Hello Lovelies,
I was hoping to do this post back in May when it was Mental Awareness Week, It was Mental Awareness week 11-17TH May.
I hadn't finished this book though until the Early Hours of this morning so I thought I would do it straight away while Teri Cheney's Story Is still fresh in my mind.....
This book Manic is a True Story and it's one of those books that you do want to read but I found that it was a really difficult book to read but I didn't want to give up on it...
I think Teri Cheney is so brave to write about what she has been through with her Bi-Polar her Manic/Hypomania episodes....
There is such a huge Stigma attached to all Mental Illness and it needs to be talked about more.
When Teri wrote this book it was back in 1999 and she was taking a huge Risk as she was a Professional she worked as a lawyer at the time but hadn't really divulged this to anyone apart from a colleague that she had started dating at work who shortly after she had told him about her Manic episodes and bi-polar started to avoid her which is such a shame as Teri is still a person at the end of the day and it just goes to show People JUDGE what they do not understand.
This person that Teri was seeing actually had the nerve to say to her if you wasn't Manic I would marry you tomorrow I found that awful as obviously this man cared about her but he did not accept her for who she was.
It is like Terri says in the book IF she was not MANIC then she would be a different person as she had it so long that Bi-Polar was a part of her.
I think since 1999 we have come along way in talking about Mental illness and accepting a person for who they are if they do have a Mental illness but there is STILL that element of JUDGEMENT and Prejudiced there I definitely think this is an issue that needs to be SPOKEN about More.....
In the book Teri says that she has suffered with bi-polar and Manic episodes since she was 16 and she was only Diagnosed in her Forties.
Not only did Teri have bi-polar to deal with but she also Suffered with Bulimia which she went from a healthy size 10 to a very unhealthy size zero so Teri had that to deal with that also.
Teri like many people who suffer with Bi-Polar and Manic Episodes was admitted into the hospital for failed suicide attempts...
There was Only one real occasion that she gave up and PLANNED a Suicide attempt though and that is when her father passed away they were very close and she was definitely a DADDY'S GIRL growing up she reminds me of myself when I was young I was also a Daddy's Girl but then my own dad passed away when I was Seven Years Old.
Anyway back to the book Teri knew her father was Dying he had Cancer and she started saving Pills so that when the time came she would take the pills with alcohol she had strong Painkillers of her dads as well once he passed away she put her plan in motion she goes onto say in the book that this was not a cry for help she was serious about wanting to end her life..... it had reached the point where she just didn't want to be here anymore.
Living was too much like hard work for her that comes across loud and clear in terri's story.....
Someone came to her house and found her unconscious and called for an ambulance if it wasn't for them Teri Cheney would not be ALIVE today to share her story with us.
I always wanted to learn more about Bi-polar as a couple of my friends have it and I wanted to Understand what it is like for them to live with this day in day out and Teri's story has certainly helped me to understand....
This book also goes on to tell the nights where Teri has gotten herself in trouble with the Police and has spent countless nights in JAIL....
It did take me awhile to get through this book but I am glad that I stuck with it and finished it, it's not a Particularly long book but I have been going through quite a bit of Depression and Panic Attacks myself and it's not wise to read a book like this when you are trying to fight your own Demons and also my attention span has not been the best.
Terri's story has a really happy ending she got to write this book and educate people which has always been a dream of hers.
Terri now encourages the mentally ill to speak up and tell their stories having a Mental Illness does not make you Weak....
Terri is now on the board of America's largest bi-polar research and currently resides in LA she is truly an inspiration.
Have you read any good books lately if so leave a comment down below I'm always looking for new books to read.....
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