Sheila Hamilton > Quotes

“Of all the research I've read about breakthroughs in mental illness, this message resonates most loudly. We need one another to lead healthy lives, and when faced with the prospect of illness, be it mental or physical, we need to believe others can help us through to the other side.”
― Sheila Hamilton, All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness

“If David had been diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, members of his family, school, and church would have undoubtedly mobilized support. His caregivers would have communicated his need for dietary changes, exercise, and/or insulin. This was not the case when David exhibited the earliest signs of depression. The myth persists that mental illness is a character flaw. It is my hope that one day disorders of the brain will be treated with as much care, compassion, and tenacity as diseases of any other organs in our bodies.”
― Sheila Hamilton, All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness

“Jamison keeps the last line of a poem on her desk that draws her in when things go dark and she is exhausted by the futile attempts to pull meaning from life. it is from Douglas Dunn's "Disenchantments," and I have copied the line to help me through my darkest hours. "Look to the living, love them, and hold on.”
― sheila hamilton

“The brain is just another organ, vulnerable to illness and capable of recovery.”
― Sheila Hamilton, All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness