Does the Stigma of Mental Illness Still Exist? Thoughts from Madeline Sharples, Author of Leaving the Hall Light On

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Madeleine Sharples photoMadeline Sharples, the author of Leaving the Hall Light On, has a guest post today about mental illness and how it’s perceived in our society today. Leaving the Hall Light On is about living after loss. It’s about finding peace and balance and various ways Sharples finds to bring herself together after feeling so helpless and out of control during her son Paul’s 7-year struggle with bipolar disease and after his suicide in September 1999.

Sharples explains: “I write about the steps I took in living with the loss of my son, including making use of diversions to help me forget. Leaving the Hall Light On is also about the milestones I met toward living a full life without him: packing and giving away his clothes, demolishing and redoing the scene of his death, cataloging and packing away all his records and books, copying all of his original music compositions onto CDs, digitizing all of our family photos, and gutting his room and turning it into my office and sanctuary with a bay window that looks out toward a lush garden and a bubbling water fountain.”

Find out more about Sharples and her book at Lucky Press and her blog. Here is her essay.

Does the Stigma of Mental Illness Still Exist?

 

My son was a young adult, age twenty-one, when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And throughout the seven years he struggled with the disease, I thoroughly believe the stigma of his mental illness stopped him from a program of treatment that might have saved him from his destiny, suicide.

From the literature I’ve read, mental illness in teens is widespread. Teens typically shy away from discussing their illness because of the fear of being made fun of or bullied by their peers. That is stigma, that is what stops teens and adults from getting proper treatment.

The most important way to erase stigma is to open the conversation about mental illness. This conversation could cover several aspects:

What are the causes of mental illness? Knowing the causes will help erase stigma and enable a search for the ways to get help if needed. Mental illness is caused by a disease of the brain, actually a chemical imbalance in the brain, much like a physical disease such as asthma or mono. Physical illnesses need treatment, so do mental illnesses. Genetic factors also cause mental illness. Find out if there is any mental illness in your family, because if there is, you could be at risk. Mental illness was rampant in my family, and those genes were passed down to my son. Unfortunately we didn’t know enough to be prepared.

How do you know what mental illness actually looks like? According to an article by Hugh C. McBride, “Stigma Keeps Many Teens from Getting Mental Health Treatment,” the symptoms are:

  • Mood swings, agitation, and anxiety
  • Altered sleep patterns (excessive sleeping or insomnia)
  • Loss of focus or inability to concentrate
  • Drastic weight changes (either gains or losses)
  • Fatigue or exhaustion
  • Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, school, or other activities that previously were important to the teen
  • Decline in academic performance, frequent absences from school, and skipped classes
  • Thoughts of death, expressions of wanting to die, discussions of suicide
  • Substance abuse (including the abuse of alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription pills)

What kinds of treatments are available? Therapy, short or long-term hospitalizations, and prescribed medications specific to the type of mental illness being treated are typical.

What are the dangers if mental illness is left untreated? These could be addiction to alcohol and/or drugs for those who are self-medicating. Suicide is also a real risk.

What are the forms of stigma? Now that it is clear that the stigma of mental illness still exists it is important to know its forms: making direct negative remarks, calling a mentally ill person crazy, portraying a mentally ill person as a sociopath or violent in films and television, or characterizing a mentally ill person as weak or stupid.

To find out more, I suggest you go to the bringchange2mind organization http://www.bringchange2mind.org founded by Glenn Close, who has a sister with bipolar disorder and a nephew with schizoaffective disorder. She says, “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation about illnesses that affect not only individuals, but their families as well.” The mission of bringchage2mind is twofold:

1)    Provide people who have misconceptions about mental illness quick and easy access to information that combats stigma

2)    Provide people who have mental illness, and those who know them quick and easy access to information and support.

 

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Book Review: Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

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Dewey the Library Cat cover imageA tiny kitten was left in a library return box in a small town in Iowa during the late 1980s. When found, he was almost frozen and half-starved. From such humble beginnings, that tiny kitten went on to become the library mascot and an inspiration to people all over the world. Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story, written by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter, tells the tale beginning with Dewey’s rescue and continuing on throughout his life. And what a life it was.

Like many of the people of Spencer, Iowa, I was captivated by Dewey from the start. Yes, I am a cat lover, but this story is about more than the survival of an alley cat. It’s also about a town that needed a symbol of hope and people who were encouraged to carry on in the face of hardship because they were bolstered by a small, orange feline. I felt like reading this book to my own cat and saying to her (as though I’m a lecturing parent), “Why can’t you be more like Dewey?”

