Lightning Man (The Lost Memories of a Salty Social Worker)

Lightning Man is the shocking tale of a regular guy’s quest to reclaim his life from the abyss of serious mental illness. This electrifying memoir challenges hustle culture’s toxic insistence that we must perpetually stretch ourselves beyond the breaking point.Tragedy struck Behavioral Health Director Josh Cutler’s life just when he had finally achieved some big goals: great job, long marriage, beautiful children, comfortable home, and a fulfilling vocation with lots of opportunities ahead. A motorcycle accident was the catalyst, but a lifetime of trying to outrun bipolar disorder had finally caught up with him. A subsequent manic-depressive breakdown spiraled his life out of control until it came to an abrupt halt. Two years later, he walked out of a hospital with little recall of what had happened. The traumatic brain injury and a heavy regimen of electroshock therapy had reduced him to a modern-day Rip Van Winkle. Stitching together his lost memories helps him make sense of the past, but he struggles to move forward while picking up the pieces. This salty social worker, lithium running through his veins, begins to find purpose again as a father and in service to his community. A modern take on the wounded healer’s journey, this story is infused with hard-won reflections on thriving in difficult times. When it comes to living well with a disability, Josh learns that the best he can do is try.