Hysteria, or The Madness Road

When I tell people I am a madness shaman, or that I work with Madness as a concept (rather than death, as many other well known shamans do), I get a lot of mixed reactions. Frequently, I feel very lonely, as much is out there in terms of resources, when one chooses or is chosen for the death road; so much so, that the publisher of my book (which, the book is on a bit of hiatus as I deal with some health issues) required me to write a few essays about my experiences on the Madness Road. I share the following as someone’s else journeys on that path, how it can tear you apart and shatter your life as completely, if not more so, than dying and being reborn. We, the mad, are always keenly aware on how we don’t fit in with the societal expectations of “normal”, often on ways we cannot hide or mask. It is wholly a part of us, something we carry and suffer and struggle with, every single day. I’m not implying that it is somehow more difficult or “better” than the death road, but it is just as valid.