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In March 2007, twenty-four hours after Mary Weiland dragged her husband Scott's pricey rock-star wardrobe onto their driveway and torched it, she was locked up in a mental hospital. Watching all this were her frightened extended family, a conflicted husband wrestling with demons of his own, and a tabloid industry gone gleeful at the "Bonfire in Toluca Lake!"
To the outside world, Weiland had led what seemed to be an enviable life. A successful international model in the nineties, she married her longtime sweetheart—famed lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and, later, Velvet Revolver, Scott Weiland—in 2000. Mary was the sane one, went the story—it was the tempestuous, unpredictable Scott who was crazy. In her gripping memoir Fall to Pieces, Mary Weiland reveals that the truth is somewhere in between.
From her earliest days in San Diego, Weiland displayed signs of trouble: a black depression that sometimes left her immobile for days, a temper that sent her into wild rages she didn't understand, an overdose. But her fierce determination to "have more" led to early success as a model. At sixteen, she fell in love at first sight with Scott Weiland, then an aspiring musician who was hired to drive her to and from modeling gigs. Slowly, her casual relationship with beer and pot grew into an affair with cocaine and heroin that rivaled her love for Scott, who was addicted as well. From rehab to rehab, from breakup to reconciliation to eventual marriage, the couple fought their way back, welcomed the babies they'd dreamed of, and hoped their struggles were behind them. Then came the bonfire breakdown and the full onset of Mary's bipolar disorder, a widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed mental illness that affects more than five million Americans and had been, in fact, stalking Mary Weiland since her teens.
With refreshing candor, innate comic timing, and earned wisdom, Weiland recounts the extreme highs and lows of her life, including an unforgettable love affair with the man she always knew she'd marry, the careers and rock tours that took them around the world, and her fight to finally come to grips with the addictions that could have killed her. In her journey to understand and manage her bipolar disorder, she takes the reader on a wild ride into the dark and back into the light.
Prologue 1
1 Crown City by the Sea 9
2 Walk Fast 31
3 "Be a Model or Just Look Like One!" 53
4 Love Is the Drug 69
5 Trouble 87
6 Black Again 107
7 Not Dark Yet (But It's Getting There) 129
8 The Chaos Tour 145
9 Swimming Through Cotton 171
10 Into Your Arms 187
11 I Do ... Again 211
12 En Fuego 233
13 October Winds 263
14 Bye Bipolar 273
Acknowledgments 289
Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2009
I picked up this book because I am a huge fan of Scott Weiland and Stone Temple Pilots. I knew about his drug abuse through the years and just figured it was the typical "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll", and I was mistaken. This book drug me through the mind of someone with terrible mental illness, depression, and anxiety but in the end I became more compassionate about their situations than I thought. The details of drug use and withdrawl were raw and full of emotion. I felt incredibly connected to these people and amazed at what they have overcome. This is a wonderful book!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is an amazing book for anyone dealing with dual diagnosis. Whether your suffering yourself, or know someone who is. Bipolar and addiction together can be truly terrifying to deal with. As someone who dealt with these issues for 10 years myself I can attest to that. This book has helped me tremendously and I've been clean and sober for over 6 years. And even with all that I've learned over those years, I still learned many things from this book. It's hard enough to put yourself out and own up to your mistakes to your friends and family, but to put it down on paper and put it out there for the whole world to see? That takes more courage than most have. Whether your reading this book because you like reading about "celebrities" or because you have any kind of interest in addiction or mental health you will NOT be disappointed! I can tell that this will be one of those books that stays on my shelf forever and is read over and over...
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Recovered
Posted April 22, 2011
An accurate depiction of the Rock and Roll scene of the 90's. Mary presents the full picture, from growing up poor in Southern California to becoming a well paid model meeting and ultimately landing the love of her life. Unfortunately Scott Weiland is a hardcore heroin addict. I have always loved STP and followed the stories about him and his addiction. If you're a recovered or recovering addict, beware. It's hardcore. Even having 14 yrs sober myself, it touched some nerves that are still raw. But just when I thought I couldn't stand it any longer, Mary would bring it back to the real. I highly recommend this read for anyone who wants to know the whole truth behind Scott, Mary and STP.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mary ended up in a mental institution after throwing her husbands clothes out and setting them on fire. She suffered from depression and would lay in bed for days. A lot of the time, she didn't even know why she was reacting a certain way. Addiction and depression seem to go hand in hand, so Mary was battling both.
