Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv

11 reviews

nopebook's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Death, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Eating disorder

bloomingpear's review

informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Confinement, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child death, Racism, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Self harm

melissa_l_mcabee's review

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

This is a book about the impacts of mental illness on four very real people. If you don't want to read about the traumas that come with it, then this is not the book for you.

beanusminimus's review against another edition

reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Ableism, Addiction, Abandonment, Abortion, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Mental illness

mads_reads_books's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Eating disorder

Moderate: Body shaming, Addiction, and Ableism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Self harm, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Confinement, and Alcoholism

kellyofcali's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Chronic illness

Moderate: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Death

Minor: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Medical content

mmccombs's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

At first I wasn’t convinced about this book, it seemed that exploring this topic by 4ish case studies was not enough and that it would be difficult to bridge them together. I couldn’t really get into Ray’s story at the start, but once I hit Bapu’s chapter I was immediately hooked. The journalism here is so well done, well researched and done with an immense amount of compassion for the complexity of these people’s stories. Aviv never claims a “right” way to approach mental illness while also critiquing the way western medicine/psychology has pathologized the human experience. I also enjoyed the balance of her own personal experience with mental illness, it brought a depth to the text that bridged the stories towards a thematically grounded conclusion. I think this is a book that could just keep going, there is so much to take from this piece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Self harm

erint's review

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Self harm, Child death, Mental illness, and Chronic illness

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

lowbrowhighart's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Sexism, Confinement, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Fatphobia, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Child death, Death, Body shaming, Medical content, and Pregnancy

flowergrrl's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

Aviv is among my favorite nonfiction writers, and her first full-length book reminded me why. The depth of her journalism and the thoughtfulness of her cultural commentary are unmatched. I did find myself wanting more of her own opinion, or perhaps more background on the political contexts surrounding madness. But Aviv stays in her lane--which is, here, the ways external narrative constructs interiority--and the result is nevertheless masterful. I recommend this book to anyone willing to expand their understanding of mental illness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Self harm, Suicide, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis