Through the Withering Storm Book Review
Through the Withering Storm: A Brief History of a Mental Illness is the
autobiography of a boy who becomes a man in a cold and seemingly impossible
world. This book, with foreword by prominent psychiatrist Dr. Brian Bishop,
takes the reader through the true life horror of growing up mentally ill. The
author shows us what it is like to juggle school, a dysfunctional family, a
‘career’ as an Air Cadet and all the emotions and troubles that come with
adolescence – until genetics throws in a curve ball and the worst imaginable
happens.
This book also takes the reader inside the hallways and chambers
of a hospital treating the violent, criminal and institutionalized in a place
built for ‘shell-shocked’ World War I veterans.
As with many illnesses, there is denial and the struggle doesn’t
end in these halls. Despite delusions, fights, arrests, reprisals and being
institutionalized, years are wasted fighting treatment and refusing
medications.
From the cold and frozen north country of Alberta, through the
Rocky Mountains and coastal cities of Vancouver and Los Angeles, the author
constantly struggles to shake off the demons that haunt him. He loses friends
and possessions, becomes estranged from his family and relinquishes every shred
of dignity. Each time he is beaten down, he struggles back to find a small
piece of sanity, just enough to keep him going. Finally, with acceptance of his
illness, comes treatment and peace.
For any parent or caregiver living with a troubled teenager, this
book provides valuable insight into the behaviours of mentally ill youth. For
others, such as healthcare professionals, family members or those that suspect
they may have an illness themselves, this book sheds light on the symptoms of
being bipolar and the all-too-common journey through madness.
Ultimately, this work demonstrates how precious and precarious our
lives and relationships are. In the profound words of Dylan Thomas, this book
simply says to all who open it and take part in the tragedy that is the human
condition, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying
of the light.”
My Review
I received
a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This
is the story of Leif Gregersen, a young man suffering from mania and bipolar
disorders. His story hit home for me
because I suffered silently with anxiety and severe depression for years before
I was diagnosed and treated. I loved
Leif’s writing style, the way this was written you don’t feel like it’s an
autobiography. He had many ups and downs
before he finally realized that he needed help.
My heart broke for him the first time he was placed in a psychiatric
hospital, no one told him what his diagnosis was. I think that would have helped him come to
terms sooner. Throughout the story, he’d
do some ridiculous thing and say “that’s how they do it in the movies”, so his
reality was rather delusional. His story
gives us great insight from the patient’s point of view. This is a good book for a caregiver or family
member of someone mentally ill, to finally understand the internal battles that
we struggle with everyday.
About the Author
I grew up somewhat isolated from the harsher forces of the world
in St. Albert, a small town just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. Most of my
younger years were filled with images of very happy times – trips everywhere
from California to Copenhagen, constant school successes and football games in
the field near my house that seemed to last forever.
But all was not okay. There were times when my father would
discipline me severely or I would come home to find an ambulance in our
backyard taking my mother to the hospital for yet another suicide attempt.
Although I knew that depression ran in our family, I had no clue of the
fearsome beast that was growing inside me.
At that time, I was more concerned about my growing collection of
comic books, bought with money my sister would give me for doing her dishes or
earned as a bean-picker or weed- puller on a farm not far from town. To be able
to buy more comics, I even lied about my age to get a paper route and picked up
more money by shoveling walks that hadn’t been done on the route.
Somewhere after the end of elementary school, there was a profound
shift. It seemed the wind ran out of my sails and the transition to junior high
was not a smooth one. I gave up on sports and I began to hate school and the
people in it.
The remaining school years became a painful, out-of-control
descent into madness. Gripped by mental illness, my thoughts, actions and
behaviours became increasingly bizarre. My world became a true life horror
movie of growing up mentally ill. Despite delusions, fights, arrests, reprisals
and being institutionalized, years were wasted fighting any form of treatment,
denying the illness and refusing medications.
Fortunately, for the past 15 years, my life has stabilized. I have
accepted treatment and medications. Today, I have steady work and can afford
some of the things I only dreamed of before. My computers, my 1994 VW Golf, a
decent apartment and, above all, my books. From the age of three, my father exposed
me to literature of the highest quality. Today, he is a much kinder, gentler
and alcohol-free 72 year-old. I have him to thank for my passion to read and
write.
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