Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing

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His account of his treatment by psychiatrists is highly critical, while much more praise is given to others in mental health services and especially the police.

Heavy Light by Horatio Clare | Book review | The TLS Heavy Light by Horatio Clare | Book review | The TLS

The first half of this book traces the breakdown of the author, which I found difficult reading, his privilege shone through and made me immediately prejudiced against him. I thought it was telling how his partner Rebecca only learns much later of some of the things he has done (about which he says very little overall). he comments on the sparse collection of books on the ward, to which him bringing his own most recent volume probably adds 20%. To details in the depth he has detailed of his own personal experiences of the highs and lows of bipolar is something unique.A brilliant first person account of the experience of mania with psychosis - if you want to know how it feels then this is the book to read. Partly a tribute to those who looked after Horatio, from family and friends to strangers and professionals, and partly an investigation into how we understand and treat acute crises of mental health, Heavy Light 's beauty, power and compassion illuminate a fundamental part of human experience. Yet later, we are told that the trauma therapy he received would have “unquestionably” helped his depressive late father and his half-sister who committed suicide.

Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing - Goodreads Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing -

Parts here use a strategy of giving us Clare’s recollection of events in counterpoint with his partner’s rather more candid assessment. Sadly it does not represent many of the people I see in my work as a Clinical Psychologist, but his story speaks to the potential healing powers of community, kindness, nature and careful listening. Mental illness is deeply complex and contested and it is too much to ask that he can provide the answers. Remy casts herself as a pop star and reflects on the traumas of childhood and earth through parables and the music we grew up on. It even extends to the relationship with his partner, who recommends – and it is admirable he includes this – that recommending that readers stop their medications might not be the best idea.

I’m sure some people alive remember what it was like without medication and how they couldn’t live at home. Throwing ever more medication at problems which clearly stem from grief, lack of connection and fear can, and does, create more problems than it solves. It rather gave the impression that all psychiatrists are interested in his prescribing medication which felt extremely unfair as that is a profound misrepresentation. I listened to this as an audiobook read by Horatio Clare himself, which I think added to the experience since it was able to capture his emotions on the topic far better than if I had simply read the words. He is blessed, as when he was spiralling ever upwards before admission, with friends who keep in touch, who send thoughtful gifts, who make long journeys to visit.

Heavy Light Album Review | Pitchfork U.S. Girls: Heavy Light Album Review | Pitchfork

I was struck, from his account of his time on the ward to the trendy but controversial trauma therapies later by the sheer value of *doing something* with one's hands whilst talking. Overall quite a nicely written account but lacked as much reflection and balance as I would have liked. Stories like this motivate me to fight for a better world, and remind me that compassion — rather than fear — should always come first.Brilliant examination of mental illness, detention under the mental health act and the serious problems with current medication and treatment programmes in the UK. In a year when all of us have had to face the reality of our wellbeing, and have had our own frailties exposed, this book is a timely reminder that we need to look at the root causes of wellbeing issues, not just medicate them and hope for the best.