Unwittingly, I've taken to alternating fiction with non-fiction. For me, non-fiction is oftentimes easier (depending upon the circumstances - but that is another blog post in and of itself!). I don't quite remember where I got the idea to read this book but in all likelihood it was either NPR or BookRiot or one of the myriad of book review websites that I follow and blogs that I read.
The Scar by Mary Cregan is part an attempt at recollecting how Mary Cregan came to be depressed and how she dealt with a severe depression but also a history of depression and its treatment itself. Mary's story begins with one of the most, perhaps, tragic events a person can deal with - the death of a newborn child that was completely and utterly unexpected. Mary's daughter, Anna, is born with a congenital heart defect that in all likelihood would be known about now (it was the early 80's when this occurred - a time period in which ultrasound wasn't routine maternal/fetal health care) that is essentially an underdeveloped heart valve. Anna dies within a day of her birth. Many months later, Ms. Cregan attempts suicide, during hospitalization. I won't go into details here in part because I believe that the rest is Cregan's story to tell but also in part because it is horrific and likely triggering to a reader. After treatment during hospitalization, including ECT, Cregan is ready to work towards a non pathological acceptance of her mental illness.
Cregan uses her memoir to explore depression, its social status (if any), the pathological self-hatred and questioning they feel, their acceptance (or lack of acceptance) by society, the evolution of ECT and SSRI's and more. I really loved Cregan's ability and her courage not only in telling her story but also in publishing it in such an expansive way. I enjoyed how she demonstrates the practicality that someone that is battling mental illness has and that she does it in a completely unabashed way. She confronts topics, like Electro Convulsive Therapy head on and in a way that demonstrates not that she is proud of it, but in a way that shows that she has accepted its usefulness to her and that it isn't a big deal.I loved how she took the fears that society had about ECT and turns them on their heads.
Crear's use of things like literary and mythological methods of dealing with depression were also quite interesting. I am a person that likes to read about people having similar experiences with things and about they have handled it as well as learning about the things that I'm experiencing so this particular part of Crear's memoir appealed to me on many levels. It felt like I was reading about myself and not only learning about someone who experienced feelings, but also learned about certain topics in their historic context. This was a magnificent book that I would recommend for all.
The Scar by Mary Cregan is part an attempt at recollecting how Mary Cregan came to be depressed and how she dealt with a severe depression but also a history of depression and its treatment itself. Mary's story begins with one of the most, perhaps, tragic events a person can deal with - the death of a newborn child that was completely and utterly unexpected. Mary's daughter, Anna, is born with a congenital heart defect that in all likelihood would be known about now (it was the early 80's when this occurred - a time period in which ultrasound wasn't routine maternal/fetal health care) that is essentially an underdeveloped heart valve. Anna dies within a day of her birth. Many months later, Ms. Cregan attempts suicide, during hospitalization. I won't go into details here in part because I believe that the rest is Cregan's story to tell but also in part because it is horrific and likely triggering to a reader. After treatment during hospitalization, including ECT, Cregan is ready to work towards a non pathological acceptance of her mental illness.
Cregan uses her memoir to explore depression, its social status (if any), the pathological self-hatred and questioning they feel, their acceptance (or lack of acceptance) by society, the evolution of ECT and SSRI's and more. I really loved Cregan's ability and her courage not only in telling her story but also in publishing it in such an expansive way. I enjoyed how she demonstrates the practicality that someone that is battling mental illness has and that she does it in a completely unabashed way. She confronts topics, like Electro Convulsive Therapy head on and in a way that demonstrates not that she is proud of it, but in a way that shows that she has accepted its usefulness to her and that it isn't a big deal.I loved how she took the fears that society had about ECT and turns them on their heads.
Crear's use of things like literary and mythological methods of dealing with depression were also quite interesting. I am a person that likes to read about people having similar experiences with things and about they have handled it as well as learning about the things that I'm experiencing so this particular part of Crear's memoir appealed to me on many levels. It felt like I was reading about myself and not only learning about someone who experienced feelings, but also learned about certain topics in their historic context. This was a magnificent book that I would recommend for all.
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