Loud in the House of Myself

By: Stacy Pershall

Narrated by: Stacy Pershall

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

Stacy Pershall grew up as an overly intelligent, depressed, deeply strange girl in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, population 1,000. From her days as a 13-year-old Jesus freak through her eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, this spirited memoir chronicles Pershall's journey through hell and her struggle with the mental health care system.

©2011 Stacy Pershall (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"An utterly unique journey down some of the mind's more mysterious byways...ranges from the shocking to the simply lovely." (Marya Hornbacher)

Short, but Intense Memoir

If you could sum up Loud in the House of Myself in three words, what would they be?

Informative, Intriguing, Dark

What did you like best about this story?

Beyond the memoir, the author speculates on the mental health world of diagnosis, medication, and treatment.

Any additional comments?

I found this to be a very intriguing and information memoir, focusing not only on the author’s individual experiences, but also going into detail about the way the mental health system works for those diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar. It serves as a source of experiential knowledge for those who may not understand these disorders and the hardships involved both for the suffering and for the psychiatric teams who sometimes struggle to help those with BPD due to the very nature of the disorder.

Pershall relates to a quick overview of her life and the instances that defined her as she grew up and moved through the system. It’s relatively short, but I found it to be an interesting, well written work that doesn’t sound whiny or unrealistic or embellished. I would have liked to see a little more memoir that was more in-depth, as many of the scenes are general or just speculate on how medication/doctors work.

Overall, if you’re looking more a memoir based on mental health that’s a quick read and not incredibly triggering, this may be the book for you!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Stacy Pershall turned lemons into a great memoir!

This was an outstanding audiobook. So honest, so informative, so heartbreaking, and so hopeful. Stacy Pershall has logged a lot of time in hell, and she's not only scrambled her way back to earth, but managed to turn her history and horrific suffering into a truly excellent book. I appreciate and respect her so much. I also enjoyed hearing her read her story. Bravo!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Compelling, Heartbreaking, and Hilarious

What made the experience of listening to Loud in the House of Myself the most enjoyable?

Unlike some previous reviewers, I found the narration quite compelling. The author's story is presented in the author's own voice. She has a manner of brilliant understatement that, even when describing the more harrowing events, never loses its wry humor.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There's only one real character of note in this book, and that's Stacy herself. I share a similar socioeconomic background with her, also growing up in rural Arkansas, and I can relate to feeling like an outsider in my own skin.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moments I enjoyed the most were her description of her college life, particularly during her freshman year.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Excellent

This book was like falling into a good friends arms, a person who finally understood and validated every horrendous experience and emotion I have logged in my past. Thank you for the big hug and validation.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazing

Breathtaking, honest insight into the mind of a struggling young woman. Every parent with an anorexic child should read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fantastic

Very insightful easy to follow and will leave a lasting imprint. I would highly recommend!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good read

she spoke eloquently and the book was informative. I was able to relate to some things

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderful lnsight with Light Humor

I loved it.

It's done with such witt and sincerity, by an author whose talents and career includeds writing. It combines her valuable first- hand insight, her thoughts, feelings, and experience, and applies core fundamentals of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. It a great example of a case of both. It is medically accurate, but more importantly gives depth and personal insight to an otherwise dry "five out of the nine symptoms" listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) for borderline personality disorder.

She tasks the reader step- by- step through time. it's written in the first person, which gives the reader the chance to get into her shots and share those experiences as she describes them.

Since the reader is the author there's is no doubt as to whether the reader is correctly portraying the author's story.

I usually take a long while listening to an audible book, but I raced through through this one because I spent all my free time to listening to the book. I didn't want to put in down.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A difficult and somewhat annoying listen

Would you listen to Loud in the House of Myself again? Why?

No, I probably would not listen to the audio edition again. It took me days to get through the book the first time. The story was not too bad, but the narrator's voice grated on my ears. However, since I was interested in the subject, I pushed through to the end. I think that if the listener can tolerate the narrator's voice, they would find the book more entertaining.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I was not fond of the narrator. Her voice was high and grating, which irritated my ears. But if another listener does not mind her voice, I think they will appreciate the story.

Any additional comments?

The story is about a woman's difficulties is trying to deal with her bipolar disorder. I found the subject interesting, but the story was a bit jerky as it jumped from one scene to another. The other problem I had with the book was that I felt it was a little too self-congratulatory. Often I felt that the author was bragging about how sick she was, how bright and intelligent she was, etc. It have me the impression that she was saying that she was better than others. Not that I exactly expected self denigration. But I did get tired of the author patting herself on the back. Whether this was the product of the book itself or the audio narration, I do not know.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Wildly funny and emotionally gripping. LOVED IT!

This book is absolutely fabulous! I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder eight years ago. I was also diagnosed with bi polar disorder first. Hearing the author narrate her own book made all of the difference. There were so many moments where I found myself sitting with my swimming with the realization that comes when you hear that someone has thought the same odd thoughts that you have and it blows your mind to hear them admit it out loud, because you have went years without ever admitting them to another human being. I can't say enough about this book. Thank you for being willing to be vulnerable Stacy Pershall and for allowing us to see those things that the rest of us try to keep hidden underneath the layers so that we only show those things that are socially preferred.