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David's Adventure with Schizophrenia: My Road to Recovery

When David LaChapelle begins attending Carleton University everything seems to be going in the right direction. But he begins experiencing unexplainable changes in his thought processes which eventually devolves into a full-blown psychotic state. He tries to get help but is turned down, told by the admitting physician that he is fine and not in need of psychiatric care. Not until his family steps in and takes him to the hospital does he come close to receiving any treatment. While there, however, he meets Angela, a fellow patient he will later learn is also suffering from schizophrenia. For now, though, they will embark on a journey that takes them across Canada and beyond. Beginning first with short trips in the greater Toronto area—including a jaunt to nearby Niagara Falls where a perceived zombie attack necessitates a forced and narrow escape, David and Angela eventually decide a trip to Vancouver is in order. Pawning possessions, selling stocks, sleeping in McDonald’s parking lots, and narrowly escaping arrest on a possible kidnapping charge, their escapades provide a rousing, rollicking ride as they traverse the Great White North until Dave finally receives the help he needs to heal and become healthy once more. A whirlwind tour of Canada, New York, and the psychological inner workings of a person with paranoid schizophrenia intertwine with LaChapelle’s openness and bracing honesty to turn a frightening disease into a lighthearted, tragicomic romp full of action, hilarity, and more than a few surprises. As his mental state deteriorates, so too does the logic of the adventure, yet somehow he is able to keep it going, showing a resourcefulness not often expected of the mentally ill. A stirring, baffling, and altogether head-scratching caper, David’s Adventure with Schizophrenia is as fascinating as it is entertaining.Read more

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