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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mental illness - walking on eggshells, 27 May 2005
To walk on eggshells is to care for a mental illness.So says Jean Johnston whose book of that title tells of her role as mental ill health hit her daughter Suzy. Eggshells are easily shattered and Jean tells of how you can meet eggshells in unexpected places. The wrong remark can trigger events and a spiralling deterioration of symptoms.
And you never know when this may happen. Jean's story is touching and gripping. She tells of how she no longer has blonde highlights in her hair because, at a particularly challenging moment, she said to God ' if you make her get better and she is never so ill again, I will never do anything to my hair colour again. ' So now Suzy is well and mainly stable and Jean's hair remains non-blonde streaked! She paints a picture of a ' normal ' family which has been visited by mental ill health. She tells of how Suzy told her she was to go into a psychiatric unit and how Jean burst into tears and felt a total failure. But she is resilient and she rallied and dealt with things. She and her family became a practical and emotional rock for Suzy. She tells of the long duration of mental illness, a cycle of hospital, discharge, recovery, good health, then wham, more illness and the cycle continues. But then hope as the correct medication was found. Now there are still ' wobbles ' as Jean Johnston calls them, but Suzy now can recognise the signs and deal with the situation. And Suzy is a successful writer and a young, popular woman with loyal friends and many interests. A mother's love shines through this book, but there is something else, a mother's recognition and admiration for her daughter's strength and determination. Having seen what happened to Suzy, Jean is now aware that many others are not getting the care their condition demands. She has become a strong voice for better care for everyone with a mental health problem. Eggshells may crack but Jean, Suzy and the family survive. This book is an inspiration to others who find themselves engulfed by mental illness in their family and it is a ' must read ' experience.
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