Letters to a Young Madman: A Memoir - Softcover

Paul Gruchow

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0985397233 ISBN 13: 9780985397234

Publisher: Levins Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

Letters to a Young Madman

In Letters to a Young Madman, a man of genius, of uncanny writing ability, and of profound empathy for the mentally ill, recounts his ''spectacular plunge from competency into official madness.'' Paul Gruchow's account of the mental illness, which eventually claimed his life, explores the double injury inflicted on the mentally ill. First, there is the illness itself, with its often debilitating symptoms. But then there is the more insidious injury made by society, stigmatization: ''We no longer believe, as we did 250 years ago, that the mentally ill are animals, but we are not ready to grant that they are fully human, either.'' In a voice remarkably clear, eloquent, and calm, Gruchow shows us why he came to regard the mentally ill as ''his heroes.''

Gary Schoener, the Director of the Minneapolis Walk-In Counseling Center, thinks Gruchow writes with ''the power of a confessional poet like Anne Sexton.'' He further says of the book, ''It is a first hand account -- an authentic look from the inside -- with graphic personal descriptions admission to a psychiatric ward, electroconvulsive shock treatment, and so many other things familiar to the mentally ill, but not everyone else. What is so illuminating about this very honest and direct personal account is the integration of personal observations with philosophical statements and ideas.''

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

“This is a book for clients, for therapists, and for people who care.... This is a remarkable chronicle of Paul Gruchow's life's journey and his personal experience with emotional struggles and mental illness. It is a first hand account -- an authentic look from the inside -- with graphic personal descriptions of things like admission to a psychiatric ward, electroconvulsive shock treatment, and so many other things familiar to the mentally ill but not everyone else. What is so illuminating about this very honest and direct personal account is the integration of personal observations with philosophical statements and ideas. Gruchow quotes a psychologist who advised clients be asked, 'Whoever gave you the idea that you ought to be happy all the time?' Indeed his own journey was painful and he does not mince words about that. He does this with the power of a confessional poet like Anne Sexton. And while heroic, he does not end happily. Words I will not forget summarize this: 'My own story does not end with me bathed in bright sunlight and the Hallelujah Chorus playing in the background. It ends with me alive, more so some days than others. That has to be enough, because it's all there is.'” —Gary Schoener, Clinical Psychologist, Director of Consultation & Training, Walk-In Counseling Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota “As a psychologist and a creative writer, I found Gruchow's book fascinating. I am sick of the DSM's descriptions of mental illness. Gruchow gives it to you from the horse's mouth. He is a self-described 'madman.' For anyone who wants to read about mental illness from the inside, I would recommend this book. Those who write about mental illness from the outside are giving you the Hollywood version. Gruchow also gives an excellent description of what kind of help people who are ill need. He gives a blow by blow of unhelpful therapies and let's you know from the point of view of the patient why they miss the mark. The majority of therapies are described from the point of view of the therapist, which, as he points out, is not the consumer. It is like hunting.” —Cathy McClure Gildiner, Psychologist and author of “Too Close to the Falls” and “After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties” “Paul Gruchow's Letters to a Young Madman should be required reading for any therapist. In this powerful memoir, we see mental illness from the inside out-- the ways depression, trauma, grief, loss, and abuse influence our inner self. This memoir is a powerful testament-- a unique elegy to, not the triumph, but the tragedy of the human spirit.” —Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, Professor, The College of New Rochelle, Senior Consultant, The Hospice Foundation of America, Author, Disenfranchised Grief

From the Back Cover:

"We say that one gets cancer, or a cold, or kidney disease. One would never think to say that one is cancer. But we say that one is depressed, or bipolar, or schizophrenic. A disease of the body is a condition. But a disease of the mind, we think, is a state of being." (Semantics 1)

About this edition

• Publisher: Levins Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0985397233
• ISBN 13: 9780985397234
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 209