I often think that someday I might like to write a book and sometimes the type of book varies, although I know I would want to write about something that I am interested in and would normally read myself. Some of my favorite books are memoirs or books written by a therapist or psychiatrist about their crazy-ass patients. I don't know that my life is necessarily interesting enough to write about, nor am I famous enough for someone to care about the little details of my life that has made me -- me. So - I guess that leaves me to write about crazy people.
Now - I am sorry if I offended people for using the word crazy, but this is my blog and sometimes I just get fed up with having to be all PC about things. But when I talk about crazy, I don't mean the average 'ole depressed person or the normally anxious individual or the ever-popular ADHD boy - I'm talking about the ones that see things you & I don't see.
My inspiration comes from a person I spent much of my day today with - we'll call him Keith, as I have never worked with a Keith and that way I can protect identity & keep confidentiality. Someone mentioned to me that he may make an interesting case study for someone. It could make for a very interesting story, but I need to wait until I move from the area just so people are protected. And who knows, sometimes the really interesting cases don't necessarily stay around long enough themselves to be a case study. So - for now he is a work in progess. And someday I will write my book and make millions and retire early & comfortably in Costa Rica.
So, until the release of my book, here are a couple that I have read & enjoyed:
* Welcome to My Country by Lauren Slater (working with schizophrenics)
* Invisible Masters by George Weinberg (working with obsessive-compulsive disorders)
* Love's Executioners by Irvin Yalom (10 different stories)
* Every Day Gets A Little Closer by Irvin Yalom & Ginny Elkin (accounts from doctor & schizophrenic patient)
* Letters to a Young Therapist by Mary Pipher (just what it sounds)
* Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel (memoir regarding her depression)
* I Never Told Anyone by Ellen Bass (stories from sexual abuse survivors)
* An Unquiet Mind by Kay Jamison (memoir of her bipolar illness)
And my recent purchases (have yet to read them) are:
* News from the Border by Jane McDonnell (about her own autistic son)
* Borderlines:A Memoir by Caroline Kraus (title explains it)
* Necessary Dreams: Ambition in Changing Women's Lives by Anna Fels (one psychiatrist's own study)
4 comments:
I want to write a book some day too. It's probably going to be something silly like chick lit with exaggerated true stories about people I know. I'll have to change the names and stories just enough that people can't sue me for writing about how they sat naked under a tree (indian style) and sang while intoxicated.
I wonder how many people are writing about bloggers. It's such a phenomema that I am betting lots of people are working on it.
Dipped: You have already grabbed my attention with your book. I would like to read that someday.
Cattiva: I have read newspaper articles about bloggers, but I think it needs to catch on a little bit more. So many people have no clue what a blog is. Although if someone were to write a book on it and they were the first one, they might be able to make a lot of money
I am a mental health therapist within a day treatment program. I do 3 group therapy sessions daily and about 6-7 individual sessions daily. I have around 30 on my caseload.
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