[nativechic]

We voted to read "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Jamison for our next book club discussion. So let's start! I read it 20 years ago when I was first diagnosed but bought a used copy to reread again.

[BlondeFairy]

I would love to be involved in this! When does it start? I have to get the book!! Also, how do I join the book club? Is it this board? Sorry, I just recently came back here so Im trying to figure everything out again! Thanks!

[nativechic]

Originally Posted by BlondeFairy

I would love to be involved in this! When does it start? I have to get the book!! Also, how do I join the book club? Is it this board? Sorry, I just recently came back here so Im trying to figure everything out again! Thanks!

There is no special requirement for joining--just respond to this thread. We can start today so go ahead and get the book. Some people have already read it so you can post as you get around to reading it--it's been informal so far though was thinking it might be helpful to have some prompts or discussion question to get discussion going. We have only had two discussions so far in case you want to get an idea--our past two books were "He Wanted the Moon" and "The Skeleton Cupboard" (both threads still open to more posting) or you can search for BBCBBC which is official tag.

[BlondeFairy]

Originally Posted by nativechic

There is no special requirement for joining--just respond to this thread. We can start today so go ahead and get the book. Some people have already read it so you can post as you get around to reading it--it's been informal so far though was thinking it might be helpful to have some prompts or discussion question to get discussion going. We have only had two discussions so far in case you want to get an idea--our past two books were "He Wanted the Moon" and "The Skeleton Cupboard" (both threads still open to more posting) or you can search for BBCBBC which is official tag.

Thank you so much! I am going to get the book and start it! Ill also look into the others!!

[Nammu]

I'm in the midst of moving so I'm not sure how much I can contribute this time, I do want to re-read the book though, I don't remember much.

[Wild Coyote]

I had read this when it first came out. I enjoy her books. I will try to find my copy and hope to join in the discussion. WC

[sugahorse1]

I also read it a while back. I could relate to it, except for the extreme BP 1 sections. I am BP 2 and have not experienced full mania myself.

I love reading auto biographies about BP. Danielle Steel also wrote a book on her BP son.

[meekayla]

I just finished reading this last night! I was diagnosed only a month ago, and reading this book really explained quite a few things for me. I could really relate to a lot of the stuff about her youth, and most interestingly she describes an episode of mild mania when she went out to buy every book tangentially related to the Arthurian myth because she felt like they contained the secret to understanding the universe and wow... that blew my mind.
Before reading that section I thought the doctors must have got it wrong, I've never been manic at all, surely that's just a mistake. But that was me. There have been periods when I have become absolutely and unshakeably convinced that a certain author knew the meaning of life, and that if I only went and read everything related to their work I would finally understand all the mysteries of life. Needless to say, I have a book collection that's absolutely outrageous in size, price, and obscurity of subject area.

But yeah. Recognising myself in that was a bit of a shock.

[nativechic]

Originally Posted by sugahorse1

I love reading auto biographies about BP. Danielle Steel also wrote a book on her BP son.

So far most of our book club selections and suggestions have been memoirs. Would you recommend the Steel book for a future month? If so,I'll dig up the thread for recommendations and add it so we can vote on it.

[Manic Trance]

I'm in, haven't been on here for a while. Was doing good, then a string of big projects, now I'm off the rails again. So here I am, would be good to reread this bp classic! / (

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[xRavenx]

I love "An Unquiet Mind." I first read it about 6 years ago, then I recently picked up a copy and plan to read it again. It's the best personal account on Bipolar I've read yet, I think. The author is very good at describing some of the symptoms that I can very much relate to, while it is also very interesting to read her own personal experiences and how they are unique to her. Now that I own a copy, when I'm feeling more focused (since lately my concentration isn't quite there), I plan on taking a bubble bath and re-reading it. I highly recommend her book

[GoldenSnitch]

I liked things about this book but I wanted to like it more than I actually did. I'm not even sure what it was about it that made me not love it but I just didn't feel it.

