Way Out
by Arthur Thomas Morton
You're homeless, living on the street, fighting to keep body and soul intact. Not so long ago, you were successful, competent, and liked, and your future was assured.
But the unimaginable happens.
Aliens begin watching you through their super-evolved technology. No one is aware of them except you. Then they begin speaking to you.
After that, things get crazy.
Approximately one in a hundred people suffer from schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations. For Eugene Uttley, the delusions are profound and kaleidoscopic, involving spirits and extraterrestrials, celebrities and spies. In his extended period of psychosis, Eugene also hears voices nearly constantly, and believes himself to be in telepathic communication with the objects of his delusions.
Arthur Morton examines Eugene's life and illness in great detail, bringing us fully into Eugene's world, revealing the fascinating workings of the schizophrenic mind. Joining Eugene on a mad journey spanning decades and continents, the author captures the essence of the illness and the bizarre, desperate behavior it can cause. From a good job and comfortable lifestyle, Eugene is reduced to raving in the streets. Struggling for survival in Asia, on the road in America, and even in jail, Eugene weathers a turbulent storm of thoughts from which he can find no shelter. Morton painstakingly tracks his progress in this raw and gripping chronicle, which includes unflinching accounts of drug abuse, homelessness, and despair, as well as true friendship, love, and hope.
Praise for Way Out
This is a very well written book where the author tells the story of Eugene, a well educated person who teaches at a college and start dealing with schizophrenia. Initially he does not think that there is anything wrong with him and does not look for professional help. But as time goes by, after suffering a lot and seen his life almost go to the drain, he notices that something is not correct. The book describes in a very realistic way all his struggles with relationships and the ways he tries to deal with the fact that he is hearing voices and having hallucinations. The thought of extraterrestrials trying to contact him and spirits, celebrities, spies and telepathic contacts, all contributes to the plot. In his journey through schizophrenia he finds friends, love, and people who really care about him. He goes from America to Asia and back, always using his credit cards to the limit. In this realistic description of an schizophrenic mind, we learn how a person can suffer and go from success to losing everything, without realizing what is affecting his/her mind in time to search for a professional help. I recommend this book to all readers that enjoy a well written book and want to improve their knowledge in this journey through an ill mind.
I received this book from the author for reviewing and I was not requested to write a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.
~ R Mattos
Way Out is a no-holds barred exploration of a man's fight to win back his sanity. The author takes you right into the mind of paranoid schizophrenic, Eugene Uttley, in an experience that is so visceral that you simply cannot turn away. As a sufferer of depression and a survivor of child abuse, I understand the overwhelming nature of emotions but my experience with mental illness is limited. At first, it's easy to look at Eugene and see just another crazy slacker living on the streets. But as the author journeys back, it becomes clear how mental illness slowly eats away at the fundamental understanding of self embedded in even the most healthy, productive people. The reader is gripped with a creeping sense of impending doom as Eugene makes one choice after another and slowly spirals further down the rabbit hole. While the book is unrelenting in it's examination of Eugene's sense of responsibility for his ultimate downfall, it is clear that Eugene Uttley is a stronger, braver man than he realizes. Way Out is an unflinching, honest and brilliantly written must read.
~ RDN
A shuddering account of living with schizophrenia that will break your heart but bring understanding to your mind. After onset Eugene loses his well-paying teaching job and lives on stacks of credit cards he gained while in college, before he began his downward spiral. This story of a man who believes he can heal his fragmented mind and heart on his own is reminiscent of a road trip with an off-kilter Jack Kerouac. As he learns to manage illusions, delusions, paranoia and hearing voices, one of which he thinks is that of Jesus Christ, Eugene travels the country and the world.
This story of a lonely man who has no one and who manages to halfway function in spite of his illness will have readers cheering for his recovery. The book is chilling, but something everyone should read who wants to understand how this psychosis of the mind can attack a healthy young person and forever change a promising life.
Arthur Thomas Morton writes in a voice that mesmerizes with its honesty and simplifies a complicated disease in a way we can all comprehend. Don't miss the chance to crawl inside his mind. You will be amazed.
~ Velda Brotherton, author of Once There Were Sad Songs
In Way Out: A True Account of Schizophrenia by Arthur Thomas Morton, Eugene has had a relatively simple life. Sure, he’s had some bad times but things have always seemed to work out in the end. He’s had his share of heartbreak and his parents’ divorce, but in the end he had a good job and paycheck, a nice place to call home and friends he could spend time with. That all changed when the paranoia started to take over his life. As the voices began to get stronger and louder, he found that he couldn’t ignore them, and he didn’t want to ignore them at first. But of course, even when you find that you do want to ignore the voices in your head, it’s difficult to make them go away. It takes hard work and sometimes it’s just impossible to do it on your own.
I was intrigued by the way that Eugene was able to overcome some of the problems he was facing. It was amazing how his education was able to help him understand what was happening to him and he was actually able to do a lot, even on his own. Of course, there is no easy way to get over schizophrenia all by yourself and that was evidenced, but the way that he was able to help himself get through many situations, including with Dom and Rachel, was amazing. Understanding schizophrenia is something that takes a lot of insight and I felt this book really gave me an inside look at what this disorder does to an individual and how much it can really destroy as it takes over your life. Way Out: A True Account of Schizophrenia by Arthur Thomas Morton is a must-read if you’re looking for more information on this disorder.
~ Samantha Rivera for Readers’ Favorite
