Thirty-two-year-old Rihanna Perry has the job, son, and husband of her dreams. But her world is torn apart when her husband leaves her for another woman. After the combination of the breakup and a major surgery, Rihanna’s mood changes from the way it used to be: she’s never been happier in her life. Soon she’s staying up all night, flirting with men and women (even at work), smoking weed, and starting writing projects she doesn’t finish. On top of everything else, Rihanna discovers that telepathy is real, and attempts to learn the skill of reading minds for the first time.<br><br>Rihanna won’t accept that her long ago diagnosis of bipolar disorder has come back to haunt her. After prompting by her best friend, Rihanna finally goes to the local mental hospital for help. She eventually accepts the fact that she’s been suffering from a manic episode. After being put on medication, she barely has a chance to recover from the mania when she’s thrown into the worst depression she’s ever experienced.<br><br>Medicine alone doesn’t help, so Rihanna must undergo electroconvulsive therapy and a six-month stay at the state mental hospital. Will she ever be stable again?

My Chemical Imbalance

I was feeling down again,but didn’t want anyone to know.Everyone thought ECT had cured me.Only I knew the truth.I wasn’t planning to OD anymore,and I didn’t cry as much,but I still felt little thoughts creeping into my brain.They got louder as the days went by.I tried to ignore the thoughts,but it was difficult to tell reality from madness


You should kill yourself.You were supposed to jump in front of that train.It was your destiny.Now you’re going to watch your whole life fall apart in front of you.You should have died when you still had some dignity,before you got fired and had something.


Jeff had switched to third shift from first.Now we had our family time in the morning,and Jeff slept all evening.I spent the evening with Jeremiah and Jeff’s parents,which was awkward at first since they’d been spending more time with Jeremiah than I had lately.But eventually we all settled into the routine.


Chapter 16