No One Cares About Crazy People

No One Cares About Crazy People PDF Author: Ron Powers
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 031634110X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
New York Times-bestselling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia. From the centuries of torture of "lunatiks" at Bedlam Asylum to the infamous eugenics era to the follies of the anti-psychiatry movement to the current landscape in which too many families struggle alone to manage afflicted love ones, Powers limns our fears and myths about mental illness and the fractured public policies that have resulted. Braided with that history is the moving story of Powers's beloved son Kevin -- spirited, endearing, and gifted -- who triumphed even while suffering from schizophrenia until finally he did not, and the story of his courageous surviving son Dean, who is also schizophrenic. A blend of history, biography, memoir, and current affairs ending with a consideration of where we might go from here, this is a thought-provoking look at a dreaded illness that has long been misunderstood. "Extraordinary and courageous . . . No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change." -- New York Times Book Review

No One Cares About Crazy People

No One Cares About Crazy People PDF Author: Ron Powers
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 031634110X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Get Book Here

Book Description
New York Times-bestselling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia. From the centuries of torture of "lunatiks" at Bedlam Asylum to the infamous eugenics era to the follies of the anti-psychiatry movement to the current landscape in which too many families struggle alone to manage afflicted love ones, Powers limns our fears and myths about mental illness and the fractured public policies that have resulted. Braided with that history is the moving story of Powers's beloved son Kevin -- spirited, endearing, and gifted -- who triumphed even while suffering from schizophrenia until finally he did not, and the story of his courageous surviving son Dean, who is also schizophrenic. A blend of history, biography, memoir, and current affairs ending with a consideration of where we might go from here, this is a thought-provoking look at a dreaded illness that has long been misunderstood. "Extraordinary and courageous . . . No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change." -- New York Times Book Review

Insane Consequences

Insane Consequences PDF Author: D. J. Jaffe
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1633882918
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
"In this in-depth critique of the mental healthcare system, a leading advocate for the mentally ill argues that the system fails to adequately treat the most seriously ill. He proposes major reforms to bring help to schizophrenics, the severely bipolar, and others"--

Crazy

Crazy PDF Author: Pete Earley
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780425213896
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
“A magnificent gift to those of us who love someone who has a mental illness…Earley has used his considerable skills to meticulously research why the mental health system is so profoundly broken.”—Bebe Moore Campbell, author of 72 Hour Hold Former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley had written extensively about the criminal justice system. But it was only when his own son—in the throes of a manic episode—broke into a neighbor's house that he learned what happens to mentally ill people who break a law. This is the Earley family's compelling story, a troubling look at bureaucratic apathy and the countless thousands who suffer confinement instead of care, brutal conditions instead of treatment, in the “revolving doors” between hospital and jail. With mass deinstitutionalization, large numbers of state mental patients are homeless or in jail-an experience little better than the horrors of a century ago. Earley takes us directly into that experience—and into that of a father and award-winning journalist trying to fight for a better way.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain PDF Author: Ron Powers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1847395996
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 1176

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Book Description
Twain's story is epic, comic and tragic. To retrace it all in illuminating detail, Powers draws on the tens of thousands of Twain's letters and on his astonishing journal entries - many of which are quoted here for the first time. Twain left Missouri for a life on the Mississippi during the golden age of steamboats, enjoyed an uproariously drunken newspaper career in the Nevada of the Wild West, and witnessed and joined the extremes of wealth and poverty of New York City and of the Gilded Age. Through it all he observed, borrowed, stole and combined the characters he met into the voice of America's greatest literature, attracting throngs of fans wherever his undying lust for wandering took him. From Twain's wicked satire to his relationships with the likes of Ulysses Grant, this is a brilliantly written story that astounds, amuses and edifies as only a great life can.

Ben Behind His Voices

Ben Behind His Voices PDF Author: Randye Kaye
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 1442210915
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no control—one that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families. Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity.

