melissa_l_mcabee's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book may be the most impactful view on mental illness I have ever read. The lives and minds of the people she included spoke to the part of me that wonders if I'm the only one that feels the way I do. It was validating to see others perspectives and experiences. 

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mads_reads_books's review against another edition

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informative reflective fast-paced

5.0


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teerah's review

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informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0


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kellyofcali's review

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2.25

While I found a lot of the content interesting, I found myself confused about the purpose of this book, beyond a strange sense of fear and awe about what the mind can go through. The author seemed to send mixed messages about treatment and medication. I preferred her personal anecdotes to her philosophizing, and in the end came away a bit unsatisfied.

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erint's review

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A really excellent book. I appreciated how much time Aviv spent on each story, and the compassionate lens she brings to the subject. I really appreciated her focus on the way that the categorization and diagnosis of mental illness can impact how individuals experience it. I also appreciated the diverse lens and the focus on the impacts of social, cultural, and economic factors like poverty and racism impact both the development and experience of mental illness and the level of understanding and care that people receive. I also appreciated the sensitivity and care with which she discussed the idea of "recovery."

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