Kicked out of her home at the age of fourteen, Jane Alexander soon experienced her first breakdown and suicide attempt. The author found herself inpatient at a psychiatric hospital where she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder: a combination of manic depression and schizophrenia. Jane was subsequently institutionalized and made a ward of the State and she went on to live in group homes, state-run residential facilities and foster families until she turned eighteen. As an adult, Jane battled raging mood swings, destructive inner voices, PTSD flashbacks, and deep depressions. These episodes, coupled with her anti-social behaviors, led to recurring bouts of joblessness and homelessness. Then, during her last suicide attempt, Jane had an amazing, profoundly spiritual near-death experience which inspired her to radically change her life. 'Possessing Me' is a compelling memoir of mental health recovery. Alexander takes us through the insightful process of how her mental illnesses began, progressed, and were ultimately reversed. She describes in exacting detail, her eventual path to healing from childhood neglect and abandonment, post traumatic stress disorder and manic depression, as she discovers the secret to lasting happiness.
