The Factory of Maladies

The Factory of Maladies is a descriptive and unflinching memoir exploring the stigma of mental illness, the danger of cults, and family dynamics. Confused and disoriented, Debbie Hartung awakens in a psych ward, her memories fragmented. The Factory of Maladies tells of her seven-day ordeal, a raw and visceral journey through the dehumanizing routines and unsettling encounters within the institution, written with a compassionate tone and dark humor. It also exposes the role family can play in helping or harming a patient in distress. Additionally, she bravely reveals the inadequacies of our current mental health system. Hartung's narrative exposes the disorientation and complexities of mental illness and a quest for healing amidst the chaos of crisis. The impetus for Hartung's powerful memoir began on the psych ward when a kind nurse smuggled a notebook and miniature pencil into her room. She continued stream-of-consciousness journaling upon her release to help heal the intense PTSD symptoms she was experiencing as a result of her hospitalization - the myriads of intense emotions fresh in her memory and being. The Factory of Maladies is heartbreaking, maddening, humorous, and, most of all, hopeful