20 FASCINATING JOURNEYS THROUGH MADNESS
What do you do when your father kills himself, or your mother is committed to a psych ward, or your daughter starts hearing voices telling her to harm herself—or when you yourself hear such voices?
In any given year, one in four American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental illness—but the tremendous stigma attached to being labeled as “crazy” still prevents many from reaching out to professionals or even loved ones for help. As former US Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy writes in his introduction: “The only way for this to change is for people to share their truth. Total honesty is essential not only for recovery, but also for changing societal attitudes and enacting public policies.”
Addressing bipolar disorder, OCD, trichotillomania, self-harm, PTSD, and other diagnoses, the twenty fascinating stories collected in Show Me All Your Scars vividly depict the difficulties and sorrows—and sometimes, too, the unexpected rewards—of living with mental illness.
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"Stories That Must Be Told" ›
Introduction by Patrick J. Kennedy -
"Writing Away the Stigma" ›
Editor's Note by Lee Gutkind
PRAISE
"Conveys what it is like to experience mental illness and ... demonstrates that narrative ... can be the most effective way to impart information and promote activism."- Publishers Weekly
"Like a beacon of light, sending out a message of recognition ... these narratives offer insight and clarity into something that can be very difficult to understand. Anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness can find hope in the stories included in this book." - Foreword Reviews
"The deeply personal essays—full of courage, resilience, and recovery—shred the stigma of mental illness and challenge our indifference toward the 'mentally ill.'" - Pete Earley, author of Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness
"This collection stands as protest against silence, and challenges us to create a culture that fosters true mental health." - Marya Hornbacher, author of Madness: A Bipolar Life
"Heartbreaking and soaring. This sensitive and carefully cultivated anthology stands as a testament to the private battle millions of families are waging." - Sheila Hamilton, author of All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness
"Show Me All Your Scars will shatter your stereotypes of mental illness and its treatment. The brilliant essays are at once gripping, chilling, compelling, and inspiring." - Stephen P. Hinshaw, Ph.D., author of The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change
“An intensely human exploration of the lived experience of mental illness. Harrowing, illuminating, and often surprising.” - Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, author of What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine
"Courageous and redemptive, Show Me All Your Scars displays the most poignant and stabilizing force in psychiatry and life in general: hope. This collection will help people, and that's no small feat in this world." - David Fitzpatrick, author of Sharp: My Story of Madness, Cutting, and How I Reclaimed My Life
"Beautifully written ... a remarkable gathering of human beings who have dared to tell their stories." - Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
Comments
BabyBoomerWriter
June 14, 2016
Why not offer booklovers a chance to send an additional book to their Congressional and state representatives directly? (perhaps partner with another site?) Educating society on mental health is the only way to expand appropriate care, increase medical coverage for therapy and educate those in our justice system, educational institutions & policing organizations.
None of our leaders or government representatives learned about mental illness in school. But they were probably readers and might be willing to learn now on their own schedule. If attitudes adjust and become more realistic through reading these first person accounts of mental illness, society will demand better, more accessible treatment alongside compassion for sufferers’ families.
Oneofthem
June 15, 2016
The use of the word 'madness' in describing this book is the type of language we need to eliminate when talking about mental illness. It perpetuates the stigma when this book is attempting to break it down. Stigma is so insidious we have to be sensitized to recognize it in all it's forms.