The center that I cannot find is known to my unconscious mind. W H Auden Other informative biographies: Temple Grandin Emmy Best Actress Claire Danes biopic. Dr Grandin has autism, her commentary in Special Features attributes her continuing growth in her 60s to 30 years of antidepressants (with no alcohol nicotine caffeine), My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey 37yo anatomy instructor in medical school experiences stroke as mental illness, dementia. An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Kay Redfield Jamison professor of psychiatry Johns Hopkins Medical School, world expert on BD bipolar disorder, manic-depressive illness, suffers from BD. Fictional portrayal of alcohol precipitated psychosis: Black Swan. One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. Helen Keller Through excerpts from diaries she has kept since childhood, Elyn Saks narrates recurrent brain attacks, like heart attacks, during which her mind is controlled not by her, thoughts feel imposed, she feels overwhelming guilt for being responsible for killing everyone and anyone. Instead of a seizure in the motor control centers of her brain which leads to muscular flailing, she has seizures in the thinking portion of her brain, which then flails about rhyming non-random words to express terror of frightening change, perceived failure or rejection. Her riveting accounts of her brain's attempts to regain a foothold on reality, and preserve dignity while suffering a biological-biochemical disconnect reflect the organic nature of the illness: repetitive thought scrambles each time the brain filter deteriorates. Her courage in stubbornly fighting for aspirations despite crippling delusions hallucinations and depression must be obvious meeting her in person, as she attracts loyal and supportive friends throughout her life in spite of her frightening psychotic seizures. Her nickname "lunch Mother" for gathering all around her to share good food and fellowship reflects the warmth with which she is held. I have no special gift. I am only passionately curious. The most beauty or experience we can have is the mysterious. . . . It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Albert Einstein Revelation of her broken brain through this book must have come at great cost, since her strength and pride reside in that same organ. But she chooses to share her life suffering publicly in advocacy for humane treatment of those who are unable to speak out for themselves. Her frightened painful restraint by leather straps and body wrap in a US psychiatric hospital which compressed her chest and prevented adequate breathing is terrifying. The contrast with the dignified respectful approach in the UK where a physician sits down and explains clearly what is not acceptable, and offers medication or an opportunity for self-calming is enlightening. Given her brain's dependence on solitude, ritual, routine, regularity, predictability for function and productivity, what is most admirable was her meeting the challenge of cancer not once, but twice, and finding herself able to sustain clarity through treatment. The most informative aspect of her healing appears not solely in talk therapy, medication or abstention from alcohol nicotine caffeine, but in befriending: finding and drawing close a group of confidants who know and accept you just as you are, human and broken and caring and proud and stubborn, and to whom you offer friendship in return. See also Nell with Jodi Foster's commentary. Without deep reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people. Albert Einstein Professor Saks' lucid account of psychosis allows one to feel the pain of her confusion, fear, sadness as her brain which serves her so nobly in her work as a law professor, betrays her repeatedly. Her advocacy for humane and dignified treatment of the mentally ill is fortified by her courageous memoir, and allows one to see the advantages of Aikido Communication: aligning, agreeing, redirecting, resolving while sharing common ground. Reading this book allows one to enter the realm of fear experienced by the mentally ill and compassionately empathize with the desire to protect oneself from frightening unknowns. Some reviewers comment on the self-absorbed wooden writing style. Professor Saks has a thinking disorder. She controls her life by controlling her thinking. Her field is mental health law, an intellectual pursuit, characterized by writing, editing, revision and re-revision to provide clarity and argue persuasively. She is not bipolar which is the brain seizure suffered by artistic creatives, so her writing does not carry the theatrical dramatic flavor of poets, playwrights, lyricists. Hers is a thought disorder, keeping her thoughts in order is a priority. Saks uses both direct grammar and vocabulary to maintain accessibility for patients and families. Some reviews note the distance sustained by Saks' parents when she was in distress. According to current thought, high expressed emotion, dramarama, theatrical displays of passion and emotionality are associated with relapse, decompensation, aggravation of functional instability. Maintenance of a neutral, low tone atmosphere in relationship devoid of drama is less likely to precipitate the painful decline in brain function called psychosis. Family intrusiveness, invasiveness, conflict, crying screaming high drama is associated with deterioration. Neutral friends and therapists were able to maintain the caring but encouraging environment she needed to acquiesce with treatment advice after 20 years of recurrent psychotic episodes from medication refusal. Temple Grandin acknowledges in her DVD commentary that her mother never felt comfortable with her squeeze machine. The neutral objectivity and distance of her aunt Ann allowed Temple to invent this calming chute, a coping skill which allowed her hours of productive function each day. The protectiveness of her mother cried out against the device. DVD Dhamma Brothers documentary of 10 day meditation training and 10 year follow up. CD Zen Garden, DVD Departures Oscar Best Foreign Film Japanese with English subtitles score CD Okuribito (Departures) gentle music for meditation or Tai Chi. Recovery is creating a "new normal." There is no current cure for schizophrenia, but Professor Saks shows there can be healing. Mental illness is a moment which changes, mental health is a moment which changes. Recovery is not returning to the way you were in the past, it is a collaboration between meeting the demands of illness while continuing to pursue meaningful work, family, friendships, marriage. Her memoir is a gift of sharing from a very private, painfully shy person, a story of suffering and ultimately resilience and hope DVD Happy [HD] documentary interviews with happy people worldwide. If you see yourself in others, then whom can you harm? Buddha 5* stars