Kathryn Picard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Hartung’s memoir of living a week on a psychiatric ward in a San Francisco hospital is unflinching in its portrayal of the timelessness, the seemingly endless days, and the unique individuals that staff, and reside, there.

The book begins with Debbie waking up to find herself in a psychiatric unit with no knowledge of how she arrived. Piece by piece, she learns that she attempted suicide, but her mind cannot remember the exact timing of the event or even what led up to it. Moreover, she has a hard time remembering her life outside of the ward itself. Her aunt Aurelia, one of her few visitors, isn’t too keen to help her either and seeks instead to keep Debbie within the circle of her cult that she lured her niece into. Debbie sets herself the task of building back her memories, and taking baby steps in therapy sessions, in order to secure her release back to her home and to her boyfriend.

This is a truly heartfelt, honestly unflinching and heartbreaking look at what it is like to reside on a psychiatric ward of a hospital. Debbie holds back nothing, including her analysis of herself during that time. Readers are subjected to her sheer similar-ness of days, the lack of awareness of time, the capricious nature of staff, and the wildly varying needs of the other patients. It is an honest look at a situation that the majority of people never find themselves in but is the subject of endless fascination. For readers who have spent time in such a facility, this book may cause moments of déjà vu, but all readers will find this memoir hard to put down!

[Sneha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wondered what it's like to wake up in a psych ward with zero memory and a front-row seat to your own mental breakdown? No? Well, buckle up anyway. *The Factory of Maladies* is Debbie Hartung’s chaotic, hilarious, and gut-wrenchingly real memoir that dives headfirst into the mess of mental illness, family dysfunction, and that warm fuzzy feeling of cult trauma. Fun, right?

This isn't your typical inspirational "look how I overcame" fluff. Nope. Debbie serves up pain, PTSD, and psychiatric institutions with a side of savage honesty and the kind of dark humor that’ll make you laugh and question your coping mechanisms. Her writing is like a stream-of-consciousness rollercoaster—and you’re not getting off until she’s dragged you through every high, low, and awkward group therapy session in between.

She doesn’t just call out the mental health system—she throat-punches it with truth bombs. And don’t get me started on the family drama. If you thought your family had issues, Debbie’s story might just make you want to send your relatives a fruit basket out of sheer gratitude.

Oh, and the entire book was written on a smuggled mini pen and notebook in a psych ward. Let that sink in while you stare at your half-written Notes app novel and cry a little. The resilience? The chaos? The audacity? We love to see it.

[Prlinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect when starting this book. As a mental health provider who has worked in inpatient psychiatric units, I absolutely recognized all of the characters presented, both providers and patients. The author is a highly skilled writer and her prose was stellar, capturing the essence of what it is like to be a patient in this setting. The value in this perspective is priceless, as those of us who work in mental health need this awareness. I found myself more engrossed as she slowly improved and was palpably relieved when she was finally able to go home. It is a page turner and highly evocative, causing me some appropriate discomfort at times, in what ultimately became a story of recovery and redemption. I recommend The Factory of Maladies very highly to any reader, especially those interested in, literally, an "insider's" perspective of what it's like to be a patient in such an unsettling and disturbing environment.

[Kim Makoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book floored me. Debbie Hartung takes you right inside the locked ward, and she doesn’t flinch. It’s raw, heartbreaking, darkly funny, and deeply human.

What really struck me is how rare it is to hear a story like this from inside. Most of the people who wind up there will never get to tell their stories, and Debbie writes with such clarity and compassion that you feel like you’re carrying them with you.

As a practitioner, it was eye-opening—I realized how often we “refer out” without grasping what happens on the other side of that door. I think everyone in health care should read this book, but honestly, it’s for anyone who wants to understand the human spirit under extreme pressure.

And, on a personal note—yay for her shining knight who rescued her from the ward at the end. May we all be blessed with someone who loves us that deeply. 💙

[Rachael Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Hartung takes readers deep into her vulnerable experience inside a San Francisco psych ward. For anyone wanting an honest glimpse of what that reality is like, she offers it with remarkable clarity and courage. If you’ve ever been in a psych ward yourself, parts of her journey will feel achingly familiar.

I hope her story brings understanding and compassion to readers who have never faced this level of mental-health struggle and offers comfort to those who have—reminding them that they are not alone. I’m grateful to the author for being so raw and open on the page. And if you haven’t yet seen her art, seek it out. It adds an even more powerful dimension to the words she shares here.

[Deborah K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a deeply affecting read.

Debbie Hartung’s The Factory of Maladies doesn’t try to explain mental illness, it lets you feel it. The disorientation. The sterile corridors. The numbness, the longing for kindness. Her writing is immersive, unsettling, and beautifully real.

This memoir reminds us how vital it is to treat people in crisis with dignity and how far we still have to go. As a former Army medic and advocate for mental health awareness, I found myself both heartbroken and moved.

A powerful memoir for clinicians, students, caregivers, and anyone seeking to understand what it truly feels like on the inside. I’ll be recommending this one often.

-Deborah Kienzle

[Sherry Richert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes. Debbie Hartung writes honestly about what it felt like to be in a psychiatric ward, and what hit me hardest was how unkind and broken the system can be.

Instead of feeling supported, she often felt dismissed, ignored, or treated like a problem.

Her story shows the emotional trauma that can happen when someone reaches out for help and gets anything but compassion. It also reminded me how essential it is for us — friends, family, community — to show up with tenderness for the people in our lives who are carrying mental health wounds.

It’s raw, real, and incredibly important. I won’t forget it.

[Brent Slipka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes the harrowing experience of one being institutionalized against her own will. Hartung takes the reader into her mysterious journey with vivid honesty and bravery. She lays bare the realities of the mental health system as well as opportunities for ameliorating understanding and care for individuals. Most notably, her experience illustrates the need for society to recognize and defeat the nefarious influence of surreptitious liars and cults that victimize innocent people for profit and power. Insightful! 👍🏻

[Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Factory Of Maladies is a gripping first hand true narrative of the author's experience being locked up in a psych ward.
The writing is amazing-from page 1, I was hooked and could not put the book down. A true page turner! While intense and harrowing at times, Debbie's writing also shows humor. The descriptive narrative really puts the reader inside the psych ward. Debbie writes compassionately about her fellow patients and most importantly,exposes the many glaring inadequacies of a city run mental health facilities. A must read!!

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously raw memoir detailing the reality of being in a psychiatric hospital and the odd twists and turns a mind can take.

[Raja G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superb book is entirely about a week that the author spent in a psychiatric unit on an enforced stay. It reveals the inhuman way the patients are treated, forced to lie in soiled and wet sheets. Our local and federal governments are severely lacking in financial resources, leading to this sorry state of affairs. The book is so revealing of what a tortured soul has to endure in the form of "treatment." It is shameful, it is disgusting, what a patient has to endure. To that end, this book is a must-read. The author surely must write a sequel discussing psychiatric care in general. I am an Internist, Board certified in Internal Medicine. I have seen countless patients becoming like zombies after being placed on psychiatric "medicines." Such drugs are exactly that: they are drugs. They numb the brain so badly, and I have seen them to be far more addicting than alcohol or street drugs. I would love to see Ms. Hartung give us a deep insight into what it means to be a "psychiatric patient," what goes through the mind of such a person, and insights into what happens after being placed on psych drugs. Typically such patients are placed on multiple drugs so we have no idea which drug is being effective. The problem is that when one drug fails, the psychiatrists just add on drugs: one after another. This is the "standard" practice. Such an unscientific sham. Bravo, Debbie, more power to you!