Dewey will steal your heart and lift your spirits. Vicki Myron, Dewey’s mom at the library for all his life, does a great job of telling his story while weaving in bits and pieces about events going on in Spencer and beyond during Dewey’s reign. This book for readers aged 9 to 12 is adapted from a story written for adult readers. It should charm both generations in mother-daughter book clubs. I highly recommend it.

Publisher Little Brown provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Why…Thank You! by Cat Wagman

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Why…Thank You! by Cat Wagman is the perfect book to have on hand if you’ve ever been faced with the desire to write a heartfelt thank you note but couldn’t get beyond what you thought were trite expressions of gratitude.

You may be tempted to believe that written thank you notes are not necessary in this digital age at all, but there are still many occasions when the old-fashioned written missive is still the way to go. That’s where Wagman’s handy little guide shines. With tips that advise on when to write a thank you note, and how to trigger your own “Creative Catalyst,” Wagman helps you take the stress out of looking at a blank note and wondering what to write. She even has examples of thank you notes that could be written for different situations, for both children and adults.

You’ll also appreciate Wagman’s tips on keeping track of notes you need to send, and her premise that writing thank yous can be fun. This book can easily serve as your thank-you-note go-to guide for years to come.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Yuri’s Brush with Magic by Maureen Crane Wartski

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Yuri's Brush with Magic cover imageTammy’s mother is in a coma after an accident, and Tammy and her brother Ken worry that she may never wake up. Life is difficult for the family as the children’s father spends a lot of time at the hospital when he’s not working, but the news that their Great Aunt Yuri is coming from Japan to help care for them during the summer is not welcome. Even though they’ve never met Yuri, they’ve heard stories about her, and they have nicknamed her Mean Yuri.

Tammy and Ken are determined to sabotage their time with Yuri so she will leave them, but as they spend more time with her and get to know her, they discover the story behind the family legend. There’s more to Yuri than they realized.

Yuri’s Brush with Magic by Maureen Crane Wartski charms with its Japanese legends and a paintbrush that seems to make its subjects come to life. Tammy is at the age where she still believes that fantasy tales may be real, but she’s old enough to know the consequences of real life tragedy. She desperately needs someone who can help her get through the dark times of her mother’s illness.

Yuri is a mystery who gradually reveals herself to the children, and the reader gets to see her unfold as Tammy and Ken do. While at first I was put off by the extremes of the supporting characters in the story, I began to see their personalities as parallel to some of the characters in the old legends. The nesting habits of sea turtles is also part of the storyline of Yuri’s Brush with Magic, and the author includes lots of sea turtle facts at the end of the book. They are great for discussion, and mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12 can also talk about how miscommunication can lead to misunderstanding, the lessons taught in the old legends, friendship, and more.

Publisher Sleepy Hollow Books provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

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I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of what I do with Mother Daughter Book Club. com is reading and reviewing books that may be interesting for clubs to choose. Still, I’m only one person with a limited amount of time. So I like it when authors and book club members send me reviews of books they have read. Today I’m featuring a guest book review by author Christina Hamlett (authorhamlett.com), who recently read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

Title: Elsewhere
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Coming-of-age
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005

One of the ongoing questions that humans have obsessed about since the dawn of their existence has been “Where do we go when we die?” Gabrielle Zevin’s YA title, Elsewhere, takes a sweet – although not unique – spin on the premise that departed souls spend time in a pleasant way-station before being recycled back to Earth with new identities. In the case of 15-year-old heroine Liz, her life was cut short by a hit-and-run driver who, despite his guilt, had what he believed were compelling reasons not to confess to his wrongdoing. Bewildered by her arrival in the Hereafter, Liz plausibly reacts as any teenager would when rules are changed against their will: she is determined to hate, hate, hate it and spend all of her time obsessing about everything that might have been.

The coin-operated telescopes that allow residents of Elsewhere to observe what’s going on amongst the living are an inspired parallel to the obsessions that teens – and quite a few adults – have with reality shows, celebrity tabloids and gaming. As is pointed out to Liz on more than one occasion, spending so much time being a spectator is holding her back from discovering the joys and possibilities of “living” in the now.

The introduction of a romantic interest is very much reminiscent of the 1987 film “Made in Heaven” starring Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis. In the movie storyline, Mike and Annie meet in the Hereafter, fall in love, and are then torn apart when one of them “dies.” Grief-stricken because he can’t live without his beloved Annie, Mike is offered a unique proposition – to be reborn himself and see if he can find her in the next 30 years. The complication? Neither he nor Annie will have any recollection of one another despite the number of times their paths cross. Elsewhere also flirts with elements from the 1990 Alan Rickman/Juliet Stevenson film “Truly, Madly, Deeply” in which a young woman’s idealizing her late boyfriend’s attributes gets puts to the test when he returns as a ghost and proves that he really wasn’t as perfect as her heart wants to remember.

