Episodes

The True Story of Two Friends & One Diagnosis

By: Mara Altman, Kat Alexander

Narrated by: Mara Altman, Kat Alexander

In Episodes, lifelong best friends Kat and Mara take listeners on an unfiltered journey through friendship, mental illness, and survival. Kat, a successful professional, is preparing for marriage and motherhood. On her fourth round of IVF, it happened—a frantic call to Mara. Mara comes over to find Kat, her friend of 25 years—the one who'd always been levelheaded, hilarious, and over-the-top thoughtful—trying to jump through a window.

The unexpected Bipolar diagnosis sends Kat’s life into a tailspin, leading to frantic 9-1-1 calls, cycling in and out of hospitals, crashed cars, emptied bank accounts, and, eventually, a desperate search and rescue mission in Mexico, where Kat goes missing.

Told through their own voices, Episodes captures the profound intimacy and tension of a friendship tested by crisis. Using real-time audio to immerse listeners in their heart-wrenching saga, Episodes takes us deep into the taboo of losing one's mind and raises universal questions about the boundaries of friendship. In spite of the chaos, Kat and Mara are here to tell their story, together—a testament that not only is healing possible, but that it’s not meant to be done alone.

©2024 Mara Altman and Kat Alexander (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC.

Just listen!

Wow!! So very well written and executed! This book made me laugh, gasp, cry, get angry, shake my head and sigh. What an exhausting journey for both of these women. They are so lucky to have one another. This is great listen and worth every minute of your time!

Resplendent. ✨⭐️🌟💫✨💛

I have only used this word one other time in my life. But after listening to your whole story, without taking a break, beginning to end, your last words combined with my tears, this was the word that came up from my heart. You two are resplendent.
I can easily say that this was the most amazing thing I have ever listened to.

I understand and relate to everything that you have shared. More than I’d like to say. I share the same diagnosis, only I have the sister- bipolar 2. Deep, unrelenting severe depression. My suicide attempts started when I was 12. I am now 60 and The constant desire to be gone. To never have existed. To not take up space still cloaks me in its veil.
All I want, all I’ve ever wanted is to be able to breathe. to be safe. to be enough. as I am. Also, I dream of being happy. Some day. Maybe someday.
I am so blown away by your friendship, commitment and loyalty to each other. it is so beautiful and so rare in this land of mental illness where friends are lost, family is distant, and the truth is rarely spoken.
I think it was Ernest Hemingway who said The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong at the broken places. That is you two.
I have 8 billion other words in my head that I would like to write about everything that you said. How it moved me, how it’s changed me, how it has inspired me.
how it has given me hope.

Thank you so much for having the courage to write your story. To perform it. You did a beautiful job.

You are resplendent 💛

Easy to listen to - good speaking voices

Once I started listening, I couldn’t stop. It was very well narrated and I could picture being there. Very good listen and very informative.

Amazing friendship and crazy real story

This story sheds light on mental health issues. Also is a tale of a friendship to last a lifetime!

Breathtakingly moving work about friendship and love

An intensely special work about friendship, love and survival. These two touched me in deep ways and places and I’ll never ever forget their story. Heartwarming, brilliant, sweet, profound. Gorgeous writing, too. (And so so good in the eardrums.) There’s nothing quite like this out there and you need to listen.

incredible, moving, humbling

The world has become so difficult, that it seems so many of us are on the edge. So much so, that’s it’s hard to imagine our friends would be able help us if we fall off that edge. This story is a celebration of two women loving each other without ego. I’m not sure America knows what that looks like. Listen to the pure truth in this story I could not stop listening to. This is a very rare, lucky moment in humanity and thankfully for us, they shared it.

Everyone should read this!

Best book I’ve read in twenty years. Honest, compelling, captivating true story that you won’t want to put down.

a must read

this was absolutely eye opening, so well spoken so well executed. at times very intense but perfect

Amazing story of true friendship!

Both narrators have incredible ways of describing things that made me laugh & gave me new perspectives. Their friendship is enviable. Both are completely relatable. I can’t describe how amazing I found the story & the way it was told. Thank you so much for sharing your stories with all the ugly & beautiful truths.

So insightful and engulfing

Amazing story- I could not stop listening. Both friends are so empathetic, courageous and vulnerable. It is a great story - I learned so much about mental health and also how depth of friendship. A story that I think will help everyone better understand the mental health crisis we are in today.