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Patchwork Reality: Happily Married to a Schizophrenic
Through a series of dreams and delusions, Curtis Hansen becomes convinced that he and his wife, Pauline, are part of an intricate game devised for the entertainment of wealthy onlookers. To win, the couple must stay together despite a series of temptations and trials designed to break up their marriage. After playing “The Game” with Curtis for nine arduous years, Pauline makes a shocking discovery. Read the riveting, true account of her decade in the dark and her return to reality after Curtis is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
- GenresNonfiction
144 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published February 10, 2014
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Hansen
1 book7 followersPauline Hansen grew up in a tiny town where she went everywhere barefoot, played in the ditch, and anticipated the arrival of the bookmobile every two weeks. Her love of reading led her to dream of someday becoming an author. In addition to reading and writing, Pauline enjoys traveling, spring cleaning, cooking, organizing, and spending time with her family. After nearly twenty-five years living in the city, she now resides once again in her tiny hometown in southern Utah with her husband, three of their five children, and two cats. Patchwork Reality is her first publication.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 28, 2015
I was pretty frustrated throughout this whole book, but I kept reading because I wanted to see it all play out. I think what perplexed me the most was that it took her 9 years to realize that her husband's delusions weren't spiritual manifestations but actual psychological malfunctions. If her parents hadn't questioned the situation, who knows how long she would've allowed the craziness to continue. I'm also a bit confused as to how he suddenly became self-aware, and his delusional behavior became more manageable. All without medication. And apparently from the moment of his diagnosis. That doesn't really make sense to me, but I'm no psychologist. I definitely applaud her patience with and commitment to her husband though.
March 6, 2014
I am not going to judge any of the actions of this amazingly strong and loving author and wife, Pauline Hansen, who, through her faith in her husband and her love of him, was able to triumph over one of the most devastating and destructive disorders that exists to plague us.
Rather, I wish I could tell her personally how moved I am by her incredible determination and her stalwartness in the face of such harsh and long term conditions,
Married to her high school sweetheart, Pauline doesn't gloss over any of the hardships she and her family endured as her husband Curtis progressed further and further into his disintegration and lost himself to paranoid Schizophenia.
This isn't just a sob story. This book is written by a born writer. The description of family life, the surroundings and the dreams and hope that you will read about are wonderfully vivid and moving. The book is beautiful, despite its subject, I have read many books on neurological disorders, addictions, abnormalities and complexities of the brain. I have never read a book like this, I am here to say as well that I have known a person like Curtis. This story is not fiction, Take my for it, the author is not kidding when she writes of this amazing journey she was forcemarched into lockstep, unbeknownst to her, to take, just to merely walk alongside her soulmate.
I admit, I would have been as slow to grasp what was going on as the author was. Sometimes the people who are closest to us are the hardest for us to see clearly. When they change and become more unwell, we are the last people to realize, for lots of reasons.
In this case, it seems that although Pauline knew that Curtis, her husband, was behaving irrationally, her background of being a good wife, and a busy mom preoccupied with raising their children, as well as making ends meet, forced a smokescreen between her and the truth. It is almost as if, for most of Patchwork Reality, the author is in as much of a haze as her husband.
Reading this, however, you never feel anything but empathy for her. You understand, due to her excellent descriptions of the emotions she experiences, that real life, which this is--and it is portrayed beautifully--has a certain timing to it.
Pauline could not begin to heal, and to assist in healing her husband and their family, until everything fell apart. Completely.
Just as people talk about a drug addict or an alcoholic hitting bottom, Pauline had to hit bottom with Curtis before she could get back up and get her "groove back". An outside force (in the form of her father) finally pointed out the outrageous goings on which we and she had gotten used to. It is as if the muddied glass which trapped her and us, as we read, is cleared.
Finally action can be taken.
When this action is taken, Curtis himself can once again become the husband that this dear and wonderful powerhouse of a woman deserves!
I know only too well how hard it is to get certain people to take medications. This disorder, which is inherited, is a hard nut to crack that way, so I was a little disappointed that Curtis decided not to take meds. HOWEVER, as I said in the beginning of this review, I am not passing judgement, and I am definitely not the BOSS of the magnificently loving Pauline, and her handsome, funny and sweet husband, both of whom have worked like heck their whole lives.
