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Detour from Normal
This harrowing memoir tells the true story of a beloved family man and respected engineer who undergoes a life-saving surgery, reacts to medication and improper treatment, and lands in a high-security psychiatric ward. There, psychiatrists pronounce him persistently and acutely disabled and a danger to himself and others. What will happen to him and will he ever regain his former life?
“A massive amount of emotion rolled into a page-turner.”
“An enlightening and dare I say frightening glimpse into the world of mental health care.”
“This is a story you will want to share with the people you know and love.”
“Scary, life-changing and inspiring!”
“Powerful and gripping.”
“A psychological thriller, medical mystery, and compelling drama—made all the more vivid because it actually happened.”
“A massive amount of emotion rolled into a page-turner.”
“An enlightening and dare I say frightening glimpse into the world of mental health care.”
“This is a story you will want to share with the people you know and love.”
“Scary, life-changing and inspiring!”
“Powerful and gripping.”
“A psychological thriller, medical mystery, and compelling drama—made all the more vivid because it actually happened.”
Audible Audio
First published December 9, 2013
About the author
Ken Dickson
6 books73 followersKen Dickson is the author of Detour from Normal, The Road to Amistad, and Aim for Justice.
Detour from Normal is the shocking true story of how our broken medical and mental health care systems rob Ken Dickson of his life as a respected engineer and devoted family man, and land him in a high-security psychiatric ward reserved for the most dangerously mentally ill. What is most disturbing is that what happened to him could happen to anyone.
In The Road to Amistad, an unprecedented psychological change catapults people from all walks of life into an extraordinary new level of human consciousness. For most, this leads to confusion and heartache, but for some, it is their calling. Their lives would be idyllic if not for a ruthless killer bent on annihilating them. They have one thing in their favor, however: they never give up.
Aim for Justice is the true story of how Ken Dickson spirals into madness following surgery and loses his right to bear arms. But that is only the beginning. Ken struggles back to normalcy and takes aim at the impossible: reinstating his Second Amendment right. Will Ken be one of the few Americans to ever reclaim that right after suffering from mental illness?
Ken Dickson lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and a motley crew of pets. He loves adventures and recently completed a 1300 mile road-trip through India. A few weeks later, he finished a nine-day solo motorcycle ride through Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. After that, he travelled to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico to photograph blue whales and pet grey whales.
For more information about Ken and his writing, please visit his website at:
http://www.kendicksonauthor.com
Detour from Normal is the shocking true story of how our broken medical and mental health care systems rob Ken Dickson of his life as a respected engineer and devoted family man, and land him in a high-security psychiatric ward reserved for the most dangerously mentally ill. What is most disturbing is that what happened to him could happen to anyone.
In The Road to Amistad, an unprecedented psychological change catapults people from all walks of life into an extraordinary new level of human consciousness. For most, this leads to confusion and heartache, but for some, it is their calling. Their lives would be idyllic if not for a ruthless killer bent on annihilating them. They have one thing in their favor, however: they never give up.
Aim for Justice is the true story of how Ken Dickson spirals into madness following surgery and loses his right to bear arms. But that is only the beginning. Ken struggles back to normalcy and takes aim at the impossible: reinstating his Second Amendment right. Will Ken be one of the few Americans to ever reclaim that right after suffering from mental illness?
Ken Dickson lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and a motley crew of pets. He loves adventures and recently completed a 1300 mile road-trip through India. A few weeks later, he finished a nine-day solo motorcycle ride through Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. After that, he travelled to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico to photograph blue whales and pet grey whales.
For more information about Ken and his writing, please visit his website at:
http://www.kendicksonauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
February 5, 2014
My name is Ken Dickson, and I am the author of Detour from Normal. I don’t normally write book reviews, in fact, I have never written a book review. It took a traumatic life experience and writing my own book to awaken me to the world of writing and reading, and to Goodreads. Now that I am here, I feel it is time to fully commit, starting with writing my first review. What better way could there be to start than by reviewing the book which brought me here in the first place?
Detour from Normal begins with a respected engineer and a devoted family man facing an unexpected surgery. The trauma of surgery, infections, starvation and dozens of drugs takes its toll. Before he knows it, he is admitted to a psychiatric unit where he spirals into mania and psychosis. From there, he is subjected to a whirlwind of trips into and out of emergency rooms, hospitals and psychiatric units. Finally, with all hope lost, his loving wife is forced to make the unthinkable decision to commit him to a high security psychiatric ward where he is branded “persistently and acutely disabled” and “a danger to himself and others.” That man is me, and this was my personal journey to hell and back.
Detour from Normal is more than an account of things gone wrong in our medical and mental health systems, it is a fascinating story of two people deeply in love, but torn apart by fate. It is an eye opening introduction to the stigma of mental illness. It is a personal run-in with the poor, broken souls trapped in our mental health system that at one moment provokes shock, and the next, laughter. It is a rich and varied exploration of our humanity.
I give Detour from Normal five stars: one for courage, one for honesty, one for compassion, one for hope, and one for my wife, who was there every step of the way. Without her love and dedication, I would most likely not be here to write this.
Detour from Normal begins with a respected engineer and a devoted family man facing an unexpected surgery. The trauma of surgery, infections, starvation and dozens of drugs takes its toll. Before he knows it, he is admitted to a psychiatric unit where he spirals into mania and psychosis. From there, he is subjected to a whirlwind of trips into and out of emergency rooms, hospitals and psychiatric units. Finally, with all hope lost, his loving wife is forced to make the unthinkable decision to commit him to a high security psychiatric ward where he is branded “persistently and acutely disabled” and “a danger to himself and others.” That man is me, and this was my personal journey to hell and back.
Detour from Normal is more than an account of things gone wrong in our medical and mental health systems, it is a fascinating story of two people deeply in love, but torn apart by fate. It is an eye opening introduction to the stigma of mental illness. It is a personal run-in with the poor, broken souls trapped in our mental health system that at one moment provokes shock, and the next, laughter. It is a rich and varied exploration of our humanity.
I give Detour from Normal five stars: one for courage, one for honesty, one for compassion, one for hope, and one for my wife, who was there every step of the way. Without her love and dedication, I would most likely not be here to write this.
