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Reviews for Failure to Thrive
Failure to Thrive: My Journey Into Mental Illness provides more insight into depression and bi-polar disorder. The author talks candidly about the ups and downs and her struggles with food, schooling, jobs, relationship fears, and children. One of the points she makes is how mental illness affects these basic aspects of life -- how it makes it harder and how we need to stop the stigma surrounding mental illness. She also states how important strong communication is. I think it's so important for family members to understand and respond to them with encouragement. I like that the author gives resources at the end of the book. . . I appreciate this book, building awareness and the outreach to society.
This memoir covers the journey of a woman dealing with mental illness. It's a compelling and sometimes poignant tale, especially as it details the loving (but not helpful) efforts of loved ones and friends. I don't suffer from mental illness myself, but I have many family members who do. I cannot empathize but I can sympathize because I've seen the pain they suffer, sometimes so greatly that it has led them to attempt (sometimes successfully) to take their lives. It's encouraging to read about an experience of someone who's proactive in getting and staying healthy.
Julie Ann is a gifted writer who uses her own life experiences to convey what life is like for those with mental illness. Hers is an incredibly honest portrayal, holding nothing back to help us fully understand their plight. Her courageous stance in stepping forward to expose what she's been through is truly a labor of love. I believe her bold portrayal will encourage and enlighten those who suffer in like manner. And it will no doubt spark greater empathy and understanding in those whose loved ones suffer.
Very interesting. Really informative. Helped me understand mental illness a lot better. I think the author very brave to be able to put down in writing her entire struggle.
This book is about being bipolar and how Julie struggles to get better. It's honest and give a unique inside look of a life with bipolar illness. It made me understand more about how people with it have to struggle with medication to feel balance.
This book (a quick, engaging read) has raised my awareness of what a mental illness can look like. Though I haven't been diagnosed with a mental illness before, parts of this book surprisingly resonated with me. I can't explain it, but by reading this book, I felt I came closer to understanding something about myself. Afterward, I was able to sit down with my children and teach them something about it, and am glad they know they can come tell me with absolutely anything. Even those whose lives are not personally touched by mental illness I think would find a way to give the benefit of the doubt to those around them more often, as the author shows well that we never know exactly what's going on in someone else's life. I will be recommending this book to my friends.
Julie's informative narration of her life with mental illnesss gives me a clearer understanding of the mental illness within my own family.
In her memoir, Julie took me through her difficulties with her parents as a young girl. Having aversions to certain foods and suffering her parents strict rules during mealtimes, Julie tried to understand her life. She struggles through school, not fitting in to any groups. She is eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She does an excellent job of raising awareness for people with mental illness.
Was so good that I got mad whenever I had to go to bed, because I had to force myself to stop reading. Taught me a lot about bipolar, how others may react, and how much more emotional people can be than myself (I have PMDD). Great book, easy read, really sucked you in and made you feel like you were there. Also helps me be more careful about what I say, even if I don't think my words will make someone feel bad.
My story is a hard one to tell. There were times when I was literally sobbing just writing this. But it was needed. And it’s necessary for people to understand what their loved ones are going through and to figure out how to help them. I wanted everyone with a mental illness to know that you aren’t alone. No matter how much it feels like it right now, you are not alone.
My story is a hard one to tell. There were times when I was literally sobbing just writing this. But it was needed. And it’s necessary for people to understand what their loved ones are going through and to figure out how to help them. I wanted everyone with a mental illness to know that you aren’t alone. No matter how much it feels like it right now, you are not alone.
Excerpt from Failure to Thrive
Excerpt from Failure to Thrive
I don’t care. I can’t care.
The ability to feel is what makes us human. I know what it is like being without those feelings. I’m very good at pretending. I can even make someone think that I understand and empathize.
But I don’t. I can’t.
I hope that this is a temporary feeling. One that I will get over sooner rather than later. But I believe I can understand what would make someone look at their life and decide it’s not worth sticking around for. I want to do something with that knowledge. I want to help people. I want to make it so that no one ever has to feel this way.
Maybe I do care.
I don’t care. I can’t care.
The ability to feel is what makes us human. I know what it is like being without those feelings. I’m very good at pretending. I can even make someone think that I understand and empathize.
But I don’t. I can’t.
I hope that this is a temporary feeling. One that I will get over sooner rather than later. But I believe I can understand what would make someone look at their life and decide it’s not worth sticking around for. I want to do something with that knowledge. I want to help people. I want to make it so that no one ever has to feel this way.
Maybe I do care.