Just because I have seen wonders accomplished via pharmaceuticals doesn't mean that is the path everyone has to take.
It is great to have it as an option once you know what is going on, but by the end of this book. there is very little going on but a lot of love and beauty.
After all is said and done, what was broken has been fixed.
What was the glue that put everything back together? Nothing too brain damaging, although toxic glue fumes had been considered as one potential cause for Curtis' illness.
But that was ruled out.
The glue that finally fixed this wonderful family was the power of love.
Rather, I wish I could tell her personally how moved I am by her incredible determination and her stalwartness in the face of such harsh and long term conditions,
Married to her high school sweetheart, Pauline doesn't gloss over any of the hardships she and her family endured as her husband Curtis progressed further and further into his disintegration and lost himself to paranoid Schizophenia.
This isn't just a sob story. This book is written by a born writer. The description of family life, the surroundings and the dreams and hope that you will read about are wonderfully vivid and moving. The book is beautiful, despite its subject, I have read many books on neurological disorders, addictions, abnormalities and complexities of the brain. I have never read a book like this, I am here to say as well that I have known a person like Curtis. This story is not fiction, Take my for it, the author is not kidding when she writes of this amazing journey she was forcemarched into lockstep, unbeknownst to her, to take, just to merely walk alongside her soulmate.
I admit, I would have been as slow to grasp what was going on as the author was. Sometimes the people who are closest to us are the hardest for us to see clearly. When they change and become more unwell, we are the last people to realize, for lots of reasons.
In this case, it seems that although Pauline knew that Curtis, her husband, was behaving irrationally, her background of being a good wife, and a busy mom preoccupied with raising their children, as well as making ends meet, forced a smokescreen between her and the truth. It is almost as if, for most of Patchwork Reality, the author is in as much of a haze as her husband.
Reading this, however, you never feel anything but empathy for her. You understand, due to her excellent descriptions of the emotions she experiences, that real life, which this is--and it is portrayed beautifully--has a certain timing to it.
Pauline could not begin to heal, and to assist in healing her husband and their family, until everything fell apart. Completely.
Just as people talk about a drug addict or an alcoholic hitting bottom, Pauline had to hit bottom with Curtis before she could get back up and get her "groove back". An outside force (in the form of her father) finally pointed out the outrageous goings on which we and she had gotten used to. It is as if the muddied glass which trapped her and us, as we read, is cleared.
Finally action can be taken.
When this action is taken, Curtis himself can once again become the husband that this dear and wonderful powerhouse of a woman deserves!
I know only too well how hard it is to get certain people to take medications. This disorder, which is inherited, is a hard nut to crack that way, so I was a little disappointed that Curtis decided not to take meds. HOWEVER, as I said in the beginning of this review, I am not passing judgement, and I am definitely not the BOSS of the magnificently loving Pauline, and her handsome, funny and sweet husband, both of whom have worked like heck their whole lives.
Just because I have seen wonders accomplished via pharmaceuticals doesn't mean that is the path everyone has to take.
It is great to have it as an option once you know what is going on, but by the end of this book. there is very little going on but a lot of love and beauty.
After all is said and done, what was broken has been fixed.
What was the glue that put everything back together? Nothing too brain damaging, although toxic glue fumes had been considered as one potential cause for Curtis' illness.
But that was ruled out.
The glue that finally fixed this wonderful family was the power of love.
February 19, 2014
We all have our visions and dreams of what our lives will be like. Pauline hope it would be much like her parents, who loved each other and who's mom seemed to be totally devoted to her father. When she meets Curtis she quickly falls in love and her life seems just about perfect.
After several years of marriage Curtis has "a dream"- a dream which will change their lives forever. Curtis believes that something good and amazing is going to happen and that their family will soon be the recipient of a lot of money as long as they play "The Game" correctly.
At first The Game doesn't affect things too much, but slowly Curtis behavior changes affecting so many of those around him; finally it gets to a breaking point where Pauline realizes there is something truly wrong.
This book reads like a fiction book, meaning it does not get into the science of schizophrenia but instead tells a first person experience dealing with a spouse that has it. As a psychology major and also knowing the ending diagnosis as I read I kept thinking, why couldn't you see that? But Pauline does a great job of explaining how she was able to overlook or try and make excuses for a lot of the signs.
