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Bipolar: A Difficult Life
Juggling the demands of a large family and difficult husband is often difficult enough for Monika as a Polish immigrant who has made her life in America without the support of her extended family. However, when her talented, charismatic young son starts to experiment with teenage counterculture, his delicate mental health starts to spiral out of control and Monika is dragged along a frightening and exhausting path which challenges her beyond what she could ever have imagined.
Monika's heartfelt love and compassion for her troubled son never wavers but she feels completely out of her depth as she struggles to help her son and cope as her life is thrown off balance.
At times harrowing but always engaging, this book is a searingly honest depiction of the loneliness and frustration of a mother at her wits' end and a son in the grip of forces beyond his control. It highlights many weaknesses in the systems available to families experiencing mental health crises and the risks posed by both illegal drugs and those prescribed to improve a young man's disturbed mind and behaviour.
Monika's heartfelt love and compassion for her troubled son never wavers but she feels completely out of her depth as she struggles to help her son and cope as her life is thrown off balance.
At times harrowing but always engaging, this book is a searingly honest depiction of the loneliness and frustration of a mother at her wits' end and a son in the grip of forces beyond his control. It highlights many weaknesses in the systems available to families experiencing mental health crises and the risks posed by both illegal drugs and those prescribed to improve a young man's disturbed mind and behaviour.
- GenresMental Health
330 pages, Paperback
Published January 26, 2023
3 people are currently reading
2562 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 12, 2023
Monika Rossa Wheatley's book is a powerhouse of an emotional journey that takes the reader through the difficult trials concerning a young man's experience with bipolar disorder and a mother's love toward her son. This book is genuine. This book is real.
Wheatley's book is a helpful, amazing read for all of us who have experienced a loved one who suffers from bipolar disorder. Though her experience is her own, Wheatley's love and intensity, her devotion, is something anyone with a heart can identify with. Her memoir shows that, unfortunately, sometimes love isn't enough... at times, we need a greater system to help our afflicted loved ones. And we're a long ways off from realizing this reality.
Even if you have no experience with bipolar disorder, Wheatley will transform your understanding of the importance of love... and its limitations. Hardcore, beautiful, and gracefully told... I rarely am moved as much as by Wheatley's memoir that, clearly, took a toll on the author. Thank you, Ms. Wheatley, for the courage to share your story.
JDC
Wheatley's book is a helpful, amazing read for all of us who have experienced a loved one who suffers from bipolar disorder. Though her experience is her own, Wheatley's love and intensity, her devotion, is something anyone with a heart can identify with. Her memoir shows that, unfortunately, sometimes love isn't enough... at times, we need a greater system to help our afflicted loved ones. And we're a long ways off from realizing this reality.
Even if you have no experience with bipolar disorder, Wheatley will transform your understanding of the importance of love... and its limitations. Hardcore, beautiful, and gracefully told... I rarely am moved as much as by Wheatley's memoir that, clearly, took a toll on the author. Thank you, Ms. Wheatley, for the courage to share your story.
JDC
May 9, 2023
This book is dedicated to all mothers and wow, what a powerful statement that is.
A mother’s love. For her creative son, her intelligent son. For her troubled son.
The author is a strong storyteller but an even stronger mother. She recounts even the most harrowing of situations at the hands of her son with a mental illness.
As difficult as some of it may have been for the reader I cannot fathom (even as a mother myself) how incredibly challenging it was for her to write this story.
I appreciate the beautifully cultivated tales of her son’s childhood when describing his very early years.
My best wishes to the author from one mother to another.
A mother’s love. For her creative son, her intelligent son. For her troubled son.
The author is a strong storyteller but an even stronger mother. She recounts even the most harrowing of situations at the hands of her son with a mental illness.
As difficult as some of it may have been for the reader I cannot fathom (even as a mother myself) how incredibly challenging it was for her to write this story.
I appreciate the beautifully cultivated tales of her son’s childhood when describing his very early years.
My best wishes to the author from one mother to another.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews