Hear All The Bells

by Christina Wulf

In a word, Hear All The Bells is unexpected. The memoir takes the topic of mental illness, so alien and frightening to many people, and makes it accessible. Specifically, Hear All The Bells gives the reader a view below the surface of manic depressive illness, also called bipolar disorder.

Although the book is sometimes painful and disorienting, Hear All The Bells tells an optimistic, engaging, and deeply personal story. The reader becomes a co-traveler on a strange journey, experiencing the world through the eyes of someone in the extreme states of mania, depression, psychosis, and addiction.

This sometimes surreal journey travels from Civil War battlefields to mountaintop removal coal mines, from the Old Jamestown colonial settlement to psychiatric wards and 12 Step rooms. Along the way, Hear All The Bells demonstrates the twin realities of manic depression: it is both destructive and potentially enlightening—ultimately a deeply human experience.

For families, friends, and professionals who work with people who experience extreme moods, these are invaluable insights. For people living with mental conditions, Hear All The Bells tells a hopeful story of recovery and possibility.

Ultimately, the book charts a pathway out of chaos, seeking a more stable state in which the insights of those extreme experiences can be incorporated into a creative, vibrant life.

Although Hear All The Bells is primarily a memoir, it touches on the many justice issues surrounding mental illness, including the mass incarceration of people with mental conditions, unequal access to health care, and the historic stigmatization of people with mental illness. Hear All The Bells seeks change and healing, for individuals, yes, and also for the broader society.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2016

Reviews

[Debbie Roszel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest journal of the journey through bipolar madness, diagnosis, management, and healing. Christina Wulf is breathtakingly forthright in describing her experience with this mental illness, and boldly encouraging in her determination to live life well with, and even because of, bipolar disorder.

[Gaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know someone who is bipolar, read this. If you are a medical professional who treats patients who are bipolar, read this. If you work in any sort of correctional facility, read this. If you are interested in gaining a glimpse into the world of mental illness in hopes of gaining a bit of understanding, read this. If you are bipolar, read this. Wulf takes us with her on her journey of learning to navigate the ever-changing waters of manic depression to find her own normal. Christina's descriptive third person point of view "episodes," followed by critical first person assessments is an effective style. One does not need to know how to read and understand a DSM to appreciate this book. This well-written narrative is personal and informative.

[Sissy Hutching · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely well written, I was captivated from the preface till the very last page. I would consider it somewhat a tragic story with a fantastic redeeming end. The victim becoming her own heroine, a book that offers hope and insight through Christina's story. Although not fully, in some areas I was able to relate and reading this book has helped me a great deal in broadening my understanding. I highly recommend this book, it is a story worth reading.