Sooner Than Tomorrow

Sooner Than Tomorrow PDF Author: Dede Ranahan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781732974500
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
Welcome to my world. My story is written in diary format. I wrote it from June 16, 2013, to June 15, 2014. What I didn't know, as I was writing, was that I was capturing the last year of my son's life. Pat died, unexpectedly, on July 23, 2014, in a hospital psych ward. Suddenly, my diary morphed into a more poignant record than I'd anticipated, and after he died, I discovered Pat had been making regular posts on Facebook. I decided to add his comments to my own. I like stories where I can extrapolate from the singular to the universal--that is where I can identify with a common denominator in another person's experience. One early reader of my diary said, "Your story is so relatable." That's what I hope other readers will say. You may relate to my story if: You have a child (chilldren) you love more than your own life. You have a child who suffers from serious mental illness. You've lost a child--no matter what age. You're a member of the sandwich generation. You treasure conversations with children--especially when they're your grandchildren. Your cat or your dog is in charge of your household. Your bones are beginning to creak. You wake up each morning with a huge hole in your heart but you know, somehow, some way, you have to get up and put one foot in front of the other. You enjoy reading the other side of history--about ordinary people and their daily lives. You have a sense of humor. You've been thinking of leaving something for your descendants--a letter, story, diary, song, painting, or poem--but you haven't gotten around to it. Maybe my diary will spur you on. More notes about the format: I've added a Before section (Scenes from the Trenches). Going in, I want the reader to know "Yes, Houston, we really do have a problem." I've divided my diary into quarters--Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. I introduce each with a poem--three of them are Pat's. I end with an After section I didn't see coming. As I was writing, I had no idea, from day to day, what stories were unfolding. I learn, right along with the reader, what will happen next. We're all on a journey. Thank you for going on this journey with me. Dede Dede posted her story in two-week increments at www.soonerthantomorrow.com. The following are readers' responses. Beautiful words with an undertone that has caught me . . . carrying me up and down. Such a good writer that I am grateful to be with you. I can borrow some courage here. --Janet So happy for the readers who will discover you. --Liz Dede, every one of your blog posts has a portion that I love so much that I take a screenshot and read it over and over. --Stacey Dede, I anxiously await each posting from your blog/book. You write with such skill, and not easy when it's so personal, but your passion sprinkled with humor are the reasons that this is successful. --Joan L. I've done this, the primal scream and the mother animal instinct. There can't be anything more painful, not even death. My son was a normal little boy and a normal young man until schizophrenia came calling. Now I feel so shattered. I love your diary. --J.H.D. I only this was a contrived drama. It's so visceral. You're an artist. --Heidi F.

A First-Rate Madness

A First-Rate Madness PDF Author: Nassir Ghaemi
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143121332
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
The New York Times bestseller “A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —The Boston Globe “A provocative thesis . . . Ghaemi’s book deserves high marks for original thinking.” —The Washington Post “Provocative, fascinating.” —Salon.com Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center, offers a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: The very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis. From the importance of Lincoln's "depressive realism" to the lackluster leadership of exceedingly sane men as Neville Chamberlain, A First-Rate Madness overturns many of our most cherished perceptions about greatness and the mind.

Nobody Cares

Nobody Cares PDF Author: Anne T. Donahue
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1773052594
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
Witty and painfully honest essays about perfection vs. reality: “Hilarious…[an] incredibly distinctive voice.” —Emma Gannon, bestselling author of Olive From the author of the popular newsletter That’s What She Said, Nobody Cares is a candid personal essay collection about work, failure, friendship, and the messy business of being alive in your twenties and thirties. As she shares her hard-won insights from screwing up, growing up, and trying to find her own path, Anne T. Donahue offers all the honesty, laughs, and reassurance of a late-night phone call with your best friend. Whether she’s giving a signature pep talk, railing against summer, or describing her own mental health struggles, Anne reminds us that failure is normal, saying no to things is liberating, and we’re all a bunch of beautiful disasters—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Her essays about the less photogenic moments of her life contain their own sort of beauty, the kind that comes from failing and persevering. From breaking down her anxiety disorder to getting in touch with helpful and well-deserved female rage, Donahue is as inspiring as she is droll.” ―Vulture “Frank, funny, observations.” —Cosmopolitan “I don’t know how anyone could read her and not immediately fall in love.” —Scaachi Koul, author of One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter

Bedlam

Bedlam PDF Author: Kenneth Paul Rosenberg
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0525541314
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
A psychiatrist and award-winning documentarian sheds light on the mental-health-care crisis in the United States. When Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg trained as a psychiatrist in the late 1980s, the state mental hospitals, which had reached peak occupancy in the 1950s, were being closed at an alarming rate, with many patients having nowhere to go. There has never been a more important time for this conversation, as one in five adults--40 million Americans--experiences mental illness each year. Today, the largest mental institution in the United States is the Los Angeles County Jail, and the last refuge for many of the 20,000 mentally ill people living on the streets of Los Angeles is L.A. County Hospital. There, Dr. Rosenberg begins his chronicle of what it means to be mentally ill in America today, integrating his own moving story of how the system failed his sister, Merle, who had schizophrenia. As he says, "I have come to see that my family's tragedy, my family's shame, is America's great secret." Dr. Rosenberg gives readers an inside look at the historical, political, and economic forces that have resulted in the greatest social crisis of the twenty-first century. The culmination of a seven-year inquiry, Bedlam is not only a rallying cry for change, but also a guidebook for how we move forward with care and compassion, with resources that have never before been compiled, including legal advice, practical solutions for parents and loved ones, help finding community support, and information on therapeutic options.

Don't Care High

Don't Care High PDF Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545631831
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
"Don't Care High: It's more than a nickname -- it's a concept." At Don Carey High School, school spirit is so non-existent that nobody even noticed when a highway on-ramp got built over the football field. But new students Paul and Sheldon have a plan to wake the school up -- and Don't Care High will never be the same. Totally off-the-wall, but always good-natured, this hysterically funny book is not to be missed.