A Brilliant Madness : Living with Manic-Depressive Illness

New York, NY, U.S.A.: Bantam Books, 1992. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Patty Duke shared her long-kept secret: the talented, Oscar-winning actress who won our hearts on The Patty Duke Show was suffering from a serious-but-treatable-mental illness called manic depression. For nearly twenty years, until she was correctly diagnosed at age thirty-five, she careened between periods of extreme euphoria and debilitating depression, prone to delusions and panic attacks, temper tantrums, spending sprees, and suicide attempts. Now in A Brilliant Madness Patty Duke joins with medical reporter Gloria Hochman to shed light on this powerful, paradoxical, and destructive illness. From what it's like to live with manic-depressive disorder to the latest findings on its most effective treatments, this compassionate and eloquent book provides profound insight into the challenge of mental illness. And though Patty's story, which ends in a newfound happiness with her cherished family, it offers hope for all those who suffer from mood disorders and for the family, friends, and physicians who love and care for them. 285 pages. Dust jacket and book top & bottom of spine and front cover bottom right corner tip are slightly bumped. Prev. owners name on inside corner of front cover is whited out. Some scuffing on rear of dust jacket and a 1" light crease on the front cover across the top right corner..