An Unquiet Mind, study guide & Activities

An Unquiet Mind
by Kay Redfield Jamison
About
An Unquiet Mind is a memoir written in 2009 by Dr. Kay Jamison, in which she recounts her lifelong struggle with
manic-depressive illness. The tone of An Unquiet Mind varies between one of informal recollection of life events
and one of a clinical examination of behavior and attitudes. This is the second creative nonfiction work to be
published by Jamison, and her third book overall, including a medical textbook on manic-depressive illness. The
book received a largely positive reception, with Jamison being praised for her bravery in working to abolish stigma.
By publishing under her own name, Jamison breathed life into the world of memoirs of disease, empowering those
who fear professional reprisal for their stories to publish anyway. Critics of the memoir argued that Jamison only
discusses the successes of her professional and academic life, choosing to understate the setbacks or failures she
might have faced due to her illness.
The memoir was a New York Times best-seller for five months straight. It has been translated into 25 languages.
Johns Hopkins Hospital praises the book on its website as a kind of “bibliotherapy” that does “what pills can’t: It
lets patients read for themselves how destructive not taking their medicine can be, it tells of the healing power of
structure, psychotherapy, and a social network. It tells them they’re not alone.”
Description
This study guide accompanies Kay Redfield Jamison’s powerful memoir An Unquiet Mind, which chronicles her
lifelong battle with manic-depressive illness from the perspective of both a patient and a renowned psychiatrist.
The memoir explores themes of mental illness, medication compliance, love, loss, and the delicate balance
between brilliance and breakdown. Jamison’s candid reflections reveal the seductive nature of mania, the
devastating weight of depression, and the courage required to seek and maintain treatment. This study guide
contains 104 questions across 8 chapter sections (80 Factual + 24 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1
Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included:
This study guide features 8 sets of 10 Factual Questions (80 total), 8 sets of 3 Critical Analysis Questions (24 total),
1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt + critical thinking
question).