The Mirror World of Melody Black
Page 25
Of course, the whole thing is complicated by the drugs, too. But I can tell you that I’ve since had a couple of hypomanic episodes – not as serious as the first, but identical symptoms – that had nothing to do with drugs. I haven’t taken anything illegal for a very long time now. I came to the conclusion that I need to be very careful when it comes to anything that’s likely to affect my mood. I take my low dose of Prozac every day and this seems to be enough to keep me happy; and if my mood starts to slide too far either way, I know the things I need to do to help myself (exercise, healthy diet, plenty of rest, meditation, extra time spent with my children and cat). My wife looks after me as well; she has become very good at spotting the early warning signs.
In short, I think that I’ve been very lucky. Whatever my problems, I know they are relatively mild in the wider context of mental illness. There are many thousands of people, like Abby, who have been through highs and lows far more dangerous and damaging than my own.
In the past year, I’ve only been mildly manic a couple of times, and one of these followed on from rereading the section of this book that deals with Abby’s mania (chapters 9–14). It took me several hours and lots of sleep to feel calm again. But it also made me hopeful that I might have written something close to what I intended to write: something truthful.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(AND FURTHER READING)
Professor Caborn’s theory is based on the work of Professor Robin Dunbar, and I am particularly indebted to his book How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar’s Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks. It’s a wonderful piece of popular science writing, and a great place to start for anyone who wants to know more about evolutionary psychology.
The term ‘monkeysphere’ is not my own, much as I wish it was. It was coined by the American humorist David Wong in an article on Cracked.com – consistently one of the funniest places on the internet. I stumbled upon this article (‘What is the Monkeysphere?’) in the very early stages of planning this novel and it made me laugh out loud – at a time when I really, really needed to. For this, and the train of thought it set in motion, I am again deeply indebted.
Huge thanks are also owed to:
Carole and Jamie Morrow of Bamburgh View, Lindisfarne, who gave up an hour to answer my many questions about life on the island, and also provided the anecdote behind the Mrs Moses story.
Anna, Emily, Emma, Jason, Morag, Naomi, Valeria – and everyone else at Hodder who has lent their talent and hard work to this book.
My sister Kara, who was one of the first people to read it, and whose words afterwards were invaluable.
Kate and Stan – for taking the pressure off and giving me all the time, space and support I needed to write the difficult second novel. Your faith and patience made a tough job much easier.
And finally, to Alix, Amelia, Toby and Tigerlily. For keeping me sane.
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