March 26, 2014
When I was reading this memoir, I really wanted to like it. I tried so hard to like it, almost straining my mind to make the decision that this was a wonderful book. Unfortunately, while it had some unbelievably great perks about it, when it came down to it, I just couldn't bring myself to be fully convinced that I liked it.
Ken Dickson, the man behind the memoir, packs a punch with a personal story. The problem I had was that, while the story was emotional and full of health information that actually kept my attention (some simply educational, some sad anecdotes), I simply didn't like the storyteller. I really don't know what you do when you like what the book is saying and what's inside of it, the inspiration involved, and the bravery it took to tell the story, but you just don't seem to connect with the narrator. I definitely felt for him, but the way he portrayed himself at times, and I don't just mean his mental state, turned me off towards him. Out of the all the reviews I read on Goodreads, I seem to be the only person with this problem, so I really don't know?!
Really the only other problem I had with this book was that Dickson would, in some random chapters, begin passionately describing in vivid detail how he was planning on creating a new Utopia. I thought at first, Oh that's kinda neat I guess, but as it continued to develop throughout the novel, I became frustrated and had to separate myself from the book several times actually.
On the opposite but positive end, Ken Dickson does quite the job of depicting what mania is and what life is like with it, especially going into detail with the symptoms; for example, hallucinations, irritability, racing thoughts, ideas of grandeur, and the main problem he faced--trouble sleeping. Because his mania affected his family to an extreme extent, like many mental illnesses (and illnesses in general) seem to do, he depicts the feelings of hopelessness anyone feels when their loved ones and people they trust seem to betray them, forget them, or even worse, become engulfed in anguish because of the scenario.
What's almost worse is how you put your trust--and your life, even--in the hands of doctors and healthcare facilities, becoming completely vulnerable, only to come out on the other side a completely different person. Dickson unveils in his book how disturbed our healthcare system can be--which I know all too well from firsthand experiences. Detour from Normal also shines a light on how doctors just seem to haphazardly prescribe medication, and in excess.
The health elements of this memoir stood out to me because I'm so heavily involved in medical elements due to my own predicament with Lyme disease and its symptoms, which involve cognitive and mental symptoms/disorders. However, as stated above, while Dickson's story was intriguing, I just could not find myself able to relate to him, and that can be a large problem in a memoir.
Ken Dickson, the man behind the memoir, packs a punch with a personal story. The problem I had was that, while the story was emotional and full of health information that actually kept my attention (some simply educational, some sad anecdotes), I simply didn't like the storyteller. I really don't know what you do when you like what the book is saying and what's inside of it, the inspiration involved, and the bravery it took to tell the story, but you just don't seem to connect with the narrator. I definitely felt for him, but the way he portrayed himself at times, and I don't just mean his mental state, turned me off towards him. Out of the all the reviews I read on Goodreads, I seem to be the only person with this problem, so I really don't know?!
Really the only other problem I had with this book was that Dickson would, in some random chapters, begin passionately describing in vivid detail how he was planning on creating a new Utopia. I thought at first, Oh that's kinda neat I guess, but as it continued to develop throughout the novel, I became frustrated and had to separate myself from the book several times actually.
On the opposite but positive end, Ken Dickson does quite the job of depicting what mania is and what life is like with it, especially going into detail with the symptoms; for example, hallucinations, irritability, racing thoughts, ideas of grandeur, and the main problem he faced--trouble sleeping. Because his mania affected his family to an extreme extent, like many mental illnesses (and illnesses in general) seem to do, he depicts the feelings of hopelessness anyone feels when their loved ones and people they trust seem to betray them, forget them, or even worse, become engulfed in anguish because of the scenario.
What's almost worse is how you put your trust--and your life, even--in the hands of doctors and healthcare facilities, becoming completely vulnerable, only to come out on the other side a completely different person. Dickson unveils in his book how disturbed our healthcare system can be--which I know all too well from firsthand experiences. Detour from Normal also shines a light on how doctors just seem to haphazardly prescribe medication, and in excess.
The health elements of this memoir stood out to me because I'm so heavily involved in medical elements due to my own predicament with Lyme disease and its symptoms, which involve cognitive and mental symptoms/disorders. However, as stated above, while Dickson's story was intriguing, I just could not find myself able to relate to him, and that can be a large problem in a memoir.
February 25, 2017
A bravely written memoir documenting one of the lesser-known aspects of mental health. The author was a successful engineer with no history of mental health problems, until he became unwell and required surgery for a bowel condition. In the aftermath, worrying symptoms began to surface and as his behaviour become increasingly erratic and disturbing, his family are forced to seek professional help and place their husband and father in a specialist psychiatric facility. Believing he is only in need of a few good nights sleep, Ken has to adapt to his new surroundings and interactions with staff and patients alike.
As a nurse working in mental health in the UK, it was interesting to see how a patient's experience in the US differ from our own. The American healthcare system, like most, has flaws and not everyone gets the treatment they need and deserve. The author is clearly unhappy with some aspects of his care, and from some of his experiences, this is justified. It was upsetting to read of the disinterest expressed by some of the nurses caring for him and reinforces how important a good nurse-patient relationship is, particularly in the mental health system.
Some of the book focuses on the authors dreams and visions, especially those involving his dream for a new world in which everyone gets along - a utopia of sort. I felt some of these chapters could have been compressed as it began to feel repetitive after a while. Having said that, its always interesting to hear from mental health patients experiences first-hand and emphasises just how real those experiences can be.
As most people are aware, mental health still doesn't receive the attention it deserves, including its unwarranted stigma. Memoirs like this go some way towards educating and informing wider audiences about the many different illnesses that affect the mind. A worthwhile read for mental health professionals or those with an interest in this area of health and medicine.
As a nurse working in mental health in the UK, it was interesting to see how a patient's experience in the US differ from our own. The American healthcare system, like most, has flaws and not everyone gets the treatment they need and deserve. The author is clearly unhappy with some aspects of his care, and from some of his experiences, this is justified. It was upsetting to read of the disinterest expressed by some of the nurses caring for him and reinforces how important a good nurse-patient relationship is, particularly in the mental health system.
Some of the book focuses on the authors dreams and visions, especially those involving his dream for a new world in which everyone gets along - a utopia of sort. I felt some of these chapters could have been compressed as it began to feel repetitive after a while. Having said that, its always interesting to hear from mental health patients experiences first-hand and emphasises just how real those experiences can be.
As most people are aware, mental health still doesn't receive the attention it deserves, including its unwarranted stigma. Memoirs like this go some way towards educating and informing wider audiences about the many different illnesses that affect the mind. A worthwhile read for mental health professionals or those with an interest in this area of health and medicine.
April 18, 2018
There are no short cuts or better ways to say this: what Ken Dickson went through was pure hell.
After undergoing a serious surgery for an intestinal problem, a combination of medication reactions followed by improper treatment led to him being sent to many psychiatric instutions, suffering from mania, depression and a number of other mental issues. He was repeatedly determined to be a danger to himself and was sedated, which only led to more problems for David. He ended up in a high security institution after he attempted to flee from one where he was getting very poor medical care.
The book pulls no punches (and shouldn't) about what it's like to be inside a mental institution, with everyone thinking you are out of your mind. He routinely hallucinates about being in a placed called Utopia, which he visits in his very detailed dreams. Due to increasing difficulty sleeping, he receives even more medication - medication he really does not want.
He makes a couple of friends while institutionalized, and is drawn to the people no one else wants to be around. One man, who only ate apples, simply needed someone else to go to the line and make him a tray. The first time David does this, he eats ravenously, although he cannot express his gratitude. Unable to care much for his own hygiene, this man was routinely left alone with his apples due to his odor and inability to communicate. However, after many days of helping him, David is rewarded with a "thank you" and a handshake from this unfortunate man. He told David he was the first person in the institution who looked at him like the human being he was underneath everything else.
It took courage to write this book and lay bare the details of the physical issues and mental issues that David has been through, and to expose the lack of medical care that he truly needed and deserved. He doesn't cut corners when he describes his eventual colostomy and what it did to his self esteem and how it added to his depression. However, the story needed to be told and he did that well. I applaud his courage.
After undergoing a serious surgery for an intestinal problem, a combination of medication reactions followed by improper treatment led to him being sent to many psychiatric instutions, suffering from mania, depression and a number of other mental issues. He was repeatedly determined to be a danger to himself and was sedated, which only led to more problems for David. He ended up in a high security institution after he attempted to flee from one where he was getting very poor medical care.
The book pulls no punches (and shouldn't) about what it's like to be inside a mental institution, with everyone thinking you are out of your mind. He routinely hallucinates about being in a placed called Utopia, which he visits in his very detailed dreams. Due to increasing difficulty sleeping, he receives even more medication - medication he really does not want.
He makes a couple of friends while institutionalized, and is drawn to the people no one else wants to be around. One man, who only ate apples, simply needed someone else to go to the line and make him a tray. The first time David does this, he eats ravenously, although he cannot express his gratitude. Unable to care much for his own hygiene, this man was routinely left alone with his apples due to his odor and inability to communicate. However, after many days of helping him, David is rewarded with a "thank you" and a handshake from this unfortunate man. He told David he was the first person in the institution who looked at him like the human being he was underneath everything else.
It took courage to write this book and lay bare the details of the physical issues and mental issues that David has been through, and to expose the lack of medical care that he truly needed and deserved. He doesn't cut corners when he describes his eventual colostomy and what it did to his self esteem and how it added to his depression. However, the story needed to be told and he did that well. I applaud his courage.
November 10, 2021
2.5
The man who wrote this book, Ken Dickson, had a mental breakdown and recovered to write about it. I thought it would be interesting to read his descriptions of his worst breakdown episodes.
Prior to his breakdown he was healthy and unfamiliar with hospitals - because he never needed one. He is an engineer and married with two daughters. A regular guy. One week he began to have abdominal pains and ended up in the hospital with acute diverticulitis. His doctors said he needed bowel surgery. That's when Dickson's problems began. He recovered from the surgery but had a bad reaction to the drugs he was given. He became manic - not bipolar - just manic, and ended up in a high security mental institution.
Dickson describes his manic thoughts but went overboard writing about them. In his mind he created plans for a utopia. The details of this utopia just went on and on - and on. It was like having to listen to a friend describe an elaborate dream. (I have no patience listening to dreams.) A patient suffering from a drug reaction shouldn't end up in an institution. Sounds to me like he got some really bad medical treatment. I'm not sure Dickson has totally recovered from this unfortunate experience. His manic delusions of grandeur have persisted somewhat and even now he believes his utopian ideas have merit.
I respect him for teaching himself to be a writer after his breakdown. He's precise (I guess that's the engineer in him) and clear in his explanations. I wish him luck.
The man who wrote this book, Ken Dickson, had a mental breakdown and recovered to write about it. I thought it would be interesting to read his descriptions of his worst breakdown episodes.
Prior to his breakdown he was healthy and unfamiliar with hospitals - because he never needed one. He is an engineer and married with two daughters. A regular guy. One week he began to have abdominal pains and ended up in the hospital with acute diverticulitis. His doctors said he needed bowel surgery. That's when Dickson's problems began. He recovered from the surgery but had a bad reaction to the drugs he was given. He became manic - not bipolar - just manic, and ended up in a high security mental institution.
Dickson describes his manic thoughts but went overboard writing about them. In his mind he created plans for a utopia. The details of this utopia just went on and on - and on. It was like having to listen to a friend describe an elaborate dream. (I have no patience listening to dreams.) A patient suffering from a drug reaction shouldn't end up in an institution. Sounds to me like he got some really bad medical treatment. I'm not sure Dickson has totally recovered from this unfortunate experience. His manic delusions of grandeur have persisted somewhat and even now he believes his utopian ideas have merit.
I respect him for teaching himself to be a writer after his breakdown. He's precise (I guess that's the engineer in him) and clear in his explanations. I wish him luck.
March 31, 2015
For the past 25 years I've been a psych RN in Minnesota. While some of Ken's experiences could happen anywhere, I think he would have had a different outcome had he lived in MN instead of AZ.
Our first priority for anyone suffering from mania is to help them achieve restorative sleep.
My hospital uses the team approach he mentioned. A full neurological workup would have been ordered due to this severe and abrupt personality change. And I was shocked that Ken mentioned the use of a single blade razor--NEVER do we allow that, not even with staff supervision.
And yes, sometimes because of all the documentation that is required by law and by the hospital, sometimes it does seem (to both patients and staff) that we are computer RNs.
