Schizophrenia Fiction

A thought-provoking look into the brilliant mind of a person diagnosed with Schizophrenia as he slips in and out of reality.

Funny, smart, damaged, Tom is lost in the machinery of the British mental health system, talking to a voice no one else can hear; the voice of Malamock, the Octopus God—sometimes loving, sometimes cruel, but always there to fill his life with meaning. Once an outstanding law student, Tom is now cared for by his long-suffering sister Tess, who encourages him into an experimental drugs trial that promises to silence the voice forever. The Octopus God, however, does not take kindly to being threatened...

Many biographies of people with schizophrenia seem to dwell primarily on the feeling of hopelessness, and they keep expectations for the sufferer's future low. With this autobiography, Mr. Jiang attempts to turn the tables on this litany of sorrow. He shows himself as a result of the miracles that modern medicine can produce. He went from being a basket case to a respected, technologically-savvy medical librarian working at a world-renowned research institution.

Surviving Schizophrenia chronicles a path where biochemical intervention is not the sole factor relevant to mental illness. Varied "world views" - Christianity, Maori Pacifika lore, or the credo of a New Age, which have influenced myself - demand a broad approach to mental health. Reckless prescription of drugs should not substitute exclusively for alternative therapies.