Author(s): Michael Morrissey

Personality Disorders

This is the story of one man's experience of manic depression. Award-winning author Michael Morrissey gives the reader a frank account of his journey through two serious bipolar episodes.

Despite the seriousness of the illness, he tells his story in a riveting and lively manner. Michael's manic delusions include a fantastical get rich diet scheme intended to make him the richest man in the world and enable him to save very endangered species on the planet; levitating from the lawn; and being the Messiah - alas no miracles performed. While in Malaysia, he tries to give an inappropriately irreverent speech at a Chinese Wedding and on arriving back in Auckland succeeds in saving 4000 books from pulping.

Later, he spent time in a psychiatric unit where he reports, "Everyone inside seems mad except yourself." Fellow sufferers will find a compassionate understanding of what they are going through, just as Michael found encouragement from other writers.

This book should be compulsory reading for psychiatric professionals to help them understand how they should regard and care for their patients. The general reader will find much of the story amusing and revealing. Some will find their attitudes towards mental illness radically challenged. This is a well written and original story which deserves a wide readership. Michael has succeeded in taming his 'Tiger' and he shares his struggle in an honest and moving way. Michael Morrissey has published twenty books of poetry and fiction and has a lifetime's experience as a writer. This book is probably his most important work so far.