This was a good read. I was intrigued at Ken's descriptions of what happened to him, his thought processes, and his different degrees of mania. He was spot on with his recommendations about simplifying our emotional and physical clutter.
Our first priority for anyone suffering from mania is to help them achieve restorative sleep.
My hospital uses the team approach he mentioned. A full neurological workup would have been ordered due to this severe and abrupt personality change. And I was shocked that Ken mentioned the use of a single blade razor--NEVER do we allow that, not even with staff supervision.
And yes, sometimes because of all the documentation that is required by law and by the hospital, sometimes it does seem (to both patients and staff) that we are computer RNs.
This was a good read. I was intrigued at Ken's descriptions of what happened to him, his thought processes, and his different degrees of mania. He was spot on with his recommendations about simplifying our emotional and physical clutter.
May 9, 2014
Detour from Normal is scary because it is completely believable. You put your life in the hands of people you love and in the doctors you trust. This book shows what happens if they are all wrong. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder almost twenty years ago and I remember how long it took to get the right doctor to give me the right medication. I've been on it ever since except when the pharmacy gave me the wrong medication and I couldn't understand why I was feeling "off". In my case the right medication works, but I could feel Ken's frustration with all the wrong attempts to make him "normal" again. This was a fast paced and engaging story.
July 19, 2018
People,
People who need people,
Are the luckiest people in the world.
-Barbara Streisand
A memoir.
It is always the same old story. Fifty-five-year-old guy's stomach hurts. Goes to his regular doctor. His regular doctor sends him to a specialist, a gastroenterologist. The GI tells the guy, incorrectly, that he must cut out part of his colon and affix the remains to where they need to be. While in the hospital, guy develops other infections, naturally. His body reacts poorly to the invasion of germs and healthcare professionals and he begins to suffer mental paroxysms syncopated to his physical degeneration. Music.
Next thing we learn is that he is not mending as well as a patient should (or did the doctor just screw it up?). And he is not sleeping. Difficult to sleep in a hospital. Well, no sleep and a slow recovery from an unneeded operation tend to upset some people. His behavior was erratic, the diagnosis.
And, so, of course, if you follow the medical logic, he is sent to a psychiatric hospital where the doors are thick and automatically locked. He is now well medicated with a panoply of drugs…for his head. Minor ones, like Risperdal, Seroquel, Ativan, and others mixed into a concoction made to numb or erase his mind. By the way, his stomach no longer hurts.
His wife has no idea what to do, but neither did the doctors. What to do. What to do. She has her own personal issues, two little girls to raise, and a husband that is antithetical to what he was yesterday.
Doctors.
All he wants to do is to get out and return to his wife, his daughters, and his dog. Unfortunately, the doctors see it differently. He needs more drugs, lithium. Megadoses. He tries, from the restricted confines of the edifice for the insane, to get out. But everything goes wrong. Not an easily remediated situation.
Ends up that the doctors demand he stay doped up and hidden. Out of sight, out of mind. Heavens, how many other people have been caught in such a web?
And then we come to the part of the story that is inevitable and always incredible. The attempt to be rescued from this absurd, horrific, and yet human conundrum. Ya gotta call someone. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters? Wrong. There is only one select group of humans that know just about everything there is to know about everything.
Lawyers. Attorneys. Esquires. Barristers. And let’s not forget the Holy magistrates, born with a silver jurisprudence degree in their mouth. These are today’s saints. The janitors of every single industry now in existence. These most moral people are also so high above ordinary limited intellectual capabilities that they must exist somewhere closer to the clouds than regular folk. Superheroes. Comic-con.
His wife has taken him from the asylum and in turn, the doctors refer him to the ultimate nuthouse, by way of subpoena, the US courtroom. Guy wants to get out, doctors want to keep him in and up his dosage of lithium. Do not argue with a psychiatrist. Control.
Prosecuting attorney feels that he is dangerous to himself and to the world, this manipulated man who had a colon problem a few months ago and no criminal record, that put him in both the current legal and 'mentally unstable' systems. No, he had never been violent, and he was not a threat. But the attorney made a successful argument against his freedom and the magistrate, the judge concurred. They decided that he be remanded to the institution and that his lithium intake is upped.
This one judge of the court (no jury in these type of cases), who never met the man, who maybe but not definitely read some of the defendant’s papers, decided, within an hour, the outcome of this poor guy's life. It is truly heroic how these legal minds soak in so much in minutes and adjudicate in the same amount of time. Boom…like that.
Turns out there is a correlation between lithium and mania. In fact, continued use of lithium causes manic behavior. More of the drug, more seizures. So, the guy suffers more. These doctors, these people of the court can sleep at night, which always amazes, while the condemned man continues to be unable to sleep (a symptom of the mania).
This is not highbrow literature, but…
It is an unsettling book. Feh.
People who need people,
Are the luckiest people in the world.
-Barbara Streisand
A memoir.
It is always the same old story. Fifty-five-year-old guy's stomach hurts. Goes to his regular doctor. His regular doctor sends him to a specialist, a gastroenterologist. The GI tells the guy, incorrectly, that he must cut out part of his colon and affix the remains to where they need to be. While in the hospital, guy develops other infections, naturally. His body reacts poorly to the invasion of germs and healthcare professionals and he begins to suffer mental paroxysms syncopated to his physical degeneration. Music.
Next thing we learn is that he is not mending as well as a patient should (or did the doctor just screw it up?). And he is not sleeping. Difficult to sleep in a hospital. Well, no sleep and a slow recovery from an unneeded operation tend to upset some people. His behavior was erratic, the diagnosis.
And, so, of course, if you follow the medical logic, he is sent to a psychiatric hospital where the doors are thick and automatically locked. He is now well medicated with a panoply of drugs…for his head. Minor ones, like Risperdal, Seroquel, Ativan, and others mixed into a concoction made to numb or erase his mind. By the way, his stomach no longer hurts.
His wife has no idea what to do, but neither did the doctors. What to do. What to do. She has her own personal issues, two little girls to raise, and a husband that is antithetical to what he was yesterday.
Doctors.
All he wants to do is to get out and return to his wife, his daughters, and his dog. Unfortunately, the doctors see it differently. He needs more drugs, lithium. Megadoses. He tries, from the restricted confines of the edifice for the insane, to get out. But everything goes wrong. Not an easily remediated situation.
