Started reading "Beyond Crazy"

[Kaight]

Hi all,

This morning I decided today would make a good reading day, so started in on a book I'd purchased: "Beyond Crazy" by Julia Nunes and Scott Simmie. (Thanks again Paul M for the suggestion.)

Its a compilation of short biographies of people living with, or who lived with, mental illness. Its been interesting to read about some of the experiences people have endured, and to become more familiar with the illnesses I am (thankfully) not intimatly familiar with.
Its kind of like this forum in that it is a great reminder of how I am by no means alone in my "craziness".

It is also a great reminder that even in regards to my darkest moments, I could have it so much worse. (Now if only I could remember this when the lights go out and there is a fulll eclipse of the moon.)

I'll post again after I read a few more stories.

Kaight

[paul m]

Hello Kaight. I am glad that you are enjoying the book. While it does not specialize in one particular mental illness, I found that because it was divided into short stories that I could read it easier during the times that my concentration was limited. (and that happens more often than I like to admit)

While I liked many of the stories, the one about Margot Kidder(Canadian Actress, Lois Lane in Superman) is my favourite. One of the lines in her story is this " This is a bad career move". I never been in the movies, but I can really identify with my illness causing me to do things that were a bad career move. I hope that you enjoy the rest of the book. Take Care. paul m

[uni]

Sounds interesting. Putting it on my list. Now where the h*ll have I put my list

[Kaight]

Kaight's update on ‘Beyond Crazy’

The first question to explore is “ why am writing about something I’ve read to people who probably haven’t read the same material”? Will I really be able to relay the impact of the words I’ve read? Not likely. In truth, it’s probably mostly for myself. When I pick up a book, I usually find myself plowing through the pages as though it were a thriller. This book, ‘Beyond Crazy’, is hardly that. I read with finishing being my main goal. I react to the words, but only for a moment. Then it’s on to the next. In writing a few words down I take the time to reflect, make connections to other things in my brain and maybe even learn something. Thank-you for indulging me. If you continue reading past this point, I hope you’ll find some little tidbit of something interesting.

The stories in ‘Beyond Crazy’ are brief, averaging maybe 5 or 6 pages each. I found this left me quite frequently wanting more (so the person got over that hurdle, but how?). An advantage to the stories being short is that there are lots of them! There is a story for everybody in this book. I found the diversity of experiences eye opening. This, in and of itself, puts in to context why it is so hard and takes so long to “recover” from mental illness: it seems everyone’s story is unique. Unlike diabetes, for example, where there is a fairly certain set of guidelines to follow, it seems mental illness has no guidebook. (This makes me wonder if maybe I’ve been too hard on my own doctor – I’ve been asking her to do something that no one else has ever done. Yikes!)

Back to the book. The book is divided into 5 sections. This really helps the reader zero in on the type of story they’d like to read depending on where their head is at that moment in time. Today I’ve been reading the section entitled “When (And How) People Move On”. Thankfully I’m presently in a headspace that accepts that there is in fact hope for my future, allowing me to read through accounts in which people have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. I particularly related to the brief about Rona Maynard. Her tale is one of depression and is entitled ‘Psychotherapy’. I won’t go into detail of her life, but would, however, like to share a quote which I found both humorous and poignant: “depression is exceedingly boring, you have to find a way to deal with it, and that’s what’s interesting”.

The other account that I related to was of Ian Chovil, entitled ‘On Work and Money’. Though his tale is about his trails with schizophrenia (to which I thankfully can’t relate), I did relate to his tribulations over money, work and social isolation. (What a Bermuda Triangle!) I specifically found comfort in his confession to a certain part of his self-esteem being wrapped up in his employment (or lack thereof) situation. (How many times have I been told, “You are not your job”?)

Well that’s it for now. Thirty more pages of ‘Beyond Crazy’ and then into its precursor ‘The Last Taboo’.

[paul m]

Hello Kaight. Thx for your thoughts. I liked the book pretty much for the same reason. I'm a little older than you(ok a lot older) and the book discuss a lot of people that I either saw preform , meet at one time or another or knew.

