Sami

“Here's how you make absolutely sure that you'll keep getting crazier by the day:

- Ignore everything your psychiatrist tells you. Disregard all his warnings about the way you're living your life - in fact, do absolutely everything he tells you not to.

- Don't always take your pills. They're a hassle, and what if they make you dull? You don't need them. And if you're going to take the pills, take them with a glass of wine. It will make the mood swings even more exciting.

- Don't sleep; you've got to make sure your body clock is as fucked up as possible. The less you sleep, the more manic you'll get, until soon you'll go completely over the edge.

- Drink caffeine. Tons of it. Take your morning pills with coffee. It can't hurt.

- Work around the clock - it's important to put yourself under as much stress as possible.

- Eating normally would stabilize your blood sugar, so don't do that; it's better to keep your body in as unstable a state as you possibly can for maximum results.

- And, above all else, drink like a fish.”
― Marya Hornbacher, Madness: A Bipolar Life

“Please don’t expect me to always be good and kind and loving. There are times when I will be cold and thoughtless and hard to understand.

(This quote is probably wrongly attributed to Sylvia Plath)”
― Sylvia Plath

“The last place I want to be is the hospital, but I'm not stupid. I know when it's time to go in. I am so terrified of myself and of the vast, frightening world, that the psych ward, with its safe locked doors, sounds like a relief.”
― Marya Hornbacher, Madness: A Bipolar Life

“What I wanted was a simple response. I didn’t want to feel, that was too difficult. I wanted to hurt, I wanted real, tangible, physical pain. That I could understand.”
― Victoria Leatham, Bloodletting: A Memoir of Secrets, Self-Harm, and Survival