The Wendell Cocktail describes a major social problem, exemplified by the journals of a person with coexisting conditions–mental illness and addiction. Although there are resources for people with each of these conditions–psychiatry for mental illness and twelve-step programs for addiction–there are few effective resources for people with both. Since about half of the mentally ill medicate with an addiction, an increasingly large percentage of the American population is left without adequate care. Wendell's journals illuminate the complexity of a tormented mind that is nevertheless capable of exquisite enjoyment of music, natural beauty, and delight in the observation of birds and animals. The book's conclusion suggests approaches to understanding and better providing for persons with addiction and mental illness.
