First Chapter
Anne Cunningham
July 2021
Given the events of recent times and the persistent please from overwhelmed mental health support groups for more resources, this book seems timely. It is, for want of a better description, a Layman’s encyclopedia of mental illness, from addiction to schizophrenia and everything in between. It is an attempt to explain to the reader what mental illness is actually like to lie through.
Very often if a loved one who is perturbed, they can’t find the words to adequately express their state of mind. This book finds the words. And Professor Casey’s words are carefully chosen so as not to bamboozle. This isn’t a manual for clinical practitioners. It’s a description, in plain, calm language, of mental and emotional disturbances for those close to them. It’s for secondary school students, for parents, for siblings, for friends and lovers and spouses. It’s not sugar-coated and it’s not Dr. Phil. It has been written to help us understand, and it’s full of both empathy and hope. No mean feat.
