Hitchhiking to Madness: A Memoir

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In "Hitchhiking to Madness," Dr. Carol Hamilton takes readers on a soul-stirring journey through the 1970sa time marked by hippies, Jesus freaks, and the awakening of social consciousness. After being excommunicated from her church for advocating a more accepting form of Christianity, Hamilton dropped out of college and embarked on an odyssey across America with her young husband. Through humor and horror, she explores life on the road, the terrifying descent of her husband into madness, the sexual assault she endures, and his attempt to murder her and their unborn child. Amid the crisis, Hamilton decides to trust in herself, drawing strength from the support of friends and family, and eventually severing the marital bond. She navigates through a sea of post-trauma emotions and outlines her journey to becoming a physician at a time when female doctors were a rarity. Hamilton ends her memoir with thoughtful insights on mental illness and encourages readers to find courage in their unplanned detoursit's never too late to redirect one's path.

Author Bio

Dr. Carol "Susie" Hamilton, a native of San Antonio, Texas, has led an extraordinary life of resilience, healing, and service. In her memoir "Hitchhiking to Madness," she narrates her tumultuous young adulthood, which starts with a cross-country journey of self-discovery and navigates through her husband's mental illness and their life-threatening struggles. This journey propels her to medical school and to an impactful career in global health.

Having volunteered at a Free Clinic in her hometown, she was inspired to pursue a career in medicine. She completed medical school at the University of Utah, trained in Internal Medicine at Duke University, specializing in Infectious Diseases, and eventually earned tenure at Duke as a Full Professor. In her role, she undertook pioneering research and offered invaluable care to patients with AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Dr. Hamilton's passion for global health led her to establish research programs in Tanzania and improve AIDS and tuberculosis treatment in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.