I did find a lot of it to be really relatable and very honest which was nice to read.

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[sugahorse1]

nativechic - I don't think I ever finished it. Just because I didn't have the time or probably went into a depressive episode where I have no interest in anything.
Here is a link to part of it:
His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina: Excerpt « Danielle Steel

I must just point out here that he did commit suicide and this is his mother's account on what she did to help - what worked and what failed. It may not be for everyone.

[jacky8807]

I think an uquiet mind is over rated. I identified with her episodes but much of the rest of her story wasn't that great to me

[raspberrytorte]

I read this when I was first diagnosed.

I could relate to some of her manic symptoms.

But honestly it's a really good example of how people present differently.

I feel like when I get manic it's on a smaller scale. I just feel like mine is smaller and a lot less obvious. I just get really goal oriented and wrapped up in my delusions. I'm not interested in partying or hanging out with people or shopping or any of that because to me it seems pointless. I feel like I'm less destructive, or it's more destructive on a less obvious level.

Less expansive. That's the word I'm thinking of!

[nativechic]

Just got through rereading part one.
Could relate to the way she described mania--esp. pp.36-37 "At the time, however, not only did everything make perfect sense, but it all began to fit into a marvelous kind of cosmic relatedness." and on 67 "The ideas and feelings are fast and frequent like shooting stars and you follow them until you find better and brighter ones"

Found the story about the Rorschach cards to be funny and the mention of "appreciating the complicated, permeable boundaries between bizarre and original thought" on p. 47 is one that I think she addresses more in some of her other books like "Touched with Fire"

I think her initial attitude toward meds is a common one "Antidepressants might be indicated for psychiatric patients, for those of weaker stock, but not for us". She does such an about-face later in book, taking meds no matter how bad side effects but I guess in 70s she really didn't have many options and even lithium was still a very new option. It makes me wonder how she would have interacted with Perry Baird from our first book who pre-dated lithium.

[raspberrytorte]

I really should reread this book.

[nativechic]

Still slogging through Kay's extended battle with lithium.
She mentions giving a talk at American Psychiatric Association on manic depression which means she must have been acknowledged as an expert by then but doesn't really mention at what point she made the choice to make her research interest match her personal diagnosis. Her diagnosis was certainly not known by her colleagues at that point.
Very surprised none of her manic episodes resulted in hospitalization--guess she was lucky to have such a close relationship with her psychiatrist.
A little annoyed about the tone in which she said she would be willing to forcefully undergo ECT or hospitalization considering she never experienced it.

[Nammu]

I found my copy. I tried to read it in a depressed state and didn't get very far. I found my old bookmark about one quarter into the book. That depressed state colored my view on the book, I remember it as boring. I'm not finding it boring at all this time. If I wasn't busy I'd read the whole thing at a sitting.

I find myself revisiting my childhood and going oh god, now it makes sense. I was sure my bipolar was activated by stress and trauma and did not start until my twenties...now I'm not sure. I like her writing very direct and personable.

[nativechic]

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

I really should reread this book.

Well we're giving you perfect excuse to

[nativechic]

It's been a week since last posting so just thought I'd bump to give those that are still reading or have already read it but hadn't seen this initially to post.

[Nammu]

I'm still reading it. It's a good book well written and interesting. I just finished the part about her English lover. I've about a third of the book to go.

It's interesting that as a clinical psychologist she was in denial so long...kind of makes me feel better about my own denial. My undergrad degree was in psychology and sociology....of course they don't cover much detail in undergrad but you'd think I would have cottoned on to something being wrong. I often thought of suicide but like Kay it was just something I had to muddle though and fake my way though. I was able to cover the severity of my illness at work for a long time. Like her my background was conservative and you pulled up the bootstraps and got on with it.

[nativechic]

Anyone see Kay Jamison's cameo in Touched with Fire? She brought up some of same experiences she covered in Unquiet Mind and one of her other books Touched with Fire is referred to as the bible