Poisoned Love

In 1993, Jimmy Breslin wrote a front page story for New York Newsday about Melanie Cane, a troubled young psychiatrist who ''let love take her too far.'' Fifteen years later, Melanie tells her side of the story in Poisoned Love, a heartbreaking and staggering account of her spiral into the depths of mental illness and what she did under the guise of love.

With extraordinary courage, Melanie provides intimate access to the thoughts and feelings leading to her desperate act, as well as an unvarnished account of her subsequent psychiatric treatment and the legal and social consequences of her crime.
Melanie's steady process toward recovery involves an emerging understanding of the relationship between her various diagnoses and her attachment to an abusive and mentally ill father.

Her story teaches people about survival and success in the face of severe mental illness.

Melanie Cane holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wellesley College, a Medical Degree and a Master's in Public Health from New York Medical College. She also completed two years of a residency program in psychiatry at Cornell Medical Center-Westchester Division. Dr. Cane fulfilled her pre-medical requirements at Harvard University and co-authored several articles in the field of mental health while working as a research assistant at Mclean Hospital prior to attending medical school. She received highest honors on her master's thesis, Stress, Coping, and Adjustment in HIV-infected Adolescents. Melanie grew up in Scarsdale, NY with a father who suffered from severe bipolar disorder. She has recovered from Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression, and Anorexia. Melanie works as a photographer and writer for a local paper and has a pet sitting business as well. She presently resides in Rye, New York.