Electroboy is the fast-paced, compelling story of Andy Behrman's life with bipolar disorder: untreated, wrongly treated, treatment-resistant and -- finally -- responding to treatment.
For years the author flew from one risk to another, self-medicating with alcohol, cocaine and other illegal drugs. For a while he was a male stripper and dabbled in the world of prostitution, partly to earn money but just as much for the thrill he got from dangerous behavior. He thought nothing of flying to Europe on a whim or renting an apartment way beyond his means because he loves the lobby. "I imagine I'll find some executive-level position soon and make a six-figure income and my financial problems will be solved. ... I like that it makes me feel a little stressed and edgy. It's a risk. Signing the lease creates the sense of danger and excitement that I thrive on."
Sweeps you into his life
After an opening chapter that details the author's childhood and family history -- where mental illness are evident -- the book switches into present tense. Everything is happening now, it's immediate, and the reader is swept along as the fast-paced narrative plunges us into the author's first independence. "I always knew that I would live in New York. After four years at Wesleyan, I was whirling -- an adrenaline junkie, used to sleepless nights, drug and alcohol binges, and wandering around campus looking for fun."
He plunged into New York recklessly, always confident that money could be found to pay for the lavish apartments, clothing, furnishing and drugs he craved. He collected pornography and was a frequent visitor to sex shows of all kinds. (This, by the way, is my only warning: If you are uncomfortable with strong language or strong sexual content, you will wish to skip over certain sections or skip the book altogether.)
Trouble with the law
Wrongly diagnosed at one point as suffering from chronic depression, he is given Prozac which, he says, "seems to keep me on the high side, and I don't slip into any depressions. I also happen to be moving faster than the speed of sound." Not until two years later are the words "manic depression" mentioned to him. Unfortunately, he proves resistant to medication, and the risk-taking accelerates too far: he is convicted of conspiracy to defraud one of his clients, self-proclaimed artist Mark Kostabi.
Finally, during a term of house arrest, Andy agrees to undergo a course of shock treatments -- electro-convulsive therapy. The procedures and effects -- both good and bad -- of these treatments are described in terms anyone can understand, and this section will be very helpful to anyone considering ECT for himself or a loved one.
Inside the bipolar mind
Electroboy is a vividly written story that at every moment, without effort or strain, has the reader right there inside the mind and experiences of its author. It's a wild ride that is ultimately hopeful and very rewarding. Highly recommended, especially for those seeking to understand grandiose and/or hypersexual mania.
