|
DRIVEN, A Memoir
by Tyler W. Pehlke
Read the first 6
chapters..
Using letters, personal
journals and scraps of paper, Tyler Pehlke, a recent graduate from UC
Davis reconstructs his experiences with schizophrenia which he believes
were triggered by excessive alcohol and drug use. His notes
interweave with the voice of a narrator who fills in the blanks with the
wisdom of hindsight, knowledge and experience.
Pehlke's journey with schizophrenia begins
during his freshman year in college and has been complex. His
introduction includes this description:
|
"The illness takes shape
in a very peculiar way. It is seductively complicated in that the
illness can be advantageous, and even pleasurable, while at the same
time feel insufferably tormenting.
I have heard more
than one person say: “I wish I could have schizophrenia for a day,
just to see what it is like.” But because of the manner in which
schizophrenia develops, one does not even know that he or she has
the illness. As my personal account will indicate, the onset is not
immediate. If a person could be placed, however, into the depths of
schizophrenia, with the touch of a malevolent wand, and held there
for an entire day, that person would likely find his or herself in
some chilling and potentially dangerous situations. They may lock
themselves in their room, think too many bad thoughts, or experience
brain overload from delusional entrapment. Granted, the experience
must be very different for each individual.
One young woman
with schizophrenia told me, “If I hated someone so much, this is one
thing I would never wish upon them.” |
Pehlke hopes one day his book will be
published and is already working on a second that picks up where this one
leaves off.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer to read Pehlke's book. Acrobat Reader is
FREE! Click
HERE
to download!
|