Perspective

Kay Jamison writes from the dual perspectives of a healthcare professional, whose career is devoted to treatment of manic-depressive illness, and someone who also has the disease. This makes her arguments especially compelling and credible for the reader. Her role as a healthcare "insider" obviously gives her an advantage in obtaining the best professional care available; and she acknowledges that she is fortunate in that respect. From the same perspective, Jamison also notes that many people with the disease never get adequately diagnosed or treated, and eventually commit suicide despite receiving treatment.

From the standpoint of a professional woman in a male-dominated profession, Jamison makes clear her reluctance to reveal her illness to colleagues. However, when she does share that information, the universal response is one of concern and caring rather than condemnation or rejection. In typically candid fashion, Jamison reveals that her own attitudes have often been...