Your favorite books about significant historical figures that struggled with severe mental illness (not meme tier depression, something like severe schizophrenia or actual bipolar disorder) yet still made something of themselves.
I'll start with a somewhat controversial, yet widely praised biography, "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar.
What are your thoughts on an unauthorized biography (while the person of subject is still alive)? Something necessary for the sake of historical records, to ascertain the truth with as minimal bias as possible?
>>7694667
Why?
>>7694703
Do you mean why I'm interested in this topic? Why we should discuss this (implying there's even a good reason for that)? Why I named the file that (for shits and giggles but the thread is serious)?
>>7694708
First option
>>7694667
Memoir of my Mental Illness, Daniel Paul Schreber.
>>7694711
Well I can't lie on here without it being transparent. I've read numerous works on this topic in the hope of applying some kind of technique for management of mental illness to my own life.
Summarized blog incoming (TLDR at very end):
Diagnosed bipolar, apparently a variety of mental illnesses run in the family. Was hoping to find management techniques for long term living. Not even sure I'm sick despite the multiple diagnoses, see its kind of weird having your personality defined as a disease. You don't really feel like a person, and are typically treated as less than that. Then you realize there is no self, and just end up being a selfish shit head wallowing in a puddle of self pity and angst. Should be on meds, but no insurance. Geodon, latuda, some others.
For example, management technique from Nash, literally ignoring the hallucinations after some time. In my case, I always hear music but I've been practicing on silencing the music by focusing on an outside noise. When I fail to do so it turns into a high pitched whining sound.
TLDR For the sake of finding mental health management techniques from others who have suffered from mental illness.
>>7694726
Any particular reason as to why you enjoyed that work? What stood out most about it? Is it meme-tier swill?
Schizophrenia
>>7694727
Do you like math? Have you hurt people or relationships beyond repair?
>>7694727
>management technique from Nash, literally ignoring the hallucinations after some time.
no, this makes the patient crazier. attempts to repress hallucinations lead to worse delusions due to the paranoia associated with discovery. you gotta just embrace the crazy anon. it's a part of you.
ask me questions anon. and don't read fiction. it's a stylized account of their experience wherein they completely overcome their problems. you gotta go and read non-fiction.
robert anton wilson was very clued in. check out his stuff. when he was young he was very crazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7N6TOFyrLg
the biggest determinant of success for disabled people is having a community of people willing to support you. take a look at kripke who faked all of his research yet still holds a chair. take a look at stephen hawking who was only able to continue to work as a physicist because the whole physics department pitched in and developed his chair and vocalizer.
>>7694740
I like the satisfaction of solving mathematical problems and puzzles but there's a buzzing in my head that makes it hard to concentrate on anything. Even this, right now, is somewhat difficult.
Ah, yes. Yes I have. I had to lie to my family when I said that "oh no there is this weird part of me that is sick and I can't help it" I've stolen from family and friends, went on alcohol and drug binges, dropped out of Uni twice, piled on debt, pretty much the family failure. Story is too long to tell. I wish I could just cut ties but I'd be homeless if that were the case. I need to be alone. Its easier that way.
>>7694733
I'm no plebeian dear sir.
>>7694667
PKD's entire oeuvre, specially VALIS
>>7694752
I'm sorry I didn't phrase that right.
Nash didn't repress anything. He knowingly accepted the reality of the situation, acknowledging that the people he saw were not there, and chose not to speak to them.
>>7694752
No one in my family believes I have a mental illness despite the shrink and loony bin. They've treated me like an autistic child, everyone has, just berating me saying none of my problems aren't real. Part of it is because I speak VERY rapidly sometimes, and don't speak at all other times, and my voice is nasally/I have pronunciation problems.
I questioned myself for a long time, am I just attracting negativity for the sake of attention? Then I realized this wasn't the case when the music in my head actually stopped after I took Geodon, and I saw the world through the clearest eyes for the first time in my life (the disassociation dissipated, I wasn't living in a dream like state just doing everything on instinct, I could think about my actions and words). I was also very quiet about my feelings and problems for a long time. There was no need and still is no need to share them with people who pretend to care.
Anons I appreciate the help but lets not hijack the thread anymore. Topic of discussion: /lit/, Mental Illness Biographies and Non-Fiction.
>>7694758
Thanks anon, again anything in particular that impacted you?
>>7694755
I ask because I think I can relate.
>>7694768
Dick explores how mental illness is related to spirituality and the pseudoevent media hell we are all trapped in. it's a sad and often terrifying world but he's also the funniest SF writer. also read Unica Zurn's Jasmin Man.
Darkness Visible by William Styron
>>7694789
take a look at his biography though. he wasnt genuinely mentally ill. he just took a buttload of acid.
The End of the Tour, a movie about a struggling artist with severe depression and a crippling addiction to the media.
Louis Althusser wrote a Memoir about this.
>>7694667
it's partly fictional, but there's a great book called "Zwei Herren am Strand" (Two Men at the Beach) by Michael Köhlmeyer. It's about the friendship between Churchill and Chaplin, and their dialogue about depression and suicide, which is intertwined with the life of the author/narrator and his father.
Most of it is made up though, and I don't know if it was translated.
Mental illness fuckin sucks...
>>7694727
> typically treated as less than that
iktf brother, normalfags never truly understand mental illness, and if you ever act unpleasantly (or god forbid violently) towards somebody you will often get zero sympathy. Nursing staff at mental health hospitals are some of the least compassionate people I've ever met.
No mention of Artaud in this thread? damn shame
OP read Artaud
The Letters of Vincent van Gogh are pretty interesting
Do it!!!