Though marketed as a YA novel, the uplifting themes that underscore Elsewhere have a takeaway value for readers of all ages. The dialogue is crisp, the pacing is snappy, and the descriptions are breathtaking. I also have to add that it’s nice to see there are dogs in the storyline, too – all of which “speak” with honesty and sincerity about the things that matter most.

Christina Hamlett
www.authorhamlett.com

Book Review: Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

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Anya's Ghost cover imageThere’s a lot to irritate Anya about her life. Her mother cooks fattening food, she’s associated with an unpopular boy in school just because they’re both Russian immigrants, her close friend is mad at her and she never expects to date the boy she has a crush on. Running away from her problems seems like the best thing to do until she falls down an abandoned well. There she discovers the skeleton of a young woman who died long ago, and her ghost talks to Anya and helps her get out.

Soon Emily’s spirit is following Anya to school and staying at her home, and she wants to help her succeed at whatever she tries. But Emily is hiding a secret about her past, and when Anya starts to suspect the truth, Emily’s “help” takes a sinister turn.

Anya’s Ghost is a graphic novel for young adults written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol. Anya, with all her worries about fitting in, is easy prey for Emily, who longs to have experiences again through a living human. And at first, Emily seems to help Anya get everything she wants: attention from her crush, acceptance from cool kids, and help on tests. Once Anya is part of the world she admires, she begins to see that it’s not what she dreamed it was. But getting rid of Emily and getting back to her old life proves to be more challenging than Anya thought it would be. Brosgol’s illustrations are stark, reflecting how Anya feels about her life throughout much of the novel.

Girls aged 14 and up will relate to the issues of wanting to fit in, being embarrassed by family members, and wanting easy solutions to complicated problems.

Publisher :01 First Second provided me with a copy of this book to review.

 

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Book Review: Walk the Wild Road by Nigel Hinton

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Walk the Wild Road cover imageAuthor Nigel Hinton grew up hearing how his grandfather left his large, poor family from Poland at the age of 11 to seek his way in the world. His book, Walk the Wild Road, fictionalizes the family legend and imagines what could have set a boy off into the world on his own.

Leo’s family is desperately poor, and when his mom becomes pregnant with a new baby, all the older children must look for work. But times are hard, and there is not much work to be found. Leo’s younger sister finds a place in a tavern, and Leo hears of a job at the manor. But when the landlord’s cruel son accuses Leo of a crime that will send him to jail with hardened criminals, he takes to the road instead, hoping to better his life and send money home to his family.

The country was preparing for war with France in 1870, and Leo meets with a suspicious population and hardship on the road. Then he meets Tomasz, who is making his way to America. The two boys journey together, buoying each other up through the hardships they encounter.

Walk the Wild Road is an adventure story with a heart. Leo always wants to do the right thing, but hunger and exposure sometimes compel him to steal food and sneak lodging. He meets people who are kind beyond his expectations, and others who are cruel without reason. He learns that hardship is easier to face in the company of a friend, and he never gives up hope for a better future. Hinton does a nice job transferring this story from family lore to a tale that will resonate with teen boys and girls.

Publisher Sourcebooks provided me with a copy of this book to review.

 

Book Review: The Crepe Makers’ Bond by Julie Crabtree

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The Crepe Makers' Bond cover imageAriel loves to cook. It helps her forget about the fact that she already has a huge chest that the eighth grade boys love to stare at, and that her family can really embarrass her sometimes. She especially loves to cook for her best friends, Nicki and M, and they can talk about anything that’s bothering them as they eat. But when M’s mom announces that they’re moving from Alameda to Crescent City, California, Ariel knows how important it is for her friend to finish middle school before she leaves. So she cooks up an idea to have Ariel stay at her house until school is over. But will this turn into one more of Ariel’s successful concoctions or a recipe for disaster?

The Crepe Makers’ Bond by Julie Crabtree is about friendship, cooking, and family dynamics. M thinks the most important things in her life are her friends and school. She’s sure that she’ll get along fine without her mom for a few months. But she finds that adjusting to life with another family, even if you’re very close to them, can be difficult. Ariel also finds that her family acts different with someone new around all the time. She’s not sure she appreciates the changes.

I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, and that Nicki’s secret boyfriend and family issues weren’t fully explored. However, I also believe that there are so many family dynamics and friendship issues in The Crepe Makers’ Bond it will be a good book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12 to discuss. Issues covered include older parents, divorced parents, strict parents, body image, having boyfriends against your parents’ wishes and more. And since each chapter is followed by what seem to be great recipes, you’ll have no shortage of ideas about what food to serve at a meeting.

Publisher Milkweed provided me with a copy of this book to review.

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