 First edition cover | |
| Author | Linea Johnson Cinda Johnson |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
Publication date | May 8, 2012 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), e-book |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 978-0-312-58182-4 (hardcover) |
| OCLC | 865109474 |
Perfect Chaos is a 2012 memoir co-written by Linea Johnson and her mother, Cinda Johnson. The book follows a mother-daughter journey of the struggle of the diagnosis and living with bipolar disorder and depression.
The book chronicles author Linea Johnson's onset of depressive episodes starting in high school, and leading into her first year away from home in college, when she is hospitalized for the first time and diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. The story shares her perspective of being treated with the illness and suicide attempts, and also, the perspective of her mother, Cinda Johnson, a mental health professor at Seattle University. [1]
Perfect Chaos is narrated by both Linea and Cinda Johnson, as well as a collection of essays and journal entries by the mother and daughter pair. The book started out as Linea Johnson's chronicling her moods as a part of her treatment and recovery, and Cinda's suggestion that they share their story after witnessing inequities in the treatment of the disorder. [2]
Perfect Chaos has received positive reviews from the literary and disability community, as well as scholars in the mental health community. Glenn Close, whose sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2004, [3] called said the book's "emotional transparency moved [Close] to [her] core and deepened [her] empathy for all those touched by mental illness". [4]
Kirkus Reviews said that the book is "a no-holds-barred 'biography of depression,' ... a simultaneously painful and inspiring page-turner". [5]
In a 2012 Publishers Weekly review, the reviewer said of Perfect Chaos, "The journey for Linea and her family is a moving and hopeful one, as they better understand how she reacts to the illness, and realize that being bipolar is only a part of someone’s life, not the whole." [6]
Patrick J. Kennedy, a former Member of Congress with bipolar disorder, received the book positively saying the authors, "brilliantly light a path to hope, understanding, and acceptance as they smash through the stigma of brain illness." [4]
HuffPost referred to Perfect Chaos as "honest, raw and inspiring." [7]
In an academic review, Charmaine Crockett, special projects coordinator at the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, examined Perfect Chaos for its criticism on mental healthcare for the uninsured and underprivileged and stigma around mental illness. Crockett referred to the book as a welcome addition to the community, saying it enriches "the intersection between disability studies, mental health and literature." [8]
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mood disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally-elevated happiness that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with psychosis, it is called mania; if it is less severe, it is called hypomania. During mania, an individual behaves or feels abnormally energetic, happy or irritable, and they often make impulsive decisions with little regard for the consequences. There is usually also a reduced need for sleep during manic phases. During periods of depression, the individual may experience crying and have a negative outlook on life and poor eye contact with others. The risk of suicide is high; over a period of 20 years, 6% of those with bipolar disorder died by suicide, while 30–40% engaged in self-harm. Other mental health issues, such as anxiety disorders and substance use disorders, are commonly associated with bipolar disorder.
Kay Redfield Jamison is an American clinical psychologist and writer. Her work has centered on bipolar disorder, which she has had since her early adulthood. She holds the post of the Dalio Professor in Mood Disorders and Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is an Honorary Professor of English at the University of St Andrews.
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Bipolar II disorder (BP-II) is a mood disorder on the bipolar spectrum, characterized by at least one episode of hypomania and at least one episode of major depression. Diagnosis for BP-II requires that the individual must never have experienced a full manic episode. Otherwise, one manic episode meets the criteria for bipolar I disorder (BP-I).
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Linea Johnson is the American co-author of the 2012 memoir Perfect Chaos and a mental health advocate.