This memoir, written by Caitlin Billings, follows a journey of mental health challenges from the perspectives of a social worker (therapist), patient, and parent three roles that Caitlin knows all too well.
Social Worker:
Caitlin shares her love for her career in Social Work supporting patients who are struggling with a variety of addictions, trauma and mental illnesses. Throughout the book she is able to weave in stories about a variety of patients she has worked with and the parallels between her personal and professional life. People in the caring professions give so much of themselves to their jobs (as a teacher, I know from experience) but I don't think that most people really know what a huge impact it has on the rest of that caregiver's life.
Patient:
Added to the already really challenging role that being a Social Worker has on a person's mental health, over the course of Caitlin's adult life she struggles to accept her own diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. In a completely open and honest telling of the many ups and downs she experienced as she followed her own mental health journey, Caitlin gives a very unique and valuable perspective to readers to learn more about mental illness.
Parent:
As Caitlin begins to feel some success with her own treatment and is developing acceptance of her diagnosis, her oldest child turns 12 and begins to exhibit signs of mental illness. Caitlin now needs to learn how to parent a transgender child who suffers from eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, while also dealing with her personal mental health challenges and those of her patients. Additionally, Caitlin can't help but worry that her child is experiencing these challenges because of her own medical history and any parenting mistakes she felt she made.
This memoir is extremely well written and gives so many details about challenges that so many people face but are afraid to share. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for Caitlin to write this memoir, first because she had to relive so many traumatic events and second because the potential stigma and discrimination she could face by being so open about mental health. I am sure that her role as a clinician was also something she considered when deciding to come forward with her story. It serves as an important reminder though that anyone can experience mental illness and that therapists need support to deal with their own challenges while also supporting their patients.
I really loved this memoir and would highly recommend it. However, there are some topics that may be very hard for readers to engage in.
Content Warnings: suicide, self-harm, addiction, domestic violence, sexual assault, incest, assault with a weapon, trauma.
I am so appreciative of ErinNicole and PR By The Book for sending me a copy to read and review! You should definitely grab a copy now that it has been published!