David's Box: The Journals and Letters of a Young Man Diagnosed as Schizophrenic, 1960-1971

by Richard S. Hallam, Mike Bender

This book is based on a unique and important set of documents. It contains detailed excerpts from the diaries, letters and records of a young man who, in his mid teens, was diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia’. This man, whom we shall call David, recorded details of his life on a near daily basis from 1964 until his death some seven years later.

Most personal accounts of mental illness are written long after the breakdown but David’s diaries contain fresh observations written within hours or days of the events he describes. The set of documents includes the letters David receives, and copies of the letters he writes to others. There are also his school reports.

David is sometimes outraged by his treatment, especially by the effects of psychiatric drugs on his mental faculties, and also by the stigma he encounters in the periods between admissions. He has his own reasons for keeping his diaries but they are clearly not meant for publication. Consequently, the narrative of his life, which is certainly there to be found, has to be revealed through an editing process.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Tess Tainton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into one man's journey through psychiatric treatment until it reaches its, sadly, inevitable conclusion. It's easy to draw comparisons between some of the incidents then and the shortcomings found in today's health service.

An upsetting but relevant read