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While you were out : an intimate family portrait of mental illness in an era of silence Cover Image Book

While you were out : an intimate family portrait of mental illness in an era of silence

Intimate family portrait of mental illness in an era of silence (portion title)
Kissinger, Meg (author.).

Summary: "From award-winning journalist Meg Kissinger, a searing memoir of a family besieged by mental illness, as well as an incisive exploration of the systems that failed them and a testament to the love that sustained them. Growing up in the 1960s in the suburbs of Chicago, Meg Kissinger's family seemed to live a charmed life. With eight kids and two loving parents, the Kissingers radiated a warm, boisterous energy. Whether they were spending summer days on the shores of Lake Michigan, barreling down the ski slopes, or navigating the trials of their Catholic school, the Kissingers always knew how to live large and play hard. But behind closed doors, a harsher reality was unfolding. A heavily-medicated mother hospitalized for anxiety and depression, a manic father prone to violence, and children in the throes of bipolar disorder and depression, two of whom would take their own lives. Through it all, the Kissingers faced the world with their signature dark humor and the unspoken family rule-never talk about it. While You Were Out begins as the personal story of one family's struggles, then opens outward as Kissinger details how childhood tragedy catalyzed a journalism career focused on exposing our country's flawed mental health care. Combining the intimacy of memoir with the rigor of investigative reporting, the book explores the consequences of shame, the havoc of botched public policy, and the hope offered by new treatment strategies. This is a story of one family's love and devotion in the face of relentless struggle. It is a book for anyone who cares about someone with mental illness. In other words, it is a book for everyone."--

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781250793775
  • ISBN: 1250793777
  • Physical Description: print
    xii, 303 pages : illustrations, photographs ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition
  • Publisher: New York, NY : Celadon Books, 2023.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:
Part I. Loving what is mortal -- Tiger pit -- Get out of jail free -- Secret hiding places -- Dangerous tricks -- It's all in her head -- While you were out : grandma died -- We all have to go sometime -- A hard molt -- Love and a hate crime -- Arrivals and departures -- Prodigal son returns -- Collecting treasures for heaven -- Part II. Against my bones -- Swimming back to Devil's Island -- Building character -- Holmer in the gloamin' -- Be wounded by the stories you tell -- Part III. Letting go -- Life sparks through stubble -- Pillars of light.

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
Kissinger, Meg
Families of the mentally ill United States Biography
Mentally ill United States Biography
Mental illness Physiological aspects
Families Biography
Photography of families
Mental illness
Genre:
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 34 of 37 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.

Holds

  • 2 current holds with 37 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Jacksonville Main Library 362.2092 KIS (Text) 36015000569570 Adult Nonfiction Available -
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