An Interesting Life
I have recently had my first book published. Below are some excerpts from the publisher's website (http://www.chipmunkapublishing.co.uk) which give some information about me and the book. The book can be purchased for £5 as an ebook or for £12.99 as a paperback from all major suppliers. It is a little more expensive from the publisher's website but I think this includes postage. Click here to buy the E-Book now or click here to buy the paperback.
Description
An Interesting Life is the true story of a young man’s struggle
with mental illness through adulthood. The author was diagnosed with paranoid
schizophrenia in 1993. Following three admissions into hospital, his life became
more stable despite the severity of the illness. After failing to take his
medicine in the latter part of 2006, he became very ill and tried to kill a
friend of his. This story is about those experiences and the ordeals of having
to cope with the legal system.
The author has also undertaken a number of unusual projects in recent years
which add an interesting insight into the life of someone suffering with a
severe mental illness. There is also mention of the author’s interest in
football and his hobby of collecting football programmes.
About the Author
Giorgio was born in London in 1964. He grew up in north London but moved to the southern part of the city at the age of nineteen. He worked as a fireman for seven years before being discharged on ill health grounds following a severe motorcycle accident. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1993 and has coped with the illness ever since. Writing has helped him through his illness and this is his first book.
Book Extract
This is not going to be easy. In fact, I don’t think it can even
be done. I have so much information, about twenty years of it, to sift through,
make sense of and to get down onto paper in some sort of comprehensible order.
The problem is that everything has got so complicated. Where do I start? How do
I explain? I don’t think I know and yet, here I am, already a paragraph on my
way. Maybe it can be done.
Writing a book is the easy part. But that is not exactly the object of this
exercise. The object of this exercise, ultimately, is to make the world a better
place, significantly, very significantly. Yes I know I’m being ridiculous and
that maybe I need to go and talk to someone.
Well, I have been talking to someone, several people actually, for several years
and I’ve had enough. There’s only so much any one person can take. Paranoid
schizophrenia, manic depressive, psychosis – these are all terms that
psychiatrists have labelled me with over the years. There’s another one –
obsessive compulsive disorder - or something like that. Disorder? Me? It’s
enough to make someone ill. The last straw came last year when they took away my
driving license. I’m not joking: they took it away, the whole damn thing. The
car license, the HGV license and the motorcycle license. I was also licensed to
drive a whole bunch of other vehicles and those have gone too. Ah, I know what
you’re thinking – you’re thinking this guy must be a complete nutcase,
completely mad. I mean, there must be something seriously wrong for someone to
have their driving license taken away, right? Yeah right.
I’m starting to drift off the point here. This is supposed to be an
introduction. I’m supposed to be telling you about the forthcoming pages and
what to expect. Instead, I’m incriminating myself. Shall we start again?
It’s a little difficult to explain exactly what to expect from the forthcoming
pages when I’m not exactly sure myself. What I do know is that there is quite a
lot to tell and that you can expect an unconventional delivery.
Over the last few years I have taken on a few unusual projects. Yesterday I
completed twelve months living on £50 a week. In September I completed twelve
months living without gas and electricity in my home. And back in January I
completed twelve months without shaving. These undertakings have taught me many
things which has changed the way I now view the world and have impacted on what
I consider to be important and not so important. You know already that I am
diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. My experiences during this period of my
life introduced me to religion, philosophy, drugs and many other things in a big
way.
Combined, these things are what have inspired me to sit down and attempt to
explain what I feel is right with the world, what is wrong with it and what is
right and wrong with the likes of you and me. I do truly believe that we are all
responsible. I do also believe that the state of the world is deteriorating
rather than improving regardless of what a rosy picture some of the statistics
portray. But there is more, for I do not wish to bore you with what you may
consider at this point to be philosophical meanderings.
This past year or so I have had terrible problems with back pain. And it
continues. There is still a long way to go. I would like to devote some time to
my experiences with back pain in the hope that I may be able to help fellow
sufferers cope with the difficulties of this terrible affliction.
I also have a great interest in football and like to collect football
programmes. I would like to spend some time explaining the pleasure these
interests bring. I am aware that football does not satisfy everybody and the
thought of learning about someone else’s deluded appreciation of actually
collecting rusty (not so rusty staples please!) old programmes is probably
enough to turn most people off. Please be patient. I certainly do not wish to
bore you. I just feel that if it can be told the way it needs to be told then
maybe you may show an interest in football and maybe even the odd programme. I’m
not so sure that that is what I actually hope to achieve. I just feel obliged to
tell you about it.
So, among others, expect chapters devoted to religion, schizophrenia, football
and life without electricity and money. Hopefully there will be the odd joke
along the way. At the end I would hope you have found this read to be a breath
of fresh air and nothing like what you may have come across before.
About Chipmunkapublishing
Chipmunkapublishing is the Mental Health Publisher. Our mental
health books are improving the way the world thinks about mental health. Most of
our mental health books are written by people with mental health issues. We also
give a voice to family members of people with mental health issues and other
disabilities. Titles include autobiographies/memoirs, fiction, poetry,
anthologies, stories written by carers, self help books, academic works and much
more.
We are a unique social enterprise focused on publishing both factual and
creative literature. We want to eliminate the humiliation that people with
"mental illness" feel. We give people with mental illness a voice so that they
can have the opportunity and positive mindset to lead better lives and hopefully
full recoveries. Do not let your children grow up not understanding people with
mental health issues. Let's improve society so that mental health artists can
empower people with mental health issues and be equal in society. Then they can
shape their future and help others.
We work with the government, the health service, the media, mental health
organisations, charities and private businesses to successfully publish and
promote literature that brings a positive attitude towards mental health issues.
Chipmunkapublishing aims to break down the stigma on mental illness once and for
all.
All our books are available to
order now
online. Our books are either in stock or available to order from 4.5 million
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