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

A lot of times I had constant negative thoughts,but some days I felt great.I talked cheerfully to Dr.Mayer and made her laugh.Sometimes I interacted with other patients for a change and felt pretty normal.My roommate-of-the-week was impressed when I won a game of PIG in the gym and said she felt like she’d gotten to know me a little better.She was gone the next day,though.I still kept myself away from wanting to keep in touch after leaving like some people did.For one thing,I wasn’t getting out of the hospital for a long time,and for another,I didn’t trust any of the patients enough to meet up with them on the outside.


When my doctor told me I was now in a mixed episode,I was surprised.I didn’t know what a mixed episode felt like.I remembered hearing that it had some features of mania mixed with depression.The doctor explained I could switch back and forth quickly between the two,or experience both at the same time.


“But it’s still more on the depressive side,”she said.


Chapter 17