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But Deliver Me from Crazy: A Memoir
And lead me not into temptation, But deliver me from crazy. Socially inept, sixteen-year-old Katie Wolfe doesn’t fit in at her new school. Even her teachers point out her abnormal behavior, which dampens her spirit more. Soon she finds herself in the psychiatric ward, suffering from depression, mania, and psychosis. Stunned by the grimness of her new reality, she struggles to reconcile her insanity with her faith. For the next eight years, Katie seeks balance through medications and therapy. Sometimes, she feels as if she’s fully functioning. At other times, she wonders if she’s beyond a miraculous healing apart from medication. Once she hears a televangelist speak of the power of healing through faith alone, she takes a leap of blind faith to heal herself. It makes sense—after all, isn’t it up to the believer to claim healing and act on faith? Her hopes quickly fade as she withdraws from her medications. This new reality leaves her dangling in a dreamlike state of confusion, and this time she is hospitalized for months. Through some tough life lessons and remarkable encounters, Katie realizes healing comes by the grace of God, along with medication. Join Katie on this journey as medical intervention triumphs over chaos, proving medication is nothing short of a miracle and the answer to her prayers. Within her compassionate, insightful • discover the cost of visiting and returning from the brink of insanity • witness the unseen reality of spiritual warfare amidst psychosis • find answers to balancing faith and medical treatment
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2020
14 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Katie R. Dale
2 books8 followersHello there!
Raised in a Christian home, I was blindsided by serious mental illness at the age of 16. After another episode at 24, I chronicled these experiences in my memoir, But Deliver Me From Crazy.
Having served as a caseworker, and advocating for mental illness/wellness education in the church, my passion is to help others reconcile their Christian faith with mental health.
I share clarity and perspective from past personal and professional experiences on my blog, https://KatieRDale.com.
Find me and reach out to me on social media @katierdale. I'd love to hear from you!
Raised in a Christian home, I was blindsided by serious mental illness at the age of 16. After another episode at 24, I chronicled these experiences in my memoir, But Deliver Me From Crazy.
Having served as a caseworker, and advocating for mental illness/wellness education in the church, my passion is to help others reconcile their Christian faith with mental health.
I share clarity and perspective from past personal and professional experiences on my blog, https://KatieRDale.com.
Find me and reach out to me on social media @katierdale. I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 2, 2021
This is a book that took an immense amount of courage to write and I applaud the author, Katie R. Dale, for her bravery.
This book is a no-holds-barred look into the life of a young teen, a misfit by her own words, whose behavior leaves others wondering what is going on in her mind. A devout Christian, Katie believes mightily in the power of prayer. However, why isn't God helping her?
After being admitted to a psychiatric ward, Katie comes face-to-face with the grim reality of a mental illness. At 16, she is diagnosed with depression, mania, and psychosis.
Being labeled with these horrific names, she begins a long struggle trying to understand how God could do this to her, why her prayers aren't answered, and what to do with her mind, which has her believing many things that are simply a product of the psychosis.
On medication, Katie begins to be able to live a normal life. That will last about eight or nine years - until an evangelist delivers a message that healing is only possible through faith and God. That's all it took for her to stop all of her medications cold turkey. God isn't healing her because her faith isn't strong enough.
Within a short period of time, her mental health deteriorates to the point where she is hospitalized for many months. This takes a huge toll on the lives of those her love her, especially her parents and a young man she has married. He knows about her history of mental illness, but he hasn't seen her unmedicated, and the shock is a lot of him to take in.
This is a long journey, a truthful look at the inner thoughts of a person succumbing to horrific mental illnesses. That she willingly shares her visions, her inner chaos, and her demons to the entire world demonstrates a strong, loving woman who is willing to put this all out there in the hopes it helps someone else.
Mental illness still carries a stigma and it should not, any more than cancer should. Her suffering was intense, as was the suffering of her loved ones. In the end, Katie comes to terms and is able to reconcile her mental illness with her Christianity.
This book is a no-holds-barred look into the life of a young teen, a misfit by her own words, whose behavior leaves others wondering what is going on in her mind. A devout Christian, Katie believes mightily in the power of prayer. However, why isn't God helping her?
