I recently read "Against Medical Advice" by James Patterson (yes, the crime fiction writer). It's not fiction, however - it's a nonfiction story about his friend's son, and his lifelong struggle with mental health and some physical issues, beginning when he was a child. What is unique about this book is that it is told from the voice/point of view of the child, who was 19 at the time the book went to press. It was pieced together from his own feelings and recollections, his mother's meticulous notes about his behavior and medications and treatment, and his family and teacher's observations. The goal of the book is to have people understand what it is like inside the mind of the person with the disease. He immediately agreed to have his story told "if it will help other people". It also hopes to raise awareness about how hard it is to get an accurate diagnosis, not to mention the medication roulette that most of us are all too familiar with. Anyway....I recommend it, if only to help us with our own understanding of our kids. I wish everyone could read it; but perhaps a high-profile author like Patterson will succeed in demystifying and de-stigmatizing things a little in the world so that we don't feel like we have to hide at home with our kids. One step towards having it recognized as something that deserves as much medical help and assistance/resources as physical disabilities..... Post edited by: fairlanelady, at: 05/19/2010 03:25 PM |
