Review Of The Book 'Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip In 4-D'

I chose the book “Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D” because I was intrigued by the reviews that I read about this book. I have a cousin that is diagnosed with bipolar disorder I felt the memoir might give me more insight into his disorder. Simon depicts a vibrant tale of her journey from being in denial about her disorder to finally coming to terms and accepting that she is bipolar. She is often critical and unforgiving of those who are not bipolar that inhabit her environment, however; she displays a great deal of compassion towards those that have been diagnosed and she aspires to change the stigma that surrounds people that are bipolar. Simon does a masterful job of spinning a vivid tale of the complexities that come along with being

In the memoir, Simon sets out across different states to find people who have been diagnosed that are still fairly young. She comes into contact with some individuals who are young and have had success with a combination of medications and therapy. Simon seemed frustrated at time with her search for people who could help her change the stigma on her disorder. Simon did not receive therapy till around the age of twenty-five largely because she felt that therapist could not really identify with what she was going through. Looking at the memoir, the individuals who went to therapy noted that there was significant in their recovery. Several of the individuals talked about their medication and therapy as a way of allowing them a chance to start there lives over with a clean

The unawareness about mental illnesses like bipolar disorders leads to unjust and biased attitudes that are skewed toward negativity. The stigma that surrounds mental illnesses has improved over the years, yet people are not as educated as they should be. People are no longer afraid of people who have a mental illness. People are much more accepting of people who may suffer from some type of mental illness. Although mental health care awareness has come a long way, individuals are still often labeled and judged based on a particular diagnosis that they may have and they are often viewed as individuals that are somehow broken. Because of the stigma that goes with mental illness, people are often hesitant and reluctant to talk about for fear of ridicule or other actions being taken upon them. It is the stigma of mental illness that Simon seeks to out change that makes this memoir such a good read. In the memoir, there is a passage where a guy a writes cruel and vindictive letter about a poster that states that mental illness is being helped because the stigma is dying out. The man believes that people who suffer from mental illness are a danger