I cannot imagine going through what she did and was amazed at her resilience and her ability to save their marriage and her husband in the process.
For anyone that has ever dealt with someone in their life who suffers from any kind of mental illness, I think this book would be very enjoyable and even give hope.
After several years of marriage Curtis has "a dream"- a dream which will change their lives forever. Curtis believes that something good and amazing is going to happen and that their family will soon be the recipient of a lot of money as long as they play "The Game" correctly.
At first The Game doesn't affect things too much, but slowly Curtis behavior changes affecting so many of those around him; finally it gets to a breaking point where Pauline realizes there is something truly wrong.
This book reads like a fiction book, meaning it does not get into the science of schizophrenia but instead tells a first person experience dealing with a spouse that has it. As a psychology major and also knowing the ending diagnosis as I read I kept thinking, why couldn't you see that? But Pauline does a great job of explaining how she was able to overlook or try and make excuses for a lot of the signs.
I cannot imagine going through what she did and was amazed at her resilience and her ability to save their marriage and her husband in the process.
For anyone that has ever dealt with someone in their life who suffers from any kind of mental illness, I think this book would be very enjoyable and even give hope.
February 21, 2015
The author gave a lot of details regarding her husband's symptoms prior to diagnosis. While this was interesting, it was also repetitive, because the symptoms were detailed and repeated several times. It was also hard to believe no one suspected mental illness sooner. I was very interested to hear how their life changed after the diagnosis, but there were only a few pages and very little detail. She didn't even clarify if he ever started medication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2014
WOW! This book is so intense.
Patchwork Reality is a true story about what is was like being married to a Schizophrenic. This book is written by the wife and told by her point of view of what her marriage was like.
This book started off with them falling in love and their honeymoon period. Her husband showed no signs of Schizophrenia yet but slowly the signs started showing up.
First off, I would just like to say how understanding and patient this woman was. Her husband slowly started going crazy, having all these bouts of paranoia. Honestly, I have no idea how I would have reacted in this type of situation.
Her husband wanted to do so many crazy things, and it damaged their lives and still she loved him so much that she went along with anything he said. Of course she didn’t know what was happening with her husband but I’m sure she had to know something was wrong.
I really give props to her for putting up with everything her husband did and said. It broke my heart at times to hear the things she went through.
Every day people get diagnosed with Schizophrenia and it must be so hard to put up with times. I know that if I really loved someone like she did I would put up with it as much as she did. I didn’t have as much as an understanding before reading this book as I do now. I’m really glad I got to read about her hardships and understand better.
3/5 stars
March 5, 2014
WOW! this book is intriguing and captivating and intriguing and wonderful and intriguing!
A TRUE story!
Compelling!
Riveting!
SO WELL TOLD!
Pauline grew up dreaming of the day she would be 'happily married.'
But after her husband's dream~ her dream began to spiral downward.
Curtis dreamed that he was a person of importance and that he was called on to play 'The Game' that would lead them to great wealth.
He must live by certain rules, only talk to certain people, and play by certain numbers and colors.
Their family is greatly affected by 'the game.'
Not knowing what else to do Pauline tries to have faith in Curtis.
She lives 10 years in this dark reality that has become hers.
This is her story and how she lived before she found out her husband has paranoid schizophrenia.
Though her life has been like a "PATCHWORK REALITY" she is now "happily married to a schizophrenic."
I LOVE how Pauline talks about her husband in the book...
YES! there were incredibly HARD times...times she didn't understand...
But in the acknowledgments she states:
To my favorite person in the world--I cherish and adore you, sweetheart! I sure am glad you went to that dance."
This is a story worth reading!
A story of learning, loving, forgiving, and moving forward no matter what!
A TRUE story!
Compelling!
Riveting!
SO WELL TOLD!
Pauline grew up dreaming of the day she would be 'happily married.'
But after her husband's dream~ her dream began to spiral downward.
Curtis dreamed that he was a person of importance and that he was called on to play 'The Game' that would lead them to great wealth.
He must live by certain rules, only talk to certain people, and play by certain numbers and colors.
Their family is greatly affected by 'the game.'
Not knowing what else to do Pauline tries to have faith in Curtis.
