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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 5 August 2020

A book review by Anuradha Sridhar of artist Ellen Forney's graphic novel - Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me. Ellen has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. 

The impact of mood disorders on people varies by person, and the desire to feel less alone in one’s journey of dealing with mood disorders is strong. Ellen Forney’s graphic novel ‘Marbles’ shows her candid journey as an artist suffering from bipolar disorder. In her book, she covers the idea of how creativity is linked to bipolar disorder (in its manic and depressive form), and how she found company in other artists, writers and poets who also suffered from mood disorders. She calls it “Club Van Gogh”.

Her journey starts when she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder just before her thirtieth birthday. She then starts paying more attention to her moods, and the genetic links from her mother’s side of the family. She chronicles conversations with her psychiatrist, her tryst with exercises and yoga, the support from her mother, and various instances from her life to cover both manic episodes and debilitating depression. 

She makes references to various books she has read, and how she had to revisit the well-known and much recommended ‘Unquiet Mind’. Anyone who is struggling with finding the right medication and the right dosage of medication will find her journey relatable. Accepting one’s illness and accepting one’s need for medication is a journey of its own. She also mentions the impact of side effects, and how she takes additional medication to counter those side effects.

The beauty of this graphic novel lies in how she introduces various aspects of bipolar disorder in a conversation-like manner, and how one can go back and research terms used in the book. She also infuses it with humour and beautiful drawings. 

You can get in touch with Ellen Forney at https://twitter.com/ellen_forney

To purchase the book, please visit https://www.amazon.in/Marbles-Mania-Depression-Michelangelo-Me-ebook/dp/B00BSSRV46/

Recommended further reading: The Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

 

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