Madness

A Bipolar Life

By: Marya Hornbacher

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

An astonishing dispatch from inside the belly of bipolar disorder, reflecting major new insights

When Marya Hornbacher published her first book, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia, she did not yet have the piece of shattering knowledge that would finally make sense of the chaos of her life. At age 24, Hornbacher was diagnosed with type I rapid-cycle bipolar, the most severe form of bipolar disorder.

In Madness, in her trademark wry and utterly self-revealing voice, Hornbacher tells her new story. Through scenes of astonishing visceral and emotional power, she takes us inside her own desperate attempts to counteract violently careening mood swings by self-starvation, substance abuse, numbing sex, and self-mutilation. How Hornbacher fights her way up from a madness that all but destroys her, and what it is like to live in a difficult and sometimes beautiful life and marriage—where bipolar always beckons—is at the center of this brave and heart-stopping memoir.

Madness delivers the revelation that Hornbacher is not alone: Millions of people in America today are struggling with a variety of disorders that may disguise their bipolar disease. And Hornbacher's fiercely self-aware portrait of her own bipolar as early as age four will powerfully change, too, the current debate on whether bipolar in children actually exists.

Ten years after Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, this storm of a memoir will revolutionize our understanding of bipolar disorder.

©2008 Marya Hornbacher (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Lets you empathize with those dealing with bipolar

A very personal account and does not hold back. It is rare to get such an intimate description of what it is like to suffer from bipolar and the constellation of other disorders that surround the author.

THANK YOU!!!!!

So so many of these thoughts and feelings I have had. I have bipolar and am only recently understanding my 2 personalities. Madness is always a financial drain, no matter what the current , center of my universe. I have never had an interest that did not become an obsession only to be dropped just as quickly as it began. The flight of ideas, asking myself if I am just lazy, because, I am sure I have heard bipolar and thought hmmm they probably just dont want to work. Now my current crisis is showing me what that looks like from the other side. So much of much of how I feel was so dead on that I would find myself crying. Thank you so much for articulating these experiences. it validates and educates me. It explains so much of why I am the way I am. It is ok to say I am not living my best life and it's ok to ask for help when things are not right.

Great story

I am very interested in books about bipolar. This book is everything I was looking for. The story is compelling and is read beautifully!

Deeply connecting

When I stumbled over "Wasted" I could not hit the stop button on my phone. "Madness" was different. I sometimes needed a pause. It's full on! I used to think my life was rough with a range of addictions. Hearing Marya's story restored my gratitude for the life I got. I had no idea about the pain and suffering that can go along with having a bipolar life. The book is written authentic and true, no detail, no matter how painful left out. I love this book and I'm sure it will leave you looking at the world and yourself a bit different.

very enlightening

VERY strong. Dating a Bi-polar woman she wanted me to know about the unpredictable ride ahead if we became serious.

fantastic book!

marya is an incredible writer, this is a fantastic book. however the woman reading swallows every two minutes, extremely loudly, very annoying.

Wow

I feel for this lady, but it was hard to listen too this book. I wish her luck.

Not about Bipolar 2

I got this book specifically because it was supposed to be an account of a life with bipolar 2. There are so many books on bipolar 1 that I got excited and moved forward without listening to a sample.

This is a great account of the challenges of the mania and depression that come with bipolar 1. It's not focused on the bipolar 2 experience which is comprised of very deep depression and hypomania. While I feel like it's a good book, it's not what was advertised.

The worst- writer uses no pronouns

The worst - writer uses very few pronouns, so listening is like words pounding in your ears-without sentences. Like listening to texts! Narration really bad too for this book