Ends up that the doctors demand he stay doped up and hidden. Out of sight, out of mind. Heavens, how many other people have been caught in such a web?
And then we come to the part of the story that is inevitable and always incredible. The attempt to be rescued from this absurd, horrific, and yet human conundrum. Ya gotta call someone. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters? Wrong. There is only one select group of humans that know just about everything there is to know about everything.
Lawyers. Attorneys. Esquires. Barristers. And let’s not forget the Holy magistrates, born with a silver jurisprudence degree in their mouth. These are today’s saints. The janitors of every single industry now in existence. These most moral people are also so high above ordinary limited intellectual capabilities that they must exist somewhere closer to the clouds than regular folk. Superheroes. Comic-con.
His wife has taken him from the asylum and in turn, the doctors refer him to the ultimate nuthouse, by way of subpoena, the US courtroom. Guy wants to get out, doctors want to keep him in and up his dosage of lithium. Do not argue with a psychiatrist. Control.
Prosecuting attorney feels that he is dangerous to himself and to the world, this manipulated man who had a colon problem a few months ago and no criminal record, that put him in both the current legal and 'mentally unstable' systems. No, he had never been violent, and he was not a threat. But the attorney made a successful argument against his freedom and the magistrate, the judge concurred. They decided that he be remanded to the institution and that his lithium intake is upped.
This one judge of the court (no jury in these type of cases), who never met the man, who maybe but not definitely read some of the defendant’s papers, decided, within an hour, the outcome of this poor guy's life. It is truly heroic how these legal minds soak in so much in minutes and adjudicate in the same amount of time. Boom…like that.
Turns out there is a correlation between lithium and mania. In fact, continued use of lithium causes manic behavior. More of the drug, more seizures. So, the guy suffers more. These doctors, these people of the court can sleep at night, which always amazes, while the condemned man continues to be unable to sleep (a symptom of the mania).
This is not highbrow literature, but…
It is an unsettling book. Feh.
April 29, 2014
What is the true cause of bipolar disorder? What is the best way to treat it? Is our psychiatric system doing its best to treat those who suffer with compassion? Is there anything of this disorder that is of value? Can people heal? And what exactly does it mean to be ‘normal’? These are the type of questions which will pop into the minds of any reader of Ken Dickson’s valuable book, Detour from Normal.
Thought provoking, to say the least, Ken’s book takes us on his own harrowing journey which begins, not in the psychiatric hospital, but in surgery, where he is literally rescued from the brink of death by a highly professional team of doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, the surgical procedures performed were so intense, that they served as a trigger, taking him into his first ever manic episode at the ripe age of 55.
Once recognized as manic, however, the passion and commitment displayed by Ken’s medical team disappeared, as Ken was confronted by the cold reality of our psychiatric system – arrogant psychiatrists, cruel staff members, panicky nurses and of course, exhausted, frustrated family members scrambling for answers where there are none to be found.
‘Detour from Normal’ provides a very precise account of Ken’s own subjective experience. The tone of his chapters varies somewhat as he shares with us the ecstasy of mania, the remarkable visionary detail of his dreams, but also the barbarism of psychiatric hospitalization. Bringing balance to the story, his wife ads her own account of Ken’s experiences to many of his chapters.
More than anything else, ‘Detour from Normal’ invites the reader to witness the incredible complexity and confusion surrounding the issue of bipolar disorder with greater sensitivity. In my experience, most people prefer to slap on overly simplified labels and modes of treatment to the very complex circumstances surrounding mental disorders. Like it or not, this book yanks the reader out of their black-and-white thinking, exposing them to the gray areas which are, at times, difficult to digest and yet essential to comprehend if we are to ever transcend our woefully inadequate treatment of people in the midst of profound psychological crisis.
Thought provoking, to say the least, Ken’s book takes us on his own harrowing journey which begins, not in the psychiatric hospital, but in surgery, where he is literally rescued from the brink of death by a highly professional team of doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, the surgical procedures performed were so intense, that they served as a trigger, taking him into his first ever manic episode at the ripe age of 55.
Once recognized as manic, however, the passion and commitment displayed by Ken’s medical team disappeared, as Ken was confronted by the cold reality of our psychiatric system – arrogant psychiatrists, cruel staff members, panicky nurses and of course, exhausted, frustrated family members scrambling for answers where there are none to be found.
‘Detour from Normal’ provides a very precise account of Ken’s own subjective experience. The tone of his chapters varies somewhat as he shares with us the ecstasy of mania, the remarkable visionary detail of his dreams, but also the barbarism of psychiatric hospitalization. Bringing balance to the story, his wife ads her own account of Ken’s experiences to many of his chapters.
More than anything else, ‘Detour from Normal’ invites the reader to witness the incredible complexity and confusion surrounding the issue of bipolar disorder with greater sensitivity. In my experience, most people prefer to slap on overly simplified labels and modes of treatment to the very complex circumstances surrounding mental disorders. Like it or not, this book yanks the reader out of their black-and-white thinking, exposing them to the gray areas which are, at times, difficult to digest and yet essential to comprehend if we are to ever transcend our woefully inadequate treatment of people in the midst of profound psychological crisis.
August 30, 2014
In some cultures in our world, and certainly in many worlds past, Ken would have been a messiah. Somewhere out there, a whole village of people is awaiting someone like the person Ken became for two months of his life. They are waiting for a man with no fear, a man with big dreams, a man with no ego, a man who sees, albeit for a short time, the true potential of mankind.
Here in the West? We locked him up and called him crazy. Laughed at him through his seizures, calling him a liar. Put a bracelet on his hand, masking tape on his door, and told him to "get away from the glass".
This is our world. This isn't just a story. This is us. This is what we're allowing ourselves to believe, to reinforce, to ignore.
There are few 372 page books that I've read in a day and half - and this was one of them. The most compelling thing about Ken's story is that it's true and the discussions it raises about modern-day society are important, timely, and difficult.
What does it mean to be crazy? Why do we intervene immediately when someone is acting differently, shoving drugs down their throats, instead of seeing if it will dissolve in some natural way? What is the line between genius and madness? What would have happened to Einstein, Sylvia Plath, Jesus Christ, or any number of clearly mentally different individuals in today's world? Would they have met Ken's fate? Are we locking up our geniuses? Are we drugging our prophets? Is our mental and medical system meant to help people or dehumanize them, judge them, and then send them the bill?
