This week Paul, an old colleague from the Financial Times, watched a short video I’d posted on LinkedIn and left this comment:
“Dear J-P, I’m moved by your short video – and not a little shocked to hear of your experience. When we worked alongside each other at the FT, I was in awe of your writing skills (and overall charisma!) so I’m shocked to hear that this could happen to you, a person I would have deemed far too ‘together’ to suffer what you did. All my best, Paul.”
I replied:
“Thank you, Paul. That means a lot. I can’t claim to know how it works exactly, but depression crept up on me as it did on others I met in hospital. What makes it worse is the feeling of shame (‘I must be defective’). And the shame stopped me talking about it.”
That assumption – “I would have deemed you far too together” – is exactly what makes the shame so heavy. The book exists to put a small hole in that assumption.
A Speccy Man Has a Breakdown contains drawings from the psychiatric ward. A limited first edition of 250 numbered, signed hardback copies at £45, with a signed A5 art print tucked inside.