Making It Crazy: An Ethnography of Psychiatric Clients in an American Community

by Sue E. Estroff, Sue E. Estroff

Estroff describes a group of chronic psychiatric clients as they attempt life outside a mental hospital.

Genres: Psychology, Ethnography, Anthropology, Health

338 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Kimberlyyyreads]

Time to go write an outline for a 10 page book review that’s due next Thursday 🚶🏻‍♀️

[Coastalmegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an insightful and in-depth case study of schizophrenia in America in the 1970s. Sue Estroff set up a thorough study of mental health while acting as a participant observer within a circle of schizophrenics in the Madison area. She even takes psychiatric meditation to get a sense of the side effects many schizophrenics endure while medicated. This technique is highly unusual and highly controversial. I offer no opinion either way on this book. Her work is easy to follow and understand, while containing all the necessary elements to make this a reputable study.

I highly recommend this book for anyone in the behavioral health industry as I think her perspective allows for a clearer understanding of the patient perspective.

[e smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue Estroff is awesome. This book is awesome. This was written in 1975 and resembles my daily experience in community mental health to a tee.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read for anyone interested in how mental illness is constructed in the US.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Inside normals" and "Outside Crazies..." and so forth... the line between sanity and insanity are arbitrarily constructed at best.