It's an absorbing read that hits close to home for me. I too suffer from depression and it is a very difficult illness to live with. I know how brave Mary must be to pour out her life for the whole world to read. She's a strong woman and I hope that her book inspires others to get the help they need.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Karey
Posted March 24, 2011
I was just perusing biographies and picked this up (as a fan of old STP, I was curious about a wife's take), and I found myself really interested in Mary, whom I honestly expected to be vapid. Her book is good. She has a good sense of humor and does a great job illustrating her adventures. Mental illness is a sad state untreated. She really seems unfiltered when chronicling her digression and I think that helps the reader understand her. If you're interestd in learning about drug abuse and bipolar disorder, Ms. F.W. can definitely show you what those places look like from the inside. I'm glad she wrote this book. She's intelligent and charming and she deserves to tell us so. Good read. Good job.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I am fascinated by people who manage to overcome addictions, and even though I have never heard of Mary Forsberg Weiland, I have certainly heard of her husband. As a teenage fan of Stone Temple Pilots, I decided to give this story a shot. Very moving and sad, and uplifting at the same time. Congratulations to Mary for finding her strength.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.pmet417
Posted July 8, 2010
Mary Weiland's story of addiction and painfully slow recovery is a fascinating and absorbing read. I found it both melancholy and bittersweet. I applaud Mary's resolve in striving so hard to recover and find her way in life. It is a struggle for most people to deal with day-to-day realities, but when hampered by mental disorders and a predilection toward addiction, it can become completely overwhelming. My only criticism of this book is that the story is not always linear and often drifts and overlaps in time. I completely understand how difficult it must be to reconstruct events that occurred in a haze of drugs, alcohol, depression and mania, yet I still found certain areas of the book confusing in time and/or not fully developed. That one criticism notwithstanding, I found the book captivating and was completely drawn into Mary and her husband's successes and failures in fighting the demons that led to such a downward spiral. Her ultimate triumph is an amazing feat.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 20, 2010
I am a huge fan of Scott Weiland and his band, the Stone Temple Pilots. I was walking around trying to find a good book, and I ran across this one. The cover was the reason a noticed it, then the last name. I picked it up, ran home, and read it in one day. I stayed up all night reading it b/c I couldn't put it down. The book made me love Scott, hate Scott for what he did to Mary, and fall in love with Mary and their relationship. It gave me an inside view of what went on and made me realize that being in one of the best bands, and having an awesome modeling career isn't everything. It gave me hope that dreams to come true- and made me more aware of what a horrible life it is to lead when using drugs (I don't use drugs nor have I ever, but it gave me an inside perspective of a drug user's life).
I adore this book- it is a GREAT book- worth every single penny of my money. I hope she writes another one. I also hope Scott and her work everything out and possibly get back together. If not, I wish them the best in their SOBER life!
READ THIS BOOK! IT IS great!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 29, 2012
Great help!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 25, 2012
Mary Weiland is probably best known for being Scott Weiland's wife. However, because of this book, I knew more about her; her upbringing, her modeling career, & her drug addiction, & her recovery. It was an intriguing roller coaster ride.
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Posted September 18, 2012
Beautiful, truthful, and emotional. Thank you.
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Posted July 29, 2012
One of favorite books I've ever read! a must read
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 22, 2012
Mary's tells a very vivid story of her past. Well written, and you really get a since of what it was like her. Also a great read for any Stone Temple Pilot fan. You get a great idea of how Scott's mind works.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ks82
Posted May 2, 2012
This was an amazing book! It highlighted the struggles of addiction and depression. Dark at times but gives you a real insight into the lives of struggling addicts. Very good read!
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Posted March 4, 2012
This was a very good read and I had a hard time putting it down.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 7, 2012
As someone who was recently diagnosed bipolar, the similarities between Mary Forsberg and I are uncanny. I am so glad to find a book on bipolar disorder that I can relate to.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 8, 2011
An interesting look at the life of a model and rockstar. It shows you the unglamorous side of fame. Held my interest throughout.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 9, 2011
This was a powerful story about a woman's struggle with addiction and mental illness. You go Mary! Thank you for sharing your story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LillyFrog
Posted July 1, 2011
This was the first memoir I've read. I loved STP in the 90's. I have wanted to attend college to become a substance abuse-mental heath counselor for years. I bought this book hoping to get a little insight on how it is to live a life with both illnesses. All I can say is wow. This book was sooo inspiring. I don't think she could have written this book a bit more beautifully. Such an amazing book. I won't even loan it out to friends. I hope she writes another memoir, or maybe even one for Scott.. Oh please, oh please.. A MUST READ"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jules3
Posted May 22, 2011
First off, Mary is an amazing writer and I hope she writes more books. I was always curious about what the "real" story was and now I know. I learned so much about addiction and mental illness from this book and I am sure she will help many people by sharing her story. Much appreciation to her!
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Overview
In March 2007, twenty-four hours after Mary Weiland dragged her husband Scott's pricey rock-star wardrobe onto their driveway and torched it, she was locked up in a mental hospital. Watching all this were her frightened extended family, a conflicted husband wrestling with demons of his own, and a tabloid industry gone gleeful at the "Bonfire in Toluca Lake!"
To the outside world, Weiland had led what seemed to be an enviable life. A successful international model in the ...