“‘What is mental illness?’ Well, you won’t find the answer in Debbie Hartung’s gripping The Factory of Maladies. Instead, what you’ll encounter is a harrowing, firsthand account of the experience of being institutionalized. The author can’t answer the question, ‘Why does society lock up its disturbed and suffering souls?’ But she can beautifully and clearly describe what seven days in a psych ward felt like to her. Don’t miss her observations and revelations! Highly recommended.”

“Author Debbie Hartung opens windows of understanding with her fascinating, highly articulate memoir, The Factory of Maladies. Her gifts as an artist, as well as her knowledge gained in her studies in neuropsychology, enhance the flow of sharing her experience during a week-long hospitalization in a psychiatric ward following a failed suicide attempt. Describing the lost-in-fog sensation during her ‘incarceration’ produces a response from the reader of ‘thank goodness she now remembers the hospitalization to write this memoir!’

Few authors have been able to create the visual and auditory reality of the perceptions and experiences of mentally challenged patients with the skill Hartung possesses. An example, ‘After an interminable wait for morning, doors began to quickly open and slam; I heard the distinct sound of the mentally ill shuffling down the hallway, no destination in mind, just wandering aimlessly in green slipper socks. Each day bled into the next without any distinction or differentiation – complete and utter timelessness.’ Her incredibly sensitive imagery of other patients, nurses, and environment, electing to forego quotation marks for hyphens to blend comments with perceptions, makes the sensory input more dramatic resulting in successfully attempting to describe a challenged mind.

The impact of an attempted suicide on her family (her father and mother and maternal aunt Aurelia – a New Age cult member involved intricately in the author’s mental deterioration), friends, and her beloved Krishna, away on a trip to India during this period, elicits compassion and heightened comprehension of the mind journeys of the mentally ill. The varied attitudes of the staff of the psych ward as well as the fascinating Occupational Therapy sessions that allow insights as to approaching self-concept, self-esteem, and other modes of positive focus couple with the responses of Hartung’s fellow patients in producing heightened appreciation of today’s psych ward habitats. “Although our symptoms manifested in different ways, we suffered from the same illness invisible to the naked eye: unbalanced brain chemistry. Furthermore, we were being held in a psychiatric unit against our free will and receiving the bare minimum of care without therapy or proper medical intervention.”

In addition to being an engrossing memoir experience, this book is successful on many levels and introduces an author of significance. Very highly recommended!”

“Debbie Hartung’s, The Factory of Maladies: Seven Days on a San Francisco Psych Ward, is a striking and unforgettable memoir that lingers long after the final page. The raw emotion and vivid storytelling draw you in from the moment you begin reading, making it impossible to put down. The characters Hartung brings to life are not just people in crisis; they are profound reflections of ourselves, exposing the inner workings of our thoughts and beliefs.

This memoir is a vital exploration of the complexities surrounding mental illness and emotional distress. Hartung thoughtfully delves into the difficult yet essential topic of suicidal thoughts and how society often responds to those in need. Through her compassionate lens, she reveals the deep humanity within these experiences, challenging readers to confront their own biases and preconceptions.

Poignant, powerful, and necessary, The Factory of Maladies is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of mental health. Hartung’s bravery in telling such a profoundly human story offers us all an opportunity for reflection and empathy.”

“Debbie Hartung’s memoir, The Factory of Maladies: Seven days on a San Francisco Psych Ward, takes us into a world where human frailty, strength, cruelty, kindness, indifference, empathy, suffering and survival collide. Hartung’s honest and vulnerable first-person narration draws the reader into a visceral, vicarious experience of mental illness and offers a much-needed dose of insight and understanding.”

““In her debut memoir, The Factory of Maladies, Debbie Hartung shares the reality of in-patient mental health treatment in the United States medical system. Her raw and real account explores complicated family dynamics and questionable spiritual leadership while dispelling myths about mental health care. Hartung shows us what this journey feels and looks like from inside. A must read for anyone who has ever wondered about the ‘locked ward’ as well as those of us who’ve been there who will nod along as we feel seen and heard.””

“The Factory of Maladies is a generous glimpse into the heart and mind
of the author’s chaotic, distressing week as a psychiatric inpatient. Hartung shares her anxieties, confusion and anger at the characters surrounding her, staff and fellow patients alike.

This book serves two crucial purposes. First, it offers the reader a feeling for persistent mental illness and humanizes anyone who’s struggling. But this read is also a call to arms for the psychiatric community, a mandate to cultivate a more humane environment for those who are suffering, and to recognize the individuality and humanity of each patient, regardless of presentation.”