Lives Interrupted: True Stories
If you've been following the Mental Health Special on CBC Radio's The Current with Steven Page, the following books may interest you. These autobiographies, by people from all walks of life, share a common theme – each have been affected in some way by mental illness. These reads are powerful, open, and often inspirational.
Changing My Mind by Margaret Trudeau. Trudeau's openess about her bipolar disorder and her ongoing advocacy for victims of mental illness make her a true Canadian hero.
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi. An Australian actress married to Ellen Degeneres, de Rossi describes her history with anorexia nervosa.
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartók. Chronicles the descent of Bartók's talented mother into paranoid schizophrenia. For those who enjoyed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel. A Canadian comedian and television host, Mandel addresses his challenges living with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Clickety Clack: My Bipolar Express by Joy S. McDiarmid. A Canadian researcher recounts her coming of age in the 1950s with biopolar disorder.
Fall to Pieces: A Memoir of Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and Mental Illness by Mary Weiland. A successful model at the age of 16 and former wife of rock star Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots, Weiland struggles with both addiction and bipolar disorder.
Amen Amen Amen: a Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying (Among Other Things) by Abby Sher. Sher's OCD compels her to perform rituals that, she believes, if not performed will cause the death of others. For readers of The Devil in the Details: Scenes From an Obessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig.
Hannah: My True Story of Drugs, Cutting, and Mental Illness by Hannah Westberg. 18-year-old Hannah, is diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder and must overcome a host of dangerous behaviours.
Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So by Mark Vonnegut. Son of author Kurt Vonnegut. A followup to The Eden Express, his memoir of living with mental illness.
Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields. Her personal account of postpartum depression put the spotlight on and raised awareness about an illness affecting many women.
Bitter Medicine: 
A Graphic Memoir of Mental Illness by Clem Martini. Canadian playwright Martini illustrates growing up with two brothers, Olivier and Ben – both diagnosed with schizophrenia. With illustrations by Olivier Martini.
2 thoughts on “Lives Interrupted: True Stories”
For those who liked “A Million Little Pieces” which one(s) would you recommend?
Hmmm. Good question – I recall Frey’s book focused almost entirely on addiction. Fall to Pieces would be your best bet. You could also try Bill Cleg’s Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, Oran Canfield’s Long Past Stopping, or In Hanuman’s Hands by Cheenie Rao.