You might find it surprising that one in five adults struggles with mental illness, which means most likely someone you know is suffering.
It might even be you.
猎奇重口视频 State University English Professor knows firsthand how debilitating mental illness can be. Her recently published memoir, Quite Mad: An American Pharma Memoir, chronicles her own journey with anxiety, PTSD and OCD, and the treatments she has explored. The book also examines the history of mental illness treatment in the United States, including lobotomies, sterilization, the 鈥渞est cure鈥 and Prozac.
While she didn鈥檛 necessarily set out to help others by writing the book, thanks to the candor of her personal narrative, Montgomery has accomplished just that.
鈥淚 wanted to write the book that I needed as a patient,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s a patient I had a lot of unanswered questions. The book is part memoir, part research.鈥
Since its release, readers have reached out and shared how Montgomery鈥檚 words have provided solace and comfort.
Montgomery structured the book in a way that allows readers to experience what it鈥檚 like to have mental health issues. She uses flashbacks in sections, and elsewhere includes passages that appear to be missing periods of time.
鈥淚 wanted to try and mimic the experience of mental illness,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 want (readers) to be anxious, so when they鈥檙e reading it they know what it feels like to have OCD or anxiety.鈥
The narrative surrounding mental health 鈥 that once a diagnosis is made that there is necessarily a treatment out there 鈥 is false, Montgomery said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e put our faith in an easy cure narrative because it makes us feel better and takes away the fear. I understand it, but it鈥檚 damaging to patients鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e told you have 鈥榯his,鈥 and you should be better. But I have anxiety, I accept that I have anxiety, and by accepting that it makes it a lot less scary.鈥
Ultimately, Montgomery hopes readers walk away with a better understanding and acceptance of mental illness as something not to shy away from, that it鈥檚 quite normal.
鈥淟et鈥檚 destigmatize that,鈥 she said. A mental health issue 鈥渋s ongoing, and it鈥檚 okay for it to resurface, it doesn鈥檛 mean you have failed.鈥
This isn鈥檛 the BSU professor鈥檚 first book. Montgomery is also the author of Regenerate: Poems of Mad Women, Leaving Tracks: A Prairie Guide, and The Astronaut Checks His Watch. (Photo also by Heather Harris Michonski, University News & Video)