The book Voluntary Madness written by Norah Vincent is written about the author's depression and how it cause her to enlist herself into three different institutions to "fix herself." She is also the author of Self-Made Man, which is the book that started the madness, so I also recommend you read that. (Self-Made Man is about how she pretended to be a man throughout society and how the world perceived it. She's a journalist who does weird experiment. Don't question it, just go with the flow and read it.)
This book is not only her way of getting it written on paper, as that is what Norah does for a living, but she also writes it as a kind of therapy for anyone who wants to read about her weird experiences with prescription drugs, institutions and the loonies she meets there, and her weird personality changes that cause her to enlist every time.
This book speaks of the events that occurred at the end of her research for Self-Made Man. (She never really finished that research, but oh well...)
What else could I tell you? Her experiences are tough to describe in a short blog. But her style of writing I found to be captivating, so let me give a few examples of that. I think that it is fascinating the way she writes, as she describes simple things, in a complicated way, that seems simple you read over it and don't take the deep meanings. Let me show you:
"I rook my first Prozac and took flight. I went out like a turbocharged dorm geek after the last exam, a recluse set loose on the world with the sudden hubris of then presidents and all the pent-up primal urges I'd been sublimating since the onset of puberty. I was a stalled career flounderer set going again by a little green-and-cream-colored Pulvule that made me feel so good I call it vitamin P" (Vincent 6)
Did you read over everything or did you take notice at how amazing written that description was?
This book is mostly written for adults, as that is the audience she, as a reporter/journalist, that has always been her audience. Also, I believe that that is the audience because of the complexity of the language used by her. If you didn't understand more than half of the quote, you are going to have trouble reading this book. I know I read it with a dictionary and a thesaurus next to me at all times and I still had trouble getting my mind to wrap around the language and wording.
Let me give you another example this time not describing something, just her regular story telling though out the book:
"He saw to the greedy core of the pharmaceutical companies and refused to buy the line they were selling. Not that he never prescribed drugs. He obviously did. He was non doctrinaire enough to realize that the meds on the market were, in some cases, probably better than nothing. But he was exercising his judgement, evaluating patients as people and not just opting for the prescription pad as a reflex" (Vincent 183).
Now you can see why I don't want to describe specific events? It would be a whole lot of writing and you don't want to read THAT much. But if you want to read a REALLY unique book, then I highly recommend this book. (Plus, it will feel like you gained 50 IQ points when you finish it.)
And an even better reason, if you want prescription drugs, she will tell you what to say, because as Vincent will let you know, there isn't really a medical description of bipolar disease, so just say you hear voices, just say you are being followed by a rabbit, and just say some more random things, and you may just be the next Prozac user.
In conclusion, read the book, because it has one of the most interesting takes on institutes, the people within, the people with the pad and pen, the on- and- off use of medication, and in general, a unique look on journeys and being happy.
Also, read it for the complex language, because as confusing as it may sound, it is a really cool experience to get through and say, yeah, I read that.
So take my word for it. READ IT. GO. NOW!
I will give this book 27 falcon punches out of 32.
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