Monday, September 6, 2010

The Effects

Just finishing the book, Playing With Grownups, reminds me that I think every family is directly or indirectly affected by mental illness. It made me think of Glass Castles, then my own family growing up, families in my neighborhood growing up, my husbands family, families of current friends and acquaintances, and I can see evidences of the effects. As a child I think there were no resources and so little knowledge that people were just considered crazy or odd with terms floating around like '"driving me to the nut house!" I can think of dozens of people I knew who must have been self medicating with alcohol but if they were labeled anything thing it was just drunk or alchy. It is nice that research is delving into mental illness. The brain is a crazy thing in itself. It is nice to think that some day perhaps this will all be understood scientifically and socially.

1 comment:

Becky said...

The brain is a crazy thing! The last page of that book broke my heart, because it was an ending I saw coming but hoped wouldn't happen anyway.

Honestly, it reminded me of my own trip to the hospital... not that I'd hurt myself (like Marina did), but that my sweet family had to go through that whole experience. It will be 5 years ago in November, and I still wish I could've kept you all from having to go through it. XOXO