Losing the Atmosphere, A Memoir

A Baffling Disorder, a Search for Help, and the Therapist Who Understood

By: Vivian Conan

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Born in 1940s Brooklyn to a father prone to rages and an emotionally erratic mother, Vivian Conan grew up in two different worlds: outside and inside. Outside, she had friends, excelled in school, and was close to her cousins and brother. Inside, she saw faces that weren't hers in her bedroom mirror and was surrounded by an invisible atmosphere that bathed her in the love and understanding she craved. Moving between these worlds enabled Vivian to survive her childhood but limited her ability to live fully as an adult. To others, her life seemed rich with work, friends, music, and boyfriends. But her mind and soul were filled with chaos and pain. Neither she nor her therapists could figure out why.

Losing the Atmosphere is Vivian Conan's riveting account of her journey toward self-understanding and wholeness; her encounters with a string of more and less helpful therapists; and her unconventional relationship with the therapist who was finally able to guide her through the courageous, messy work healing required.

Told with honesty, humor, and grace, Losing the Atmosphere is a never-too-late story about the growth possible for anyone with the guts to pursue it, and a testament to the redemptive power of love: not the perfect kind Vivian experienced in her imaginary world, but the imperfect kind that connects us, flawed human being to flawed human being, in the real world she lives in now.

©2020 Greenpoint Press (P)2020 Vivian Conan

Captivating

The memoir is relatable to being human. The journey through the author's mind will open the "door" to make yoy feel as if you were in the room at the time. I could not stop listening and was up all night because it was so captivating. The journey of Vivian triggers parts in us, but that is what makes the book a great memoir.

A Beautifully Written & Read Memoir

Cassandra Campbell has a lyrical voice that captures all the nuances in this beautifully written memoir. Losing the Atmosphere is unique in that it's not a tell all book about living with a mental illness, but a wonderfully crafted telling of a life lived in the author's own atmosphere. As a psychotherapist, I found the book fascinating. As a layperson, I found it moving and revealing. A must read for anyone who loves memoirs, or who is interested in mental health, emotional states, or, anyone who has a caring heart.