{"product_id":"hidden-lives-true-stories-from-people-who-live-with-mental-illness-9781927366530","title":"Hidden Lives: True Stories from People Who Live with Mental Illness","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn evocative collection that illuminates life for those directly affected by mental illness--both the sufferers and their family members--and endeavours to lift the stigma that exists around it.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMore than 57 million Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness, and yet there are still considerable stigmas and a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding even the most common diagnoses--schizophrenia, biopolar disorder, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, clinical depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis groundbreaking collection of personal essays written by sufferers or their family members aims to break down those biases and stigmas. Rather than analyze the diagnoses and symptoms, these first-hand accounts focus on the very essence of a psycho-emotional breakdown, and respond to the mental, physical, and emotional turmoil it inevitably causes. What does a mother do when her teenager son's personality suddenly fractures, creating five new people? How does a police officer cope when his employer refuses to provide adequate care until he can prove his PTSD is work-related? How do children grow up under the care of a manic father whose illness lands him in and out of medical and social incarceration? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRaw, honest, and painful, these essays communicate disappointment and despair, but also courage and compassion. They are a lifeline for sufferers, and a strong shoulder for their friends and family, and they are a step towards changing the attitudes that plague mental illness \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a foreword by respected physician, bestselling author, and renowned speaker Dr. Gabor Mat , \u003ci\u003eHidden Lives\u003c\/i\u003e gives readers a place to turn, and suffers a platform to share their struggle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLenore Rowntree\u003c\/b\u003e's writing has appeared in several Canadian literary journals, and her poetry was included in the anthology \u003ci\u003eBest Canadian Poetry 2010\u003c\/i\u003e. She was shortlisted for a CBC Literary Award in 2009 for an essay written about her sister's childhood schizophrenia. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAndrew Boden\u003c\/b\u003e's articles on mental illness have appeared in \u003ci\u003eOpen Minds Quarterly\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eOther Voices\u003c\/i\u003e. His short story \"Confluence of Spoors\" was published in the 2010 Journey Prize anthology. He writes about his brother's schizophrenia. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Gabor Mate\u003c\/b\u003e is a bestselling author and renowned speaker who presented a TEDx talk in Rio. For years he worked closely with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV, and is now a co-founder of Compassion for Addiction, a new non-profit organization. \u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Touchwood Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50364077605138,"sku":"9781927366530","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f674696d-d579-48b8-ae3b-92db04339661.jpg?v=1728425547","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/hidden-lives-true-stories-from-people-who-live-with-mental-illness-9781927366530","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}