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Surviving Schizophrenia: A Memoir
 
 

Surviving Schizophrenia: A Memoir [Kindle Edition]

Louise Gillett
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

What you are about to read is a true story. I am an apparently normal happily married middle class mother of four, living the humdrum existence of an ordinary housewife. And I have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, something that I have always felt a deep sense of shame and embarrassment about, and kept hidden for many years.

I have agonised for many years over whether to make my story public – I have written this book, re-written it, changed the names, changed them back again, written it again under a pseudonym, tried to change it into a novel... Finally, last year on a writing holiday at the wonderful Arvon Centre in Totleigh Barton, Devon, matters became clear. This is my story, and I am ready to stand by it. It is a true story and any value that it has for others lies in that fact. I have, however, changed the names of a very few people within the text to protect them from any repercussions of my tale.

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Louise Gillett
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Bookie TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the most remarkable books I've ever read. I don't make that statement lightly and I've read thousands of books! The author takes us on a journey through her life. It's a life full of disconnect. It's a story of family dysfunction. It's an ordinary life made extraordinary by fragile mental health. It's remarkable because the author manages to involve the reader in the detail of her day to day actions and plans. Much of this would normally be mundane, but the narrative is lively and concise. Louise may believe that she lacked social skills but she's sharply observational and there are many very simple, but profound throw away lines. She is a skilled and dispassionate observer.

This is a story about many lost years. It's an appalling indictment of the health care offered to an individual who clearly needed different and better treatment options. It's a tale of hope and above all, profound self belief. Whilst most of us struggle at times to motivate ourselves to do things, the mountains presented here pale by comparison.

There is no wallowing in self misery or complaint. There are good times as well as bad and overall, it's a book about triumph. I was hooked right from the first page and hope we'll see more from a writer with a genuine gift for words and storytelling.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
A truly remarkable piece of writing by my truly remarkable friend. You think you know someone well, know their background their families, shared good times and bad together. That's how I felt about my dear friend Louise who after many years of deliberation, finally had the courage, and I don't use that term loosely, to put pen to paper and write about her life and the crushing effect the diagnosis of schizophrenia has had on her. Many of the facts I already knew about but what this book really enabled me to do was to absorb all the smaller but in some ways more poignant incidences which add further depth to the story. The way some of these are explained and the detail that she goes into, in order to truly let us into her world, as it was at the time, is at times quite devastating. I felt as I was reading it that I was on this rollercoaster with her,which was her life, and very often I just wanted to get off because it was simply too sad and stressful to continue. But continue I did and all I can say after reading it is that I would recommend this book most thoroughly not only as a book about coping with such a diagnosis but more so as an inspiring book about survival, determination of spirit and faith in ones own abilities in the face of such extreme adversity. I am so proud to have you as my wonderful friend, Louise.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By RV
Format:Kindle Edition
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about Louise Gillet's life and once I started it I found it difficult to put down. I felt priviledged to be given such an honest and frank insight into someone else's life. It is so well written that you feel you are on a close journey with Louise from the beginning of the book to the end. She struggles to make a life for herself at the the same time as battling with lack of early parental care, poor mental health treatment and being stigmatised with a label. At all odds through courage, perseverance and hope she turns her life around.
Having had a father and brother whose lives were ruined by Schizophrenia it was heartening for me to see another sufferer come out of the illness and into a life filled with hope and joy. I am now certainly routing for Loiise's future happiness and success in life - she deserves it.
I very much hope she continues writing as she is clearly gifted in this field.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Amazing!
As someone who has cared for Schizophrenics and also worked at St Anns Hospital, it is fascinating to read just how differently the hospital is now after over 20 years. Read more
Published 4 days ago by justbeinghonest
A Book the Draws You In
This bought this after reading the sample chapter on my kindle. The sample chapter was quite good (hence the purchase) but the overall book is stunning. Read more
Published 9 days ago by William Rees
Well worth reading
Very interesting and enjoyable read, well written. I got this as a freebie and so many freebies are badly written drivel that this stands out as a real pearl!
Published 27 days ago by DeborahLeigh
A great read
I read this because I know Louise and also have a little knowledge about mental health difficulties. I loved and read almost the whole book in one setting. Read more
Published 28 days ago by katie
'Unputdownable'
I had not long met Louise when I read her book, and after reading it was full of respect for her. I found the beginning difficult to read, because of the sheer trauma of the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susan
Superbly written. Compelling read
The opening of Louise's memoir is harrowing and compelled me to read on. Her ability to write with flowing beauty reveals her true genius, one which has been striving through her... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Janine Pulford
Uplifting
I thought that the author was very brave and I found the book gripping. My own mother suffered from mental illness so I indentified with many of the awful details. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Scribe
A MUST Read
I have just finished reading this book. I have read it in double quick time, because i found it compulsive reading. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jan Watts
Amazing read - not to be missed!
This book really surprised me. I originally chose it as I wanted to find out more about schizophrenia for my work/studies. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ewallace
Compelling
As a psychotherapist, I tend to avoid people's personal accounts of their lives with mental illness, as that's what I listen to all day. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dr. A. G. Beese
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