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Secrets: Secrets Stories of Psychiatry from America and Pakistan
Kindle Edition
Published February 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 23, 2026
"He talked, as we often do, about how the strongest chains are the ones we place on ourselves. Each breakthrough opens new horizons, and new anxieties. And when one person changes, those around them must adjust too, which is never easy."
"Secrets: Stories of Psychiatry from America and Pakistan" by Dr. Ali Madeeh Hashmi is one of those books I knew I had to read as soon as I heard about it. And I'm glad I did; not only because of my growing interest in psychiatry, but also because it is written by someone who has been my inspiration since my first year of medical school.
I never thought I would find myself writing a review of a book about psychiatry. Like most first and second year students, my dream was to specialise in surgery. It still is. But now, in my third year, the most exciting part of medical school has begun, the clinical rotations.
Lucky for me, my first rotation was in the psychiatry ward, where I saw Sir Ali closely for the first time. Despite his busy schedule, he made time to visit us occasionally at the end of lectures and share some of his knowledge (and samosas), which became something I looked forward to. When lectures started to feel long and monotonous, I found myself sneaking into the ward to take patient histories. I was intrigued, by both the diversity of the field and the endless room for learning.
In just three weeks, I saw patients with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, and child psychiatric illnesses. One of my teachers once told us that we often try to avoid psychiatric diagnoses. I didn’t understand it then, but after reading this book, I realised that patients often have to live with the weight of that label long after the diagnosis itself.
Everything I witnessed in those three weeks has been so aptly captured by Dr. Ali through stories of his patients and his own life. He shares parts of himself that many of us keep hidden, including his father’s death and the grief that followed:
"I was fluent in the language of grief, but not yet its weight."
This book also introduced me to the genre of narrative medicine , the art of using patients’ stories to improve medical care. It made me realise how much room psychiatry leaves for empathy, something that seems increasingly lost in medical practice today, especially in a country like Pakistan.
The author has a rare ability to draw readers in with his eloquent prose. This book didn’t just teach me about psychiatry, it made me fall in love with it.
I’m grateful I came across this book, and I hope it reaches the audience it deserves. "Secrets" belongs on every medical student’s bookshelf.
It is, without doubt, one of my most prized possessions.
"Secrets: Stories of Psychiatry from America and Pakistan" by Dr. Ali Madeeh Hashmi is one of those books I knew I had to read as soon as I heard about it. And I'm glad I did; not only because of my growing interest in psychiatry, but also because it is written by someone who has been my inspiration since my first year of medical school.
I never thought I would find myself writing a review of a book about psychiatry. Like most first and second year students, my dream was to specialise in surgery. It still is. But now, in my third year, the most exciting part of medical school has begun, the clinical rotations.
Lucky for me, my first rotation was in the psychiatry ward, where I saw Sir Ali closely for the first time. Despite his busy schedule, he made time to visit us occasionally at the end of lectures and share some of his knowledge (and samosas), which became something I looