Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Book Review: All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness, by Sheila Hamilton

All the Things We Never Knew is without a doubt one of the best books about mental illness I have ever read. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is more informative than the Mental Health First Aid class I took this winter at work.

Sheila Hamilton was married to her husband for 11 years. It wasn't until she was well into the marriage that she learned that the cause of his erratic, unusual (and rather jerky behavior) was his undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder. I'm not ruining anything by tell you he ultimately committed suicide. She reveals this at the beginning of the book.

Hamilton alternates chapters in the book, covering the story of their life and information about Bipolar Disorder. She gives a very detailed account of the toll this illness has on the sufferer, their family and work life. But she also gives excellent advice for those who are caught in this nightmare.
I especially appreciate how she talks about educating her daughter about Bipolar Disorder. Her daughter is at risk for the disease, and Hamilton is careful to teach her about that.

I told my counselors at school that I think this should be required reading. I'd recommend this book to anyone, though. It's engaging and informative at the same time...which always delights me as a reader.