The most amazing story is Scott's own story, which doesn't appear in this book. You can find it by clicking on the link at the end, you find right after a storey called Ryan's story.

One of Scott's quotes is as follows "There is no mental health system. There are plenty of parts, some of them very good parts, but there is no system.''

A simple statement, but one that is all too true. However his own story is pretty amazing as well and worth the read simply because he was so sick, but still got better. Take Care. paul m

http://www.bipolarworld.net/Stories/simmiea.html

[Kaight]

Thanks for the link - I'll check it out!

[uni]

Thanks for posting your take on the book Kaight. It sounds like nothing I've ever read before. My interest has been piqued. I checked the website of the local library and they have it listed. Next time I go there I'll look for it.

[Kaight]

Finished “Beyond Crazy”. Wow, it certainly goes out with a bang. First, the chapter on youth suicide was tough. (Note to self, buy a new box of tissues!) It got me thinking, if the mind of a youth (though lacking certain adult onset skills such as rationalization) can arrive at a point where death is preferable to all other alternatives, then it seems logical that anyone is vulnerable to the morbid possibility. I know I had a pretty great childhood, so maybe my experience isn’t relative in figuring out why a child could feel so helpless as to end their own life. At the age of 10 or 11, I’m sure the idea never even crossed my mind. Mind you in the face of abuse, I imagine my mind might have had a different view. But why then do certain children make it through a rough childhood alive while others don’t, and, even more perplexing, why do some children make it through a relatively happy childhood while others do not? This, at least to me, seems like pretty clear evidence that mental disorders arise from something other than character flaws. (i.e. can a 10 year old really have that many character (learned) flaws?)
Now, for those of you wondering how I could even dare write the words ‘character flaw’, cue the section on stigma. “Beyond Crazy” concludes with an eye opening section on stigma. It really puts the whole point of the book into perspective. Before reading the book I thought I had a reasonable grasp on the concept of stigma. Now I realize I was a bit naïve. I learned a lot through this section, it even changed how I view myself. Mood-disorder-ism is suppressing our potential for success! (Maybe I should take the message to Occupy Wall Street, Canadian Edition. )

'til next time,
Kaight

[paul m]

Hello Kaight. I'm glad that you enjoyed the book and thx for posting your views on it. You touch on the million dollar question. Why do some people survive and others do not in virtually identical situations? I wish I knew. A short time ago I had to talk to someone close to me who was suicidal. This person had no reason to be suicidal(from societies view), yet it was all I could do to prevent this person from ending it all.

Their view of the their own world was so dark that it was frightening and in their own mind they had lost all hope. That is one a mental illness does to us. Darkens our viewpoint and worse still removes all hope. Without hope it is very difficult to get better sometimes.

Having tried suiicide I know just how dark our thoughts can become for absolutely no rational reason, although at the time I was sure that I was rational.

In regards to stigma. I wish I knew how to fight it better. It certainly causes people a lot of problems that they just don't need. Admitly, we have came a long ways since I was a kid, but there is still a long ways to go. Take Care. paul m

[Kaight]

Just finished reading “The Last Taboo” by Scott Simmie and Julia Nunes. This is the accompanying book to “Beyond Crazy”, which I read last week, and which I wrote about earlier in this thread. What a ride these last two weeks have been. So much information. So much emotion!

I’d have to say that “The Last Taboo” was at least as good as “Beyond Crazy”. The focus of “Taboo” was practical information. There were still many personal stories, but they were used primarily to offer personal examples for the subject in question.

Subjects broached include overviews of disorders and treatments, benefits and side effects of treatments, alternative treatments, genetics vs. environment, the heath care system, family and friends, offering support for those with mental disorders, suicide and stigma. Lots of studies were referenced offering a very concrete view of the situation. I really loved the emphasis on the importance of family and friends and on the need for people to have a ‘normal’ life in order to heal. Often (as I’m sure all of you on this site know) people with mental disorder diagnosis can have a really hard time finding a job due to stigma. No job can mean no home, poor nutrition, isolation… As the authors state, anyone without these securities would have a hard time in life so why are these issues so often neglected in the recovery process of a mental disorders patient?

The only shortcoming of this book is its age. It was published 10 years ago. I’m sure new meds are on the market, and that some of the older ones might have fallen out of use. The extensive list societies and self-help groups is also likely a little dated. However, the core of this book is still strong. The stories are still valid. It’s defiantly a valuable read in the quest for informing one’s self.

I’ll end with one of my favorite quotes from the book. It’s from “Julies Story”, an account by a mother whose daughter (Helen) has bipolar disorder as well as several phobias. Due in part to her daughter’s illness, or maybe more accurately, due to stigma, the two are rarely invited to family gatherings. Julie ends her piece with the following:

“Living with Helen has taught me that mental illness is not a weakness of character, but rather a disease that requires the strongest of character.”

I like that.

Take care,
Kaight

[paul m]

mental illness is not a weakness of character, but rather a disease that requires the strongest of character.”

Hello Kaight. Thx for your review. I must say that I have to agree with the quote that you printed. Take Care. paul m

[Kaight]

Hi all!

My latest book venture is “The Beast: A Reckoning with Depression” by Tracy Thompson. Anyone else read it? I would love to read any comments you have. And for those who have not read it, I would highly recommend it!

As for the writing style of the book, I find it very well organized and easy to follow. The author’s pacing is good too as I have had a hard time putting the book down. I think one of the aspects that makes the book so captivating is the detail. Thompson is a self-proclaimed personal journal keeper and has been since her first experiences with depression as a child. Having these references has allowed her to take a somewhat objective look at where she’s been.

Now for content. I’m about two thirds of the way through the book and up to the beginning of this last chapter I’ve started reading the story is heavy. Thompson starts with her childhood experiences, then her college years and into her career. She describes relationships and career experiences. Almost everything seems to have been hard, unfulfilling and leading nowhere good. Someone who has never experienced depression might accuse the author of being a bit one sided in her presentation, but I think she in fact was likely just being honest. I had to stop myself a few times, put the book down and promise myself not to read it again until the fog in my spirit had dissipated a bit. It’s heart wrenching and the hopelessness palpable.

In the chapter I just began, optimism had finally made an appearance. So far the chapter has detailed certain personal revelations and Thompson’s change in lifestyle/attitude that ensued. I am comforted by this thread of hope.

Here are some of the tidbits I found interesting:

“Contrary to all the assumptions I’d ever made about therapy, understanding what I was doing did not help me stop. If I still felt worthless, as I often did, that was the explanation my brain produced. It was a matter of intense emotion, in the face of which logic was a puny ally.” It was nice to read someone else express this… I often assume I feel crappy because I’m just not trying hard enough.

“Years of therapy had instilled in me an unquestioning belief in the Platonic maxim “ The life which is unexamined is not worth living.” But what if the corollary was also true? What if the unlived life was not worth examining? Was self-examination an endless project, or was it a means to a larger end?”

Thompson states “the single most valuable tool was the one that sounds the most mindless: rote repetition”. She furthers this with “ insight, self-analysis – all techniques I had acquired so laboriously in years of traditional talk therapy – offered no help; applying logic to anxiety was like trying to reason with a swarm of bees.” This definitely made me stop and think. Anyone have any experience in rote repetition?

Love to hear any and all comments!


Kaight

[uni]

Thanks for the great review Kaight - that book sounds most interesting, and something I could really relate to. In fact, I'm going to check on my library website right now to see if they have it. As for "rote repetition", doesn't that just mean practice?

..... Well, the regional library has it but not in my city, which means I can order it in, which I will do.

[paul m]

Hello Kaight. Thx for the book review. I may look it up in the library. It sounds really intreresting. Take Care. paul m

[Kaight]

Finished the book this morning, and thankfully it finishes on a positive note.
I've got numerous paragraphs bookmarked to re-read and ponder.

Kaight