Having had some experience with the mental health system, I was aghast at Ken's experiences, though not surprised. It is different to see within the mind of someone on the other side of the pane of glass. Many mental and medical health professionals can continue their apathetic behaviour because: 1) They are incredibly exhausted and unsatisfied (rightfully) 2) There are no "approved" treatments or cures, only temporary symptom-fixes and 3) The patients do not seem to be aware of their plight, nor capable of wishing for more.
Ken's story destroys the third assumption and, for this reason, would be valuable reading for any mental health or medical worker. The greatest tool against apathy is the sharing of human stories.
We have seen, in the history of the world, what people will do for a broken system - how far they will go. Ken's experiences are nothing short of proof that our mental health care system is broken, ineffective, and dangerous. This is the modern-day Milgram experiment. This is today's Stanford prison experiment. This horror is real life.
Everyone should read this story.
Where we've come with our health care is not our fault, but it is our responsibility. This system violates people like Ken every single day. It violates them because it misunderstands them. It is not the fault of the doctors, the nurses, or the psychiatrists.
At this point, as I hope you'll understand throughout this tragic tale, it is no one's fault. And everyone's responsibility.
Let Ken's story change your ideas about sickness and health. Let him teach you about human potential, about seeing beyond the small socially acceptable window of experience, about spirituality, about the mind, about the tragic way labels ruin relationships, and about what can happen to any of us, anytime now, because this is how things are.
Ken's book is a true testament to Krishnamurti's signature quote: "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
May Ken never fully readjust and may his detour from normal continue him to becoming the teacher that some of us have been awaiting much too long.
Here in the West? We locked him up and called him crazy. Laughed at him through his seizures, calling him a liar. Put a bracelet on his hand, masking tape on his door, and told him to "get away from the glass".
This is our world. This isn't just a story. This is us. This is what we're allowing ourselves to believe, to reinforce, to ignore.
There are few 372 page books that I've read in a day and half - and this was one of them. The most compelling thing about Ken's story is that it's true and the discussions it raises about modern-day society are important, timely, and difficult.
What does it mean to be crazy? Why do we intervene immediately when someone is acting differently, shoving drugs down their throats, instead of seeing if it will dissolve in some natural way? What is the line between genius and madness? What would have happened to Einstein, Sylvia Plath, Jesus Christ, or any number of clearly mentally different individuals in today's world? Would they have met Ken's fate? Are we locking up our geniuses? Are we drugging our prophets? Is our mental and medical system meant to help people or dehumanize them, judge them, and then send them the bill?
Having had some experience with the mental health system, I was aghast at Ken's experiences, though not surprised. It is different to see within the mind of someone on the other side of the pane of glass. Many mental and medical health professionals can continue their apathetic behaviour because: 1) They are incredibly exhausted and unsatisfied (rightfully) 2) There are no "approved" treatments or cures, only temporary symptom-fixes and 3) The patients do not seem to be aware of their plight, nor capable of wishing for more.
Ken's story destroys the third assumption and, for this reason, would be valuable reading for any mental health or medical worker. The greatest tool against apathy is the sharing of human stories.
We have seen, in the history of the world, what people will do for a broken system - how far they will go. Ken's experiences are nothing short of proof that our mental health care system is broken, ineffective, and dangerous. This is the modern-day Milgram experiment. This is today's Stanford prison experiment. This horror is real life.
Everyone should read this story.
Where we've come with our health care is not our fault, but it is our responsibility. This system violates people like Ken every single day. It violates them because it misunderstands them. It is not the fault of the doctors, the nurses, or the psychiatrists.
At this point, as I hope you'll understand throughout this tragic tale, it is no one's fault. And everyone's responsibility.
Let Ken's story change your ideas about sickness and health. Let him teach you about human potential, about seeing beyond the small socially acceptable window of experience, about spirituality, about the mind, about the tragic way labels ruin relationships, and about what can happen to any of us, anytime now, because this is how things are.
Ken's book is a true testament to Krishnamurti's signature quote: "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
May Ken never fully readjust and may his detour from normal continue him to becoming the teacher that some of us have been awaiting much too long.
October 21, 2014
I honestly flipped through most of this book because I felt like it got so bogged down in him trying to "help" everyone, and the descriptions of his "Utopia" were just agonizing in the detail.
My interest in this book, and what prompted me to buy it, was my general feeling that the medical community often fails us. Instead of treating our bodies, including our minds, as a whole, we are pieced out to this or that specialist, and never the doctors shall meet, nor discuss our issues or care. How much better would things work if they all took the time to consult with each other?
I feel like some changes could've been made that would've made this book much better. I'm wondering how it got the Goodreads rating it did.
My interest in this book, and what prompted me to buy it, was my general feeling that the medical community often fails us. Instead of treating our bodies, including our minds, as a whole, we are pieced out to this or that specialist, and never the doctors shall meet, nor discuss our issues or care. How much better would things work if they all took the time to consult with each other?
I feel like some changes could've been made that would've made this book much better. I'm wondering how it got the Goodreads rating it did.
January 18, 2014
Rarely do I read a book from start to finish without putting it down. This is one of those books. Very well written and wholly engaging, it took me on a surreal and yet easily understandable journey though the mind and experiences of someone marginalized by society as insane. That he is able to describe with such incredible attention to detail his delusions and how he was made to suffer so much cruelty and injustice at the hands of those we trust with our lives, including medical doctors, peace officers, guards, emergency medical technicians, nurses, psychiatrists, lawyers and even a judge, is amazing. What a great book!
It is sad how so much of our society is prejudiced against the mentally ill, regarding them as unthinking and unfeeling, and therefore undeserving of any compassion. The author does a great service to us all by correcting this misunderstanding. With this book, he has not only prepared me for what may be my experience should something similar happen to me (a side-effect of post-surgical medication) he has also taught me how to show more patience and love towards those who suffer as he did. His book has the power to make the world a better place. It should be required reading for all those who are preparing themselves for any type of work involving the mentally ill.
By the time readers finish this book, they will understand themselves better and learn to get more out of life, regardless of where they fall on the scale of fully sane (is anyone fully sane?) to insane. If they have friends or family members who are mentally ill, they will love them more and have more joy in their relationships with them. If they work with the mentally ill, their work will take on a whole new meaning; it will be more fulfilling and more satisfying.