Why would you continue to feel when all you can feel is pain? How do you keep from turning it off? When the ability to turn off your emotions is so easy—like flipping a switch—why would you leave them on?
This story is for the friends and family members of those fighting mental illnesses and those fighting their own battle. Many don’t understand what their loved ones are going through. They don’t understand how real mental illnesses are, how deeply they can hurt the person struggling, and the toll it can take on family. They may not “get” that a mental illness, unfortunately, isn’t something you can just fix and that suggestions like “do more service,” “think outside yourself,” “push yourself to be better,” or worst of all “just smile more,” while good ideas, don’t help as intended, but can instead end up worsening the issue. A mental illness is exactly as it says, an illness that is in the brain, and cannot be fixed by simply “sucking it up” or merely deciding to change.
Mental illnesses are complicated problems with frustratingly complicated solutions. While the most common treatment includes therapy and medication, every person is unique. Sometimes therapy is all that’s needed, or a medication may be the best solution. Whatever is required, a mental illness isn’t something that simply goes away. Sorrow can leave. Moods can change. You can improve your focus. However, when these are signs of a larger complication, the root issue must be addressed, not merely the symptoms.
In order to be allies with those fighting mental illnesses, we need to help rid the world of the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Conversations about mental illness must be as commonplace as conversations about diabetes or cancer.
In this book, I will share my experiences and take you through my journey to mental wellness. It took me years to get to a point where I can say that I have a mental illness. My worldview had to change drastically. It had to reform completely.
As someone who has suffered, I am an advocate for mental health reform in many ways, but mostly in the ways we talk about mental health. We, as a society, need to understand that depression is more than just sadness, bipolar disorder is more than just changing your mind a lot, and Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) isn’t just having trouble sitting still. These mental illnesses need to lose their stigma. Correct information is out there and easily available, but misinformation can lead friends and family members, though well-meaning, to add to the problem. And there is far too much misinformation out there. If my struggle can help others understand what they’re going through and seek the help they need, then it will be worth it.
I want the world to know what has happened in my life. I will not exaggerate my feelings, but I will not tone them down either. I want you to understand. Because maybe, if you can come to understand, you could help someone instead of accidentally making it worse. I don’t want anyone struggling with mental health to feel like I did, a failure.
Why would you continue to feel when all you can feel is pain? How do you keep from turning it off? When the ability to turn off your emotions is so easy—like flipping a switch—why would you leave them on?
This story is for the friends and family members of those fighting mental illnesses and those fighting their own battle. Many don’t understand what their loved ones are going through. They don’t understand how real mental illnesses are, how deeply they can hurt the person struggling, and the toll it can take on family. They may not “get” that a mental illness, unfortunately, isn’t something you can just fix and that suggestions like “do more service,” “think outside yourself,” “push yourself to be better,” or worst of all “just smile more,” while good ideas, don’t help as intended, but can instead end up worsening the issue. A mental illness is exactly as it says, an illness that is in the brain, and cannot be fixed by simply “sucking it up” or merely deciding to change.
Mental illnesses are complicated problems with frustratingly complicated solutions. While the most common treatment includes therapy and medication, every person is unique. Sometimes therapy is all that’s needed, or a medication may be the best solution. Whatever is required, a mental illness isn’t something that simply goes away. Sorrow can leave. Moods can change. You can improve your focus. However, when these are signs of a larger complication, the root issue must be addressed, not merely the symptoms.
In order to be allies with those fighting mental illnesses, we need to help rid the world of the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Conversations about mental illness must be as commonplace as conversations about diabetes or cancer.
In this book, I will share my experiences and take you through my journey to mental wellness. It took me years to get to a point where I can say that I have a mental illness. My worldview had to change drastically. It had to reform completely.
As someone who has suffered, I am an advocate for mental health reform in many ways, but mostly in the ways we talk about mental health. We, as a society, need to understand that depression is more than just sadness, bipolar disorder is more than just changing your mind a lot, and Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) isn’t just having trouble sitting still. These mental illnesses need to lose their stigma. Correct information is out there and easily available, but misinformation can lead friends and family members, though well-meaning, to add to the problem. And there is far too much misinformation out there. If my struggle can help others understand what they’re going through and seek the help they need, then it will be worth it.
I want the world to know what has happened in my life. I will not exaggerate my feelings, but I will not tone them down either. I want you to understand. Because maybe, if you can come to understand, you could help someone instead of accidentally making it worse. I don’t want anyone struggling with mental health to feel like I did, a failure.