Significance of Title

The title “Bitter Medicine” refers to failures in the healthcare system that Liv faced because of his schizophrenia. One re-occurring element of Liv’s meeting with doctors and health institutions is that he is constantly prescribed new medicine, including zyprexa and olanzapine, which may have gave him diabetes, and clozapine. This is indicative of Canadian health care’s issues with mental health as a whole. The title “Bitter Medicine” refers to the variety of prescriptions that Liv takes, but also refers to the poor advice he received from doctors, the treatment he received in emergency care.

“Bitter Medicine” is also a common idiom that is used to refer to “something that is very unpleasant but must be accepted”. In this case, “Bitter Medicine” refers to how Liv is just expected to get a job and live like everyone else despite his schizophrenia preventing him from doing so. The truth or “Bitter Medicine” that Clem wants to reader to know about is in the memoir’s interlude.

“Oppressed by cares and concerns, unable to focus upon the necessities of life, you lose your job. Society places tremendous importance on employability and now, instead of a worthy citizen, you find you’ve morphed into a jobless, titleless nobody. You feel terrible—but worse things are in store.” (p. 140)

- Zachary Fisch