Anthology of a Crazy Lady: A Creative Cure Through Writing & Art

By Susan L. Heisler

When conventional treatment failed, Susan Heisler turned to creativity as a defense against madness. Using art and poetry, she struggled from mental illness to recovery. This personal narrative is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967553903
• ISBN13: 9780967553900
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Victoria Pub
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

There's Hope

Sue Heisler has emerged from a very deep darkness. She never gave up on herself. She searched everywhere for answers; searched with all her heart, and has proved to all of us that there is hope. She tried all the methods, and then went beyond it all into a new place of healing for her soul and spirit. Well done!

I loved your book

I just finished reading your book last night - I loved it. It was beautiful. I don't think I've ever read anything so open and honest before. It was very inspiring and encouraging to experience your pain and struggles with you and to be brought into healing. Your story brings hope to us all. Your side columns are incredible. Even though most were written in prose, it's some of the best poetry I've ever read. Very haunting! I love your art work. With one glance, one can grasp the emotions in your pictures. Pete Richardson, artist and author of "Dance on Fire."

Articulating Your Pain

I have just finished your book and wanted to let you know how I felt about it. The thing that most struck me about the book was your ability to articulate the feeling and depth of your own suffering in such a readable style. The experiences you write about are more universal than people realize. It's amazing to me that you could continue to search in the midst of so many negative influences. It makes me realize how very important a supportive partner is in the mental health of the other partner. Although I didn't know you during most of this time, I feel that now, having read your words, I can recognize the new person I do know as one who is stronger and more complete for the work she has done. Donald M. Pruden, Executive Director, Center for the Creative Arts

To the readers....

This book offers a chance for you, the reader, to become empowered to take control of your life. Sue eloquently and vividly points out that if only one side of a person is treated, then the treatment is not complete. Sue shares how she learned each person is a triad - body, soul, and spirit. To treat one and not the other two is like having only one leg on a three-legged stool; it will soon tip over. Mark Lanyon, MHS, CAAC, Brandywine Counseling Service

A captivating journey of madness and through the other side.

Anthology is an autobiographical account of Sue Heisler's epic struggle with Bi-polar 2 Manic Depression. It contains over 40 pen-and-ink drawings, sidebars, and letters. Her story is woven with flashbacks to early childhood trauma, young adulthood, and family life as it chronicles her episodic nightmare. The illustrations serve as a visual presentation of her experiences and the poetic sidebars support her story. The result is a captivating journey into insanity and through the other side into normalcy. As the story of her recovery unfolds, even her drawings begin to take on a sort of peacefulness.Susan began to journal, create intense pen and ink drawings, and write poetry as a form of self-therapy to quiet her racing thoughts. Eventually she wrote her life story.Accurate diagnosis of Sue's illness, coupled with the right medications, alternative inner healing, and therapeutic creative outlets finally led to a normal life for Susan. In the midst of recovery, Sue realized that others who may be suffering could benefit from her story.Susan worked with a book editor to dissect her autobiography and pore through her many drawings and writings. Together, they pieced together this intriquing tale highlighting the most poignant experiences and visual representations of Sue's fascinating life. The book is packaged professionally and is commercially designed to present the information in an attractive and compelling way.Anthology is enjoying success with many readers in many walks of life. It is helping those who suffer with mental illness see that there is hope. It is enabling family members to understand and deal with the issues. And it is assisting clinicians and therapists in finding new paradigms in treatment. And most importantly, it is a testimony that evokes compassion and empathy in all of us who have no idea what it is like to experience severe depression and mania.