Distorted Mind

Book excerpt: For Michael Fortnam, a painful level of isolation, emptiness, and confusion had become normal. Severe depression, delusions, and manic episodes tore through his life in ways that people around him couldn’t see. Finally, a crisis brought his suffering to the surface, and a shocking arrest led to a lengthy stay in a psychiatric hospital. It was there that he began to accept that many of his thoughts were delusional. Distorted Mind describes the experience of depression, hallucinations, and mania in a straightforward, accessible way that readers will easily empathize with and understand. Michael describes how medication and therapy have allowed him to emerge from mental illness to live a more promising and meaningful life. He is now in a stable relationship, holds a job, and has not been hospitalized since the year 2000. Michael’s story gives important encouragement to those who are suffering from mental illness or in a stage of treatment where hope is not yet clear. It also provides valuable information to family, friends, and treatment professionals about what it’s like to experience a mental health crisis, and the ways in which caring people can provide support for a successful outcome.