OLD BRIDGE, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, January 5, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Tony Caterina Releases “Autobiography of a Schizophrenic” Based on Personal Experiences of Self Discovery
Book describes author’s journey through an alarming history of schizophrenia and drug-induced mental breakdown
Writer Tony Caterina, whose pen name is Vincent Macraven, today announced the release of his latest work, “Autobiography of a Schizophrenic” on Amazon.com. The author, who has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and has struggled with drug addiction and overdose, wanted to tell his story to help and inspire others. He believes his experiences will be relatable to those who have dealt with mental illness in themselves or with a loved one.
Caterina said, “After having experienced a mental breakdown due to drug addiction, I made some substantial, positive changes to my life. It was time to stop depending on self-prescribed chemicals and finally acknowledge that I was in need of professional medical care to treat my schizophrenia. The decision was inevitable, as I had spent enough time in hospital psychiatric wards, actually three times, before I was willing to admit that I have a physical and mental illness. Doctors describe my illness as paranoid schizophrenia and I have now finally admitted that, for me, it is best to be treated by psychiatric experts.”
In the book, Caterina wrote, “If the temptation is too great, I would warn of abuse.” And, he said, “The only time you hear about the mentally ill is when they are crossing a line, sometimes with a gun.” The author believes that the public needs to gain a more nuanced and accurate view of mental illness. Ignorance and stereotypes are harmful to everyone and impede effective treatment and recovery.
He explained that he wrote the book, in part, to “clear the ghosts inside of my mind.” He added, “When I began to recover from my last mental crisis, I made a decision to increase my level of education and fluency by reading everything, including classics and even the occult. The most important written works, their styles and cadences, have inspired me to write.” I studied literary classics and books on religion, philosophy and horror.” Caterina added, “I had been studying the masters for at least 30 years and have gleaned inspiration from those who can really write.”
Kirkus Reviews has given its critical nod to Caterina, calling him a relevant and talented author who is influenced by the classics. The site adds, “Macraven fell in love with the written word, finding inspiration from Poe, Rand, Sartre, Fowles, Hugo and many others. With all his works, he hopes the reader will be entertained and come away with a different perspective, invoking independent thought.”
And Kirkus had positive things to say about Caterina’s previous books. “A Diverse Gathering” was called “a standout, frequently profound story collection,” while “Unsettling” was described as “fresh, original horror in three bone-chilling novellas.”
Caterina is a writer, painter and musician and has written more than 50 short stories. He has 12 unpublished books of novels and short stories and is now working on a book of novellas. He designed and painted the cover art of two of his books.
