Meg Kissinger

i could not stop listening to this book. Meg Kissinger is so good at reporting/documenting/writing her family's history. this is not a light read by any means, but so incredible. it was thought-provoking in so many ways and one i won’t forget. compellingly written and deeply researched. Meg Kissinger shares her story of growing up in a family that fought mental illness behind closed doors in an era where such struggles were not to be talked about openly. Meg has brought to light the reality of the ways we treat people with mental illness and by sharing her story hopes to continue the fight for change. beyond the topic of mental illness there are many other interesting threads of history in this book that i’m dying to unravel further - the 15,000 pilots in training that died on american soil, the boom of pharmaceuticals, the “twilight sleep” that was induced upon pregnant women, John F. Kennedy Jr.’s unrealized dream of better mental healthcare. nowadays we talk more openly about mental illnesses, but there is still a long way to go in how we treat people with mental illness and in some ways it seems as though we have regressed. why after all these years can we as a society still not figure this out? why can’t we do better? when did we stop trying?… (mehr)

This memoir is written by journalist Meg Kissinger, one of eight children born in rapid succession to an emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother and her volatile, alcoholic husband in an Irish Catholic family. It begins in the 1950s when mental health issues weren't publicly acknowledged due to a fear of judgement by the community and a lack of understanding.

Meg's mother was frequently missing with no explanation when she eventually returned. The children were left to sort out their feelings and anxieties on their own. From the outside, their large family lived well with their father earning a very good living as a salesman until the alcoholism rendered him an undesirable employee on numerous occasions. The onset of mental illness in the family resulted in two sibling suicides with others struggling to comprehend the enormity of the loss. Nothing was ever discussed or explained within the family, leading again to everyone sorting out their feelings, accompanied by guilt in not having done something to prevent the suicides.

Meg's transparency about the need for more mental health resources, her advocacy of AA for alcoholics and her pain at the loss of so much in this family makes it an absorbing read. Although told in the first person, it is reminiscent of Hidden Valley Road. We all have so much work to do to destigmatize mental illness for the sakes of those individuals suffering from something as debilitating as a physical illness and their families who need our support and understanding.… (mehr)

[3.75] Those of us who have faced the agony of helping a loved one battle mental illness will find Kissinger’s brave memoir relatable and enlightening. One can cut some slack to the author for the book’s painfully slow start given the fact that she aims to provide readers with revealing snapshots of her seven siblings, parents and grandparents. I didn’t remotely engaged until about a third of the way into the book. Fortunately, the wave of laudable reviews spurred me to read on. These favorable reviews are merited. Kissinger uses her impressive reporting skills to paint a stark portrait of a family that has spent decades coping with mental illness — and the stigma that accompanies this journey. How tempting it can be to store away secrets under the cloak of a cozy, family-focused lifestyle. In the latter chapters where the author focuses on the power of investigative journalism to spur reforms, she wisely acknowledges the fine line that exists between playing the role of an advocate for mentally ill people and being the beacon of light that casts a spotlight on the issue. Her message is one that should be stressed in journalism classes: Don’t be an advocate. Tell the stories that accurately portray the issue, and let others be the advocates. Kissinger has written a valuable book in an era when suicide rates have increased and promoting mental health awareness has never been more important.… (mehr)