In The Change Center: A Week on a Ward, Howard D. Blazek offers a rare and unfiltered look into what it truly feels like to lose one’s grip on reality. His memoir begins at the point where many stories end — the moment he wakes up in a psychiatric ward, disoriented and stripped of memory, terrified by the realization that he does not know who he is. What happened next became one of the most defining experiences of his life. Instead of burying the trauma, he started writing about it almost immediately, even though he was still hallucinating, still unable to think clearly, and still struggling to control his own hands. It took him half an afternoon just to type a one-page letter, each keystroke feeling like an impossible task. Yet the act of writing, no matter how difficult, became a lifeline — a way to cling to rationality and reclaim his story.
The memoir traces the events leading up to his collapse, revealing a man who was intelligent, ambitious, and deeply introspective, but also emotionally overextended and spiritually searching. Years of psychedelic experimentation had altered his perception of the world, and even though he had tried to regain control of his life, the echoes of those experiences remained. Combined with the pressures of returning to graduate school, unresolved personal struggles, and an intense romantic relationship, these influences eventually pushed him into a full psychotic break. On the ward, his days were filled with fear, hallucinations, and confusion, and even after he left the hospital, the recovery process was slow and painful. He often found himself thinking in fragments, forgetting what he was trying to say, or slipping into moments of disconnection that frightened him.
What makes Blazek’s story so important is not simply the experience of breakdown, but the honesty with which he examines its aftermath. He does not lecture, diagnose, or romanticize — instead, he offers a deeply human, intimate portrayal of what mental illness feels like from the inside. His willingness to revisit the past, understand the forces that shaped him, and ultimately finish the manuscript decades later demonstrates an extraordinary resilience. The Change Center is a reminder that healing is often nonlinear, fragile, and deeply personal, and that even moments of despair can eventually lead to clarity and renewed purpose. For readers seeking understanding, empathy, or simply a raw and honest story of survival, Blazek’s memoir is an unforgettable journey.
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Product details
Author: Howard D Blazek
Publisher: Bookside Press
Publication date: June 26, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 276 pages
ISBN-10: 1778836755
ISBN-13: 978-1778836756
Item Weight: 13.1 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 0.62 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #2,049,390
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