Psychotic

A unique and insightful look at what it means to live with a severe mental condition, and the ways in which it can impact your life but also uplift you and bring bright colors into your world.

This is an intense, interesting and important story about what being psychotic can be like, from the perspective of someone who went through it several times. I love how it plays with colours and pictures, and so puts more emphasis to the words.

A slight bump in the road of reading 'Psychotic' in one sit like I did, for me, were the letters. Especially since reading this was so intense already.

Still I think this is something everyone should read. Especially since it's so, so important to give an audience to the voices of the people actually experiencing things like this.

First of all, the art and composition are marvelous, fitting and absolutely psychedelic. It served really well the themes of the book and the story. Jacques and Sylvain must have collaborated very closely to achieve such a coherent style while still representing Jacques' psychosis.
The story is obsviously important, I think all stories about mental health are important and this one gave me an outlook on what it can be like to live with psychosis and be in a mental hospital, the experience of having to take meds that dull you, the experience of having to live in a world that hurts when you can embrace a delightful world that don't exist for other people.

This was an interesting read for me, it hit close to home. When I was five, my mother had a psychotic break, and she spent the rest of her life doing that dance you do when you're mentally ill- in and out of hospitals, on and off medications, in and out of treatment. Her diagnosis was originally schizophrenia, later changed to major depression with psychotic features, so her illness was different than Mathis', but the stories she told me when I was older are similar to Mathis' accounts in this book, so all of that rang very true to me, meaning I don't think he exaggerated any parts; if anything, I suspect he may have downplayed bits. The thread in this book meanders quite a bit, skipping around, getting confusing in places, and that also rings true; it can be hard to keep events in the right order when you're not sure if they really happened or not. Hospitalizations blend together, as do the other patients and staff. Often, the delusions are more real, more tangible than reality. Mathis did a good job relating his story in a way that made it understandable to someone who hasn't gone through what he has.
The art fits the story well, with quiet bits of madness creeping into everyday life. For example, shadows are lurking everywhere, swirling around people, especially Mathis, like smoke, but they never seem menacing- they're more like companions. The art style doesn't change going from reality to delusion and back again, which adds an authentic feel. I would recommend this graphic memoir to anyone who'd like a peek into the mind of a mentally ill person to gain a better understanding of what they go through.

#Psychotic #NetGalley

I think this book gives an really good and important look at mental health. The artwork is amazing and fits right in with the theme.