Lucy: The Anguish of Schizophrenia

by Sarah W. Holloway

The severely and persistently mentally ill (SPMI) have been ignored, ridiculed, stigmatized, locked away in prisons, forgotten in hospitals, or left to wander the streets of our small and large... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583852638
• ISBN13: 9781583852637
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Sarah Holloway
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An Intimate Look at the Devastation of Schizophrenia

This book was hard for me to put down. Told from the prospective of her mother, this is the true story about Lucy, a woman who has suffered with schizophrenia since the age of 17. It spans from the time of Lucy's birth through forty plus years to the present; chronicling the early signs, the first breakdown, the numerous hospitalizations and psychiatrists that try to help, and the pain and anguish it inflicts on her family. It offers a glimpse into the everyday challenges of living with someone with a mental illness, and the author shares with us the daily angst and distress she and her husband face knowing their daughter will never live a normal, productive, and independent life. This story helped me understand what schizophrenia looks like up close and personal, something that is hard to get from textbooks and the scientific liturature. It also points out how our healthcare system has failed to meet the needs of people with this illness. This is a short read; the author successfully mixes together "here and now" dialogue in day to day life with Lucy, and at the same time panning out regularly to skim over a few years at a time, smoothly taking us through the years in a direct no-nonsense kind of storytelling. I highly recommend this book.

Overall Excellent

I admire Sarah Holloway's courage to write this book and put her story out in the open. She is a strong woman, and I have learned a great deal from her story. This book really helps put a name and a face to schizophrenia. it is one thing to learn about schizophrenia out of a nursing textbook, but quite another to see the progression of the illness and its effects on the family as well as the patient. This book does an excellent job of painting a picture of the illness. -Review by a nursing student at Chattanooga State Technical Community College

A Special Message

My overall opinion of this book is filled with gratitude to a mother who can write of deep heart feelings about her beloved daughter. For anyone who does not have this family problem, it sheds much light on the illness. I appreciated that point since I never clearly understood the unpredictability of this mental illness. But I also appreciate the precious moments when Sarah Holloway shares her broken heart. This story is about a family that loves as well as a clinical study of schizophrenia. We see a story of hope in the midst of dispair and love that never dies.

Dr. Torrey

Lucy: The Anguish of Schizophrenia Is a poignant reminder of the cruelty of this disease and why we need better treatments. Sarah Holloway writes clearly and honestly about her daughter, telling a story that is all too common but that is important to keep telling until we can find a better ending. Strongly recommended. E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. Associate Director for Laboratory Research The Stanley Medical Research Institute