The author’s summary towards the end of this book of the lessons he has learned through his experiences are beautiful and inspiring. His conclusions resonate as true with me and have given me a brighter hope for the future of humanity.
It is sad how so much of our society is prejudiced against the mentally ill, regarding them as unthinking and unfeeling, and therefore undeserving of any compassion. The author does a great service to us all by correcting this misunderstanding. With this book, he has not only prepared me for what may be my experience should something similar happen to me (a side-effect of post-surgical medication) he has also taught me how to show more patience and love towards those who suffer as he did. His book has the power to make the world a better place. It should be required reading for all those who are preparing themselves for any type of work involving the mentally ill.
By the time readers finish this book, they will understand themselves better and learn to get more out of life, regardless of where they fall on the scale of fully sane (is anyone fully sane?) to insane. If they have friends or family members who are mentally ill, they will love them more and have more joy in their relationships with them. If they work with the mentally ill, their work will take on a whole new meaning; it will be more fulfilling and more satisfying.
The author’s summary towards the end of this book of the lessons he has learned through his experiences are beautiful and inspiring. His conclusions resonate as true with me and have given me a brighter hope for the future of humanity.
September 16, 2014
Ken Dickson was your average 55 year old man until a bout with diverticulitis spirals his life into hell. A surgical procedure to remove a portion of his bowel begins a long journey from excellent health to commitment to a psychiatric hospital. His adverse reaction to certain medications compounded by lack of pertinent tests sends him into a manic state that eventually has him involuntarily committed.
Upon his recovery, Ken is able to put into word what his ordeal was like. I'm not sure that I could be so straightforward in the telling of such a horrific experience. Being in the medical field, I am very disturbed that so much of his contact with medical professionals is lackluster and often shoddy. His initial diagnosis for observation is insomnia. From insomnia to court ordered medication is harsh. I read this in one sitting. It was so engrossing that I needed to know where it would end and if he would be okay.
5 stars!
October 23, 2014
This is the true story of a man who suffered through manic episodes and what he perceived to be seizures following a surgery related to diverticulitis. He was admitted for inpatient treatment at several psychiatric wards. At one point, his doctor wanted to put him on Lithium; he refused and was subsequently taken to court, after which the judge determined that he would be required to be treated with this drug. Following his release from psychiatric care, he began to have serious heart problems and it was discovered that it was due to Lithium toxicity.
This is a very interesting account of one man's dealings with the American health system, and the fallibility of medical professionals.
I received an e-copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very interesting account of one man's dealings with the American health system, and the fallibility of medical professionals.
I received an e-copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2015
new light from personal perspective
This was a very informative read. I've a loved in my life that has been labeled bipolar and been through multiple rounds of treatment. Dickson's first hand account of his experiences makes it easier to identify with those who are challenged by troubling life situations. I hope that others can benefit from reading his work.
This was a very informative read. I've a loved in my life that has been labeled bipolar and been through multiple rounds of treatment. Dickson's first hand account of his experiences makes it easier to identify with those who are challenged by troubling life situations. I hope that others can benefit from reading his work.
January 18, 2014
I think this is a very good book. I was captivated by the whole story, from a seemingly routine medical condition to MANIA. Nobody could make this up, Ken's attention to detail and complete recollection of so many experiences is amazing. I loved this book.
April 7, 2015
...at first, I thought, this guy's cheese has slipped off his cracker. Then I thought he was a genius. Finally, I think he is a very strong person and justifies my resistance to doctors
April 10, 2019
Detour from Normal, by Ken Dickson, is an autobiographical account about the tragic mishandling of a man's life. In this true and brutally vivid story, Ken narrates his ordeal, in explicit detail, starting with his admission to a hospital for a medical issue, which soon mushroomed into this burgeoning monster where he was labelled mentally unfit, detained, drugged and robbed of his rights as a citizen. It will both shock you and disturb you that medical practioners were so inept and morally deficient that they nearly destroyed a man's life. I don't know how Ken managed to remember the dialogues and details as he did, but the courage it took to reveal the story to the world is worth five stars. It's an important exposé about just how dangerous drugs can be when wrongly administered.
January 29, 2017
I picked up this book because parts of it paralleled my own medical history. It begins with the author suffering a perforated bowel and having to undergo a bowel resection. All too familiar to me, having been through that twice myself. Only from that point on, our stories couldn't be more different. After returning home, the author begins to display manic behavior, which gets progressively worse, making it impossible for him to sleep. Along with the his sleep problems, he feels a heightening of his senses and feels he has been given insights into a way to bring about a utopian society. In short, he's gone crazy, though he would object to that characterization. He ends up being institutionalized involuntarily and variously mistreated or ignored by the system which is supposed to be helping him. Eventually, due to either whatever was messing up his brain resolving its issues, or due to getting on or off the right medications, he was returned to a form of normalcy and was able to return to home and job. All this was interesting. The workings of the brain fascinate me. But i do have major problems with this book, or should i say the author of the book. He still maintains that in the manic state that he was in, he was given insights and heightened sense and he still sees those things as good things. His visions or utopia have softened, but he still talks of it and works toward that vision. He does not see them as a part of a sickness. He glorifies them to this day. I really do not believe that the author is any better now than he was when he was institutionalized. He has just learned to keep his craziness in acceptable standards. And to make things worse, he is proselytizing, still pushing his ideas that were born out of insanity. Sorry. Not buying it. Get help.
May 20, 2015
As someone who has a particular interest in the subjects of psychology and mania, I really enjoyed this book. It is an honest, detailed account of a truly life-changing experience which happened to a normal, healthy man as a result of complications with surgery and medication. ken Dixon is an engineer by profession so comes to the subject of psychological disturbance as one who is accustomed to analysing data. His descriptions of the hospitals he was in, his treatment regime and his internal experiences makes for fascinating reading.
I especially enjoyed the fact that the author took time to review his abnormal state of mind from the perspective of normality once he recovered. He is widely read on the subject of mania now and allows that manic episodes provide a glimpse into an alternative reality. In saying this, though, he does not go overboard and call for bizarre behaviour to be encouraged. The book is a balanced evaluation of what mania is, how patients who enter a manic phase ought to be cared for, and what can be learnt from people who have experienced peak mania when they return to normal.
I especially enjoyed the fact that the author took time to review his abnormal state of mind from the perspective of normality once he recovered. He is widely read on the subject of mania now and allows that manic episodes provide a glimpse into an alternative reality. In saying this, though, he does not go overboard and call for bizarre behaviour to be encouraged. The book is a balanced evaluation of what mania is, how patients who enter a manic phase ought to be cared for, and what can be learnt from people who have experienced peak mania when they return to normal.
November 19, 2015
I expected more from this book. I thought he would be speaking from the viewpoint of a man who came back from a mania, caused by drug side effects, medical interventions, and severe illness to speak as a patient-advocate, to admonish the medical community to be more cognizant of the effects of extensive surgery, possibly shock and sepsis compounded by multiple drugs. Instead, he almost seemed to simply accept that he got no meaningful interventions while in modern mental health facilities and that the various staff members he encountered were uncaring at best and cruel at worst. His experiences with the medical community was suspect, and points to a serious lack in medical and nursing education and oversight. I feel that he concentrated on his various delusions at the expensive of very reasonable indignation at what he went through. As a retired nurse, I feel he was abused by my colleagues and I wish it had turned him into an activist for change, if only in his writing. Except for the foregoing, his writing was clear and concise, well organized and competent.
January 23, 2014
Detour from Normal details the strong story of Ken Dickson's struggle with mania and the cataclysmic down-spiral that follows. Written with heart and a passion to not only act as a memoir, Detour from Normal steps the boundaries and also hopes to educate about the mental health system and the troubles with gaps in understanding.
Ken Dickson's first novel earns my five-star rating because of the powerful voice that is present in the text. Whether discussing his own mania, his dreams while inside mental care facilities, or describing the battles that his family had to go through, Dickson's voice is sound and reinforced by flexible diction. This allowed for a quick and enjoyable read, one that I will remember for a long time.
I highly recommend Dickson's Detour from Normal, a novel that isn't afraid to tell a unique and difficult story.
Ken Dickson's first novel earns my five-star rating because of the powerful voice that is present in the text. Whether discussing his own mania, his dreams while inside mental care facilities, or describing the battles that his family had to go through, Dickson's voice is sound and reinforced by flexible diction. This allowed for a quick and enjoyable read, one that I will remember for a long time.
I highly recommend Dickson's Detour from Normal, a novel that isn't afraid to tell a unique and difficult story.
August 8, 2017
In 2011, Ken Dickson had emergency surgery that totally changed his life. He ended up with a rare complication (possibly from the surgery itself affecting his brain chemistry, possibly from one of the many medications he took). He ended up going manic. This led to him being put into three different psychiatric wards. Once he was deemed mentally ill, he was just looked at as “crazy” and no one cared to figure out what was really going on. Detour from Normal is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of someone completely manic and also into the world of mental institutions. Dickson told the story mostly from his point of view as he was thinking at the time (occasionally he clarified things with his wife’s journal entries). It was mildly humorous and quite engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in mental health.
April 1, 2015
Incredible firsthand account of dealing with a mental breakdown, the "system", and the journey back to wellness.
I was drawn into the author's story, surprised by the fascinating story telling ability of an engineer. After emergency surgery, Ken Dickson has a medication reaction producing symptoms of mania. Having a chronic illness for nearly three decades, I can relate to the lack of communication between medical facilities. Having loved ones institutionalized, I can relate to multiple hospitalizations before help is found. Very well written book, sometimes the details bogged me down just a bit, but I truly "felt" the fast manic pace in the author's words. If you have firsthand experience or interest in the mental health field, I urge you to read this book.
I was drawn into the author's story, surprised by the fascinating story telling ability of an engineer. After emergency surgery, Ken Dickson has a medication reaction producing symptoms of mania. Having a chronic illness for nearly three decades, I can relate to the lack of communication between medical facilities. Having loved ones institutionalized, I can relate to multiple hospitalizations before help is found. Very well written book, sometimes the details bogged me down just a bit, but I truly "felt" the fast manic pace in the author's words. If you have firsthand experience or interest in the mental health field, I urge you to read this book.
March 13, 2014
Read this book! You will gain a closer understanding of the author, his friends and family, his care givers (and takeaway-ers) during this wild ride through Ken Dickson's physical and mental health issues. Be prepared to be surprised and appalled at how mental health patients are treated. As I read the book, I experienced joy, laughter, sorrow, anger and many other emotions as I walked this journey with Ken. This is a story you will want to share with the people you know and love. And through it all, a gracious author reveals something we all need; a focus on the positive and a caring heart for everyone we meet. Thanks Ken!
January 1, 2015
While reading this book you live what Mr Ken lived, you feel what he felt. This book shows how good of an engineer mr Ken is. He built a bridge for himself to reach my heart and mind. To put it simply it s a great book.
If you want to read my full review Detour from Normal Book Review
If you want to read my full review Detour from Normal Book Review
October 14, 2014
Most honest read. I enjoyed this book immensely and couldn't put it down. I feel the author was very brave to share such personal aspects of his life with the general public. Well written and I must admit it touched my heart and made a difference in my life and this comes from someone who can relate. Thanks Ken!
November 30, 2014
Awesome!
I would definitely recommend this book to all people. If you have not at least had a brush like this with the medical or mental health services, you will. May your loved ones never have to go through something like this. Health professionals are human but you or an informed loved one is your best advocate.
I would definitely recommend this book to all people. If you have not at least had a brush like this with the medical or mental health services, you will. May your loved ones never have to go through something like this. Health professionals are human but you or an informed loved one is your best advocate.
January 15, 2014
It's astonishing what Ken remembers from his trip through mania! The reader is lead through a horrific drug induced trip through the mental health system. The tempo of the book picks up wonderfully and you find yourself turning pages in no time.
April 5, 2017
Wow.
This is one of the most eye opening books I have read. It grabs you from the start and never lets you go. I strongly recommend this to anyone who has ever suffered from mental illness or loves someone who does.
Well written and from the heart.
This is one of the most eye opening books I have read. It grabs you from the start and never lets you go. I strongly recommend this to anyone who has ever suffered from mental illness or loves someone who does.
Well written and from the heart.
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