She lives 10 years in this dark reality that has become hers.
This is her story and how she lived before she found out her husband has paranoid schizophrenia.
Though her life has been like a "PATCHWORK REALITY" she is now "happily married to a schizophrenic."
I LOVE how Pauline talks about her husband in the book...
YES! there were incredibly HARD times...times she didn't understand...
But in the acknowledgments she states:
To my favorite person in the world--I cherish and adore you, sweetheart! I sure am glad you went to that dance."
This is a story worth reading!
A story of learning, loving, forgiving, and moving forward no matter what!
March 6, 2014
Relationships can be very complicated. Add mental illness to the mix and things can become really difficult especially when one doesn't know that mental illness is the underlying problem. In Patchwork Reality, Pauline Hansen tells the story of her experience of living with her husband for ten years before discovering that he had an undiagnosed mental illness: paranoid schizophrenia. Suddenly all sorts of strange behavior had an explanation, but for 10 years she struggled to maintain a good relationship with a husband who maintained that they were part of a 'game' that involved others 'testing' their relationship. I spent a lot of time while reading this book empathizing with Pauline and her family as they struggled to deal with the strange things that her husband kept saying and doing. I admired how honest she is about her own mistakes and the struggles her family has had. I'm sure there are many other families out there who have had similar struggles. I can see this book providing comfort to those who face such difficult times. I appreciate her willingness to share such a difficult story and yet the love she and her husband have for each other helped them survive and continue to deal with the challenges of mental illness. Highly recommended.
October 31, 2014
I loved the way this story was told. Sometimes, a true story can be heavy, but this was told in a way that had me checking myself--is this real or is this fiction? It was very easy to read and immerse myself into.
The author did a great job in showing how gradual this illness is and how it could be hard to really know that there's something going on that's not typical. I love how she showed the love that she has for her husband, and he for her. I think it would be easy to make the one with the illness seem crazy or like a bad person, but she made it very clear that he's a very good man and did a great job in showing his good qualities. He's a wonderful man with a debilitating illness and he's defined by the kind of person he is. I just read an article that says that my state has the highest rate of mental illness in the US--22.4% of the adult population. This story gives such hope to those who's lives are affected by mental illness. What an amazing journey and experience and I'm so glad that Pauline Hansen decided to share it with the world.
**I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced me--my opinions are all my own.**
The author did a great job in showing how gradual this illness is and how it could be hard to really know that there's something going on that's not typical. I love how she showed the love that she has for her husband, and he for her. I think it would be easy to make the one with the illness seem crazy or like a bad person, but she made it very clear that he's a very good man and did a great job in showing his good qualities. He's a wonderful man with a debilitating illness and he's defined by the kind of person he is. I just read an article that says that my state has the highest rate of mental illness in the US--22.4% of the adult population. This story gives such hope to those who's lives are affected by mental illness. What an amazing journey and experience and I'm so glad that Pauline Hansen decided to share it with the world.
**I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced me--my opinions are all my own.**
May 1, 2015
Patchwork Reality: Happily Married to a Schizophrenic is a true story of a woman in Utah that stuck by her husband and believed in him through years of mental illness. With the help of her parents and family, she came to the realization that her husband needed help to help him find a way to live in peace from the fantasy nightmare world of what he called 'The Game' and begin to live a normal life with their children. Through the entire time Pauline Hansen stayed true to her marriage and stood by her husband, Curtis giving him the support and love he needed, as he lived through all the delusions of his illness in this remarkable true love story.
March 25, 2014
What an amazing way to deal with what life has handed you. Pauline uses humor and tears and writes a book.
This story tells of a mental disorder, work, family, cruddy living conditions, anger, love and forgiveness. I caught a glimpse into my own home life growing up.
Pauline gives a personal story, straight from her heart and life and asks us to only understand. Understand what she went through, how much she loves her husband and family and why she is the person she is today.
I read this well-written and insightful book in a day.
This story tells of a mental disorder, work, family, cruddy living conditions, anger, love and forgiveness. I caught a glimpse into my own home life growing up.
Pauline gives a personal story, straight from her heart and life and asks us to only understand. Understand what she went through, how much she loves her husband and family and why she is the person she is today.
I read this well-written and insightful book in a day.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews