what does it mean to be mentally ill in a world obsessed with narratives, in a society that has to label what they perceive as aberrant forces? heartbreakingly, one’s identity can become muddied and lost forever.

Aviv guides her reader through a masterful exploration of the world of psychiatry and the human obsession with ascribing story-like narratives to life experiences for the sake of clarity. whether it is the mentally ill person themselves who creates a divine fable out of their own life, or a psychiatrist who weaves a tale of mental disorders strung along by a compounding spiral of medications, Aviv presents multiple fascinating accounts of people becoming strangers to themselves through their struggles with mental illness. 

i myself am coming away from this book with a new outlook on mental health care and stigma. i have always been intrigued by the pathologization of certain behaviors as mental disorders and have been wanting to read something like this for a while. the insight Aviv provides is revelatory.