After being admitted to a psychiatric ward, Katie comes face-to-face with the grim reality of a mental illness. At 16, she is diagnosed with depression, mania, and psychosis.
Being labeled with these horrific names, she begins a long struggle trying to understand how God could do this to her, why her prayers aren't answered, and what to do with her mind, which has her believing many things that are simply a product of the psychosis.
On medication, Katie begins to be able to live a normal life. That will last about eight or nine years - until an evangelist delivers a message that healing is only possible through faith and God. That's all it took for her to stop all of her medications cold turkey. God isn't healing her because her faith isn't strong enough.
Within a short period of time, her mental health deteriorates to the point where she is hospitalized for many months. This takes a huge toll on the lives of those her love her, especially her parents and a young man she has married. He knows about her history of mental illness, but he hasn't seen her unmedicated, and the shock is a lot of him to take in.
This is a long journey, a truthful look at the inner thoughts of a person succumbing to horrific mental illnesses. That she willingly shares her visions, her inner chaos, and her demons to the entire world demonstrates a strong, loving woman who is willing to put this all out there in the hopes it helps someone else.
Mental illness still carries a stigma and it should not, any more than cancer should. Her suffering was intense, as was the suffering of her loved ones. In the end, Katie comes to terms and is able to reconcile her mental illness with her Christianity.
March 3, 2020
But Deliver me from Crazy by Katie Dale details a woman’s life through onset, diagnosis, setback, and recovery of bipolar disorder. What sets this book apart from other memoirs about mental illness is Dale’s deep faith and how that intersected with her illness. I appreciated that she is honest about both the strengths and pitfalls of her Christian faith as she struggled with psychosis and hospitalization. At times I found myself a bit confused, though, regarding whether an insight or belief was being told as “psychotic Katie’s” point of view, or as hindsight from “stable Katie.” There are all too few stories of people of faith recounting their experiences with mental illness, and psychosis in particular. This book is a welcome, though sometimes painful, glimpse into that reality.
July 23, 2021
Mental illness is real, and it strikes Christians and non-Christians alike. Author Katie Dale pens a raw, heartbreaking, and eye-opening account of what it's like to suffer from bipolar disorder. And suffer she did; her memoir is not a feel good, entertaining read, and it wasn't intended to be. Dale's words paint the horrible reality of mental illness. They suggest the failure of the system, medical professionals, and even the church as she navigated an extremely dark time in her life. Reading this book is a must to have a good understanding of what those with mental illness must endure. Although the theme is dark, Dale's experience is a testament to her resilience and her faith.
September 24, 2020
Few books explore the nature of mental illness from a faith perspective. But Deliver Me from Crazy does just this. Dale digs deep as a woman of faith diagnosed with a brain illness (bipolar disorder). She examines experiences and events in her life in such a way that readers can identify and be inspired whether they personally have a mental illness or care for someone who does.
As one with bipolar myself, I can attest that Dale "gets it." Her words ring true and convey both sincerity and compassion. I feel less alone having read this book.
As one with bipolar myself, I can attest that Dale "gets it." Her words ring true and convey both sincerity and compassion. I feel less alone having read this book.
February 17, 2021
But Deliver Me From Crazy by Katie R. Dale is a memoir of living with bipolar disorder. You may know Katie from her blog, Bipolar Brave. She also contributed a story about bipolar I to my book Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis.
The book begins when Katie was in high school, when her illness first appears. Her mania was accompanied by a strong psychotic element as well as hyperreligiosity, and it was interesting to read her descriptions of that. Psychosis doesn’t get talked about that often, so I think it’s really valuable when people are able to share the day-to-day reality of psychosis like this.
While Katie’s family was supportive, it sounds like they really didn’t have a clue what was going on, and had to learn it on the fly. She did end up requiring hospitalization, but found a combination of meds that worked well.
Jumping forward several years, Katie was stable and had gotten married. Many of us have not so good going off medication stories, and Katie’s began after being inspired by something a televangelist said about healing.
She ended up becoming manic/psychotic, and much of the book is devoted to that time as the illness was building and she was in and out of hospital. She writes about her psychotic experiences that still feel real, even though she knows they were not.
She’s very open about what’s like to a be a patient on a psych ward and critical of decisions not to put her back on the meds that worked for her. At the conclusion of the book, she provides recommendations for improve the system of mental health care. She writes: "I realize that is not encouraging to someone who is considering getting hospitalized for their mental health crisis, but I wouldn’t sugar coat the experience just so that someone else would be more encouraged to get hospitalized."
What I found most interesting about this book is Katie’s perspective as someone who’s devoutly religious, and then becomes hyperreligious when unwell. She seems to have found an effective way to reconcile all of it. She frames taking medication in this way: "I give God the glory for His infinite wisdom and grace in the distribution of medications through the scientists, pharmacists, and doctors that I needed in order to find my deliverance from my crazy."
Katie did a really good job of capturing the experience of being manic and psychotic. I think this is an especially powerful read for anyone who’s struggling with making sense of their illness in terms of their religious beliefs. Katie’s message about medication is certainly one that deserves to be heard more widely.
This review first appeared on https://mentalhealthathome.org/2021/0...
The book begins when Katie was in high school, when her illness first appears. Her mania was accompanied by a strong psychotic element as well as hyperreligiosity, and it was interesting to read her descriptions of that. Psychosis doesn’t get talked about that often, so I think it’s really valuable when people are able to share the day-to-day reality of psychosis like this.
While Katie’s family was supportive, it sounds like they really didn’t have a clue what was going on, and had to learn it on the fly. She did end up requiring hospitalization, but found a combination of meds that worked well.
Jumping forward several years, Katie was stable and had gotten married. Many of us have not so good going off medication stories, and Katie’s began after being inspired by something a televangelist said about healing.
She ended up becoming manic/psychotic, and much of the book is devoted to that time as the illness was building and she was in and out of hospital. She writes about her psychotic experiences that still feel real, even though she knows they were not.
She’s very open about what’s like to a be a patient on a psych ward and critical of decisions not to put her back on the meds that worked for her. At the conclusion of the book, she provides recommendations for improve the system of mental health care. She writes: "I realize that is not encouraging to someone who is considering getting hospitalized for their mental health crisis, but I wouldn’t sugar coat the experience just so that someone else would be more encouraged to get hospitalized."
What I found most interesting about this book is Katie’s perspective as someone who’s devoutly religious, and then becomes hyperreligious when unwell. She seems to have found an effective way to reconcile all of it. She frames taking medication in this way: "I give God the glory for His infinite wisdom and grace in the distribution of medications through the scientists, pharmacists, and doctors that I needed in order to find my deliverance from my crazy."
Katie did a really good job of capturing the experience of being manic and psychotic. I think this is an especially powerful read for anyone who’s struggling with making sense of their illness in terms of their religious beliefs. Katie’s message about medication is certainly one that deserves to be heard more widely.
This review first appeared on https://mentalhealthathome.org/2021/0...
August 29, 2021
I don’t usually write full reviews but as this book is self-published and only has a few reviews so far, I thought I’d take the time to write one.
I spotted this book after someone I follow on Goodreads has read it and I was intrigued by the premise. I represent and advocate for mentally ill patients detained in hospital and I like to read as many first person accounts of mental illness as I can to try and gain a better understanding of their experiences. I’m also fascinated by the intersection of religion and serious mental illness and how those with faith reconcile their experiences.
Firstly I will say that this book is raw and honest and took courage to write. The draw-backs for me were more to do with writing style than the content of the book, which I applaud whole heatedly.
My first issue was that the tenses sometimes changed mid paragraph and I found it difficult to follow which time period was being discussed. I was hoping that as well as a description of the writers experiences, that there would be reflection on those experiences, particularly as the book mostly discusses events up until the end of 2012 and was written in 2020. There was a helpful epilogue with some reflection and commentary but I think it would have helped the flow of the book if these reflections were interspersed all the way through rather than primarily in the last few pages.
One of the writers symptoms of her Bipolar Disorder is hyper-religiosity which I was interested to learn more about. However due to the frequent discussion of her actual religious beliefs, I found it difficult to establish which of her experiences she considered to be a part of hyper religious mania and which were just part of her existing faith.
That being said, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone interested in an honest and enlightening experience of mania in Bipolar Disorder and hospitalisation.
And on a more superficial note - the cover is perfection 👌🏻
I spotted this book after someone I follow on Goodreads has read it and I was intrigued by the premise. I represent and advocate for mentally ill patients detained in hospital and I like to read as many first person accounts of mental illness as I can to try and gain a better understanding of their experiences. I’m also fascinated by the intersection of religion and serious mental illness and how those with faith reconcile their experiences.
Firstly I will say that this book is raw and honest and took courage to write. The draw-backs for me were more to do with writing style than the content of the book, which I applaud whole heatedly.
My first issue was that the tenses sometimes changed mid paragraph and I found it difficult to follow which time period was being discussed. I was hoping that as well as a description of the writers experiences, that there would be reflection on those experiences, particularly as the book mostly discusses events up until the end of 2012 and was written in 2020. There was a helpful epilogue with some reflection and commentary but I think it would have helped the flow of the book if these reflections were interspersed all the way through rather than primarily in the last few pages.
One of the writers symptoms of her Bipolar Disorder is hyper-religiosity which I was interested to learn more about. However due to the frequent discussion of her actual religious beliefs, I found it difficult to establish which of her experiences she considered to be a part of hyper religious mania and which were just part of her existing faith.
That being said, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone interested in an honest and enlightening experience of mania in Bipolar Disorder and hospitalisation.
And on a more superficial note - the cover is perfection 👌🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2022
Katie‘s book was very moving while being instructive. It gives no feeling of being lectured, yet I came way wiser about an issue outside my direct experience. Reading her book has made it easier to be merciful when someone acts strangely around me. (Her newsletter is equally well written and I enjoy it every month.)
February 17, 2020
But Deliver Me Crazy takes the reader inside the mind of Katie Dale and allows them to walk with her as she slips first into depression and then into a manic state. As the reader views the world through Katie’s eyes it is surprising how reasonable her actions and conclusions are based on the false input it was receiving from her mind and how difficult it is to recognize/believe that what she is experiencing isn’t real.
Written for a Christian perspective it draws attention to the false narrative that seeking help for mental illness is a crisis of faith. Katie finds help through counseling, medication, a loving family, and a strong relationship with Christ.
It is important read for teachers, pastors, health professionals, and parents. Not only does it draw attention to potential signs that something might be wrong. It also highlights both positive and negative responses to those signs.
It is also excellent for those who like Katie are living with manic depression because it lets them know they are not alone, that seeking help is a good thing, that taking medication for mental health is as important as taking medication for physical health, and that there is hope.
Written for a Christian perspective it draws attention to the false narrative that seeking help for mental illness is a crisis of faith. Katie finds help through counseling, medication, a loving family, and a strong relationship with Christ.
It is important read for teachers, pastors, health professionals, and parents. Not only does it draw attention to potential signs that something might be wrong. It also highlights both positive and negative responses to those signs.
It is also excellent for those who like Katie are living with manic depression because it lets them know they are not alone, that seeking help is a good thing, that taking medication for mental health is as important as taking medication for physical health, and that there is hope.
July 9, 2021
I have known the Author’s Mother since 1976. I met Katie once when she was a child. After reading her book, I feel like I know her well. Although it’s a tough read in the sense that it gives you a true look into the challenges and sometimes horror of mental illness, i couldn’t put it down,
Proceed with caution, but if you need to have a better understanding of the many aspects of this disease read on.
Proceed with caution, but if you need to have a better understanding of the many aspects of this disease read on.
July 21, 2021
It's at the perfect timing that I came across this memoir. It has given me hope and encouragement through the unknown. It has given me faith and clarity during the uncertainty. I am thankful for the author's courage to share one's most personal story. I recommend this memoir to those who are going through mental illness, who knows someone going through, and to those involved in health profession caring for those who are going through mental illness. Thank God for His perfect timing.
February 12, 2020
If you want to know what a manic episode feels like, read this book!
March 14, 2020
Seriously powerful book. Definitely a must read for anyone struggling with their mental health and managing their illness. Seriously amazing!
June 24, 2021
But Deliver Me from Crazy
A must read for anyone struggling wit a mental disorder. No matter how big or how small, please read this book. It will help you.
A must read for anyone struggling wit a mental disorder. No matter how big or how small, please read this book. It will help you.
July 1, 2021
Excellent read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews