The only time you hear of the mentally ill is when they cross a line, sometimes with a gun.
—Tony Caterina
OLD BRIDGE, NJ, USA, Sept. 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Tony Caterina publishes ‘The Autobiography of a Schizophrenic’ based on personal experiences of self-discovery
The book describes the author’s journey through an alarming story of schizophrenia and drug-induced mental depression.
Author Tony Caterina, whose pseudonym is Vincent Macraven, today announced the release of his latest book, “Autobiography of a Schizophrenic” on Amazon.com. The author, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and struggled with drug addiction and overdoses, wanted to tell her story to help and inspire others. He believes his experiences will connect with those who have faced mental illness on their own or with a loved one.
Caterina said: “After experiencing a nervous breakdown due to drug addiction, I have made substantial and positive changes in my life. It was time to stop relying on self-prescribed chemicals and finally recognize that I needed professional medical care to treat my schizophrenia. The decision was inevitable, as I had spent enough time in hospital psychiatric wards, in fact three times, before I was ready to admit that I had a physical and mental illness. Doctors describe my illness as paranoid schizophrenia and I finally admitted that for me it is better to be treated by psychiatric experts.
In the book, Caterina wrote, “If the temptation is too great, I would warn against abuse.” And, he said, “The only time you hear about the mentally ill is when they cross a line, sometimes with a gun.” The author believes that the public needs to have a more nuanced and accurate view of mental illness. Ignorance and stereotypes are harmful to everyone and hinder effective treatment and recovery.
He explained that he wrote the book, in part, to “erase the ghosts inside my mind”. He added, “When I started to recover from my last mental breakdown, I made the decision to increase my level of education and fluency by reading everything, including the classics and even the occult. The most important written works, their styles and cadences, inspired me to write. I studied literary classics and books on religion, philosophy and horror. Caterina added, “I’ve been studying the masters for at least 30 years and have been inspired by those who really know how to write.”
Kirkus Reviews gave Caterina their critical nod, calling him a relevant and talented author influenced by the classics. The site adds: “Macraven fell in love with the written word, drawing inspiration from Poe, Rand, Sartre, Fowles, Hugo and many others. With all of his works, he hopes the reader will be entertained and come away with a different perspective, invoking independent thought.
And Kirkus had some positive things to say about Caterina’s earlier books. “A Diverse Gathering” was called “a collection of remarkable and often profound stories”, while “Unsettling” was described as “fresh and original horror in three chilling novels”.
Caterina is a writer, painter and musician and has written more than 50 short stories. He has 12 unpublished books of novels and short stories and is currently working on a short story book. He designed and painted the cover of two of his books.
For more information, visit Kirkus Reviews or Amazon.com.
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