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Quote by Kay Redfield Jamison

“Her parents, she said, has put a pinball machine inside her head when she was five years old. The red balls told her when she should laugh, the blue ones when she should be silent and keep away from other people; the green balls told her that she should start multiplying by three. Every few days a silver ball would make its way through the pins of the machine. At this point her head turned and she stared at me; I assumed she was checking to see if I was still listening. I was, of course. How could one not? The whole thing was bizarre but riveting. I asked her, What does the silver ball mean? She looked at me intently, and then everything went dead in her eyes. She stared off into space, caught up in some internal world. I never found out what the silver ball meant.”

Quote by Kay Redfield Jamison

Work

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

This memoir offers an intimate look into the life of a distinguished psychiatrist as they navigate the complexities of bipolar disorder. The author candidly shares their struggles, insights, and triumphs, providing a unique perspective on mental health and the human condition. more

Author

Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison is an American psychologist known for her research on mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. Her work delves into the relationship between psychological illness and artistic creation, profoundly influencing public understanding of mental health issues. more

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“But you do believe, don’t you," Rose implored him, "you think it’s true?" "Of course it’s true," the Boy said. "What else could there be?" he went scornfully on. "Why," he said, "it’s the only thing that fits. These atheists, they don’t know nothing. Of course there’s Hell. Flames and damnation," he said with his eyes on the dark shifting water and the lightning and the lamps going out above the black struts of the Palace Pier, "torments." "And Heaven too," Rose said with anxiety, while the rain fell interminably on. "Oh, maybe," the Boy said, "maybe.”

“Когато Ленард оставаше насаме, потокът информация, който го заливаше, беше още по-пълноводен. Нямаше кой да го разсейва. Докато крачеше сам, мислите в главата му се сгъстиха като самолети над бостънското летище "Лоугън". Имаше един-два презокеански лайнера, пълни с големи идеи, флотилия от "Боинг 707", натежали от товар сензитивни усещания (цветът на небето, мирисът на морето), както и по-малки самолетчета, превозващи откъслечни импулси, предпочели да пътуват инкогнито. Всички тези самолети искаха разрешение за незабавно кацане. От контролната кула в главата си Ленард комуникираше със самолетите по радиото, като едни от тях инструктираше да продължават да кръжат над летището, а други отклоняваше към други летища. Трафикът не спираше нито за миг; задачата му беше да координира постоянния поток от кацащи летателни апарати от мига на събуждането си до лягането за сън. Но сега, след две седмици, прекарани на международното летище "Маниакална енергия", вече минаваше за ветеран. Като проследяваше движението на радара пред себе си, Ленард можеше да приземи всеки самолет по разписание, като в същото време пускаше по някоя попържня към колегата на съседния стол, който безгрижно си ядеше сандвича. Всичко това си беше обичайна част от служебните му ангажименти.”

“Sometimes my mind snaps under all this stimulation and I enter a sort of fugue state in which I manically click from one window to another without accomplishing anything. It's hard to break out of this; the feeling is remarkably similar to the sense of being powerless to stop eating spoonful after spoonful of ice cream.”

“Craziness is only a matter of degree, and there are lots of people besides me who have the urge to roll heads. They go to stock-car races and the horror movies and the wrestling matches they have in Portland Expo. Maybe what she said smacked of all those things, but I admired her for saying out loud, all the same--the price of honesty is always high. She had an admirable grasp of the fundamentals. Besides, she was tiny and pretty.”