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Joanne W. (Ossining, NY)
A mother's story
Zig Zag Boy is the author's moving account of her son's severe mental illness journey.
Zach grows up as a sensitive, intelligent younger brother. For unexplained reasons he begins to have paranoid thoughts and starts hearing voices. She describes their entry into the diagnosis and medical treatment phase of his illness. This is the beginning of a frightening and exhausting journey. There are moments of hope but mostly it is sad and very lonely. Her life becomes consumed with taking care of, as best as she can, her adult son.
The book highlights the struggles and challenges of caring for someone with severe mental
…more illness. It clearly illustrates how unequipped our society continues to be to give adequate care. It shows the strain on families and other relationships. This is not a book that gives false hope. This is an honest portrait of her experience in dealing with a sick son in a very difficult environment. It is short and very readable. I finished in two days. I recommend to anyone interested in family drama and mental illness. (less)I am glad I read this book. I think it would be especially useful to people who are in relationship with people experiencing severe mental health issues. The author does a beautiful job conveying the competing needs to respect autonomy and to insure care for an adult child with mental health challenges while trying to care for themselves. It is not new news that the U.S. and UK mental health systems are inadequate, and in many ways broken. Yet, experiencing them through this specific mother's and son's common and divergent needs was heart-breaking and eye-opening. There are no easy answers, and this book doesn't
…more pretend there are. Yet it left this reader hopeful. (less)Tanya Frank willingly adapted a mother's warrior spirit when her nineteen-year-old son Zach experienced a psychotic episode. Searching for answers through the health care systems of 2 separate countries only confirmed that mental illness is an incredibly complex genre of disease processes which are still largely misunderstood, often misdiagnosed, and commonly treated in so many varying ways that the journey becomes almost impossible to endure. Yet our author points out that many impaired individuals have no choice but to accept treatment as experimental regimens, searching to find a neutral zone where daily life
…more can be maintained without the constant interference of combative symptoms. There is no one-size-fits-all cure. The battle of mental illness is horrific for the individual and just as harrowing for their loved ones watching and wanting to intervene, to shelter, and care for the vulnerable souls searching for a peaceful existence. Tanya Frank admits to being "weary with an uppercase W" and readers will feel much the same angst following along as her brutally honest words describe the challenges faced by Zach, the family members who strive to help him, and the medical professionals who are doing their best given the ever-evolving research and development of new protocols to provide relief for tortured minds. Describing Zach she writes, "it is no wonder that he is often unable to put one foot in front of the other, that he lies down on the spot wherever he is, because being human and upright is unbearable." A powerfully written visual that many readers will find difficult to digest and yet this slim volume is filled with many such heartbreaking scenes. The material might be triggering for the unprepared reader, but for others seeking validation of their own journeys, this memoir is full of honesty and "sadness—so strangely comforting" which indeed is one of the author's intentions. (less)Zig Zag Boy is Tanya Frank's story of her son's psychotic break at age 19 and the years that follow as they come to terms with his ongoing psychosis. As a mother, the portions of the book that focus on her and her son, and their relationship, are visceral and heart-wrenching. Frank is unsparing in discussing their battles with health care providers and insurance in both the U.S. and England, her son Zach's turmoil on antipsychotic meds and the difficulties he faces when unmedicated, the struggle in getting an accurate (or at least consistent) diagnosis, and their forays into conventional and alternative
…more medicines and treatments. I also appreciated that Frank doesn't shy away from talking about their friends and family, and how other relationships and facets of their lives change significantly, sometimes irreparably. And while Frank's whole-hearted love and adoration for her son shine throughout, this does not inoculate her from caregiver burnout and fatigue.
Interspersed throughout the book are passages about nature and elephant seals. While these portions are interesting, they are not as strong or as captivating as the more personal anecdotes. Overall this is a strong and compassionate memoir that provides an open and honest look at mental illness and its concomitants. (less)For a mom nothing is worse than seeing your child ill and hurting but it is whole different story when you cant see the illness, give the child a pill or a hug to help the child heal in a timely manner. Mental illness is frightening and it is hard not to blame yourself for what's happening to your child - if only i did .... better, differently, been a stronger role model of not had that drink . these are some of the feelings and thoughts that zach's mom feels when her son has what is called a psychotic break at 19 year sold. the book does a good job of describing the havoc that the entire family goes thru
…more dealing with all the unknowns, doctors, hospital stays, trouble in the relationship between the mom and her wife, the siblings etc. This book does a very good job of describing the hell of the mysteries of mental illness (less)From the first page this book caught my interest and never let go.
Tanya Frank tells how exhausting the journey is for both patient and caregiver to live with mental illness on a daily basis.
I would recommend ZIG-ZAG BOY to anguish terestrd in mental illness.
Kelly S.
Compelling Read
For anyone who's been through the life changing consequences of dealing with a mental illness diagnosis in a family member, there is a lot to relate to in Zig Zag Boy. Tanya Frank has, in an easy to read style, given an intimate and honest account of the fear, guilt, sadness and exasperation she experiences in her search for answers in a "trial and error" health care system.
For anyone coping with any adversity, you'll find lessons here in the value of perseverance and of acceptance. You'll discover the benefits of being open to the support of a larger community. You'll also be reminded of the importance of
…more nurturing close relationships and the necessity of finding peace and balance in your own life. (less)I found this book to be a heartbreakingly realistic tale of the havoc a mental illness diagnosis can have on a family. As the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, so many of the situations the author and her family experienced brought back memories, sad, scary, confusing and wonderful memories.
I am not, however, a fan of the author's writing style. At times the tale jumped from topic to topic and from minute detail to impossibly large generalizations in a single paragraph which was very distracting. There were also sweeping summaries at the end of a number of chapters which made me think I had reached the
…more end of the book. Perhaps I should have read only a single chapter at each sitting. Once again, this was very distracting making the book seem disjointed.
I will recommend this book to the extended family of anyone who has psychosis in their family to provide a window into what their nuclear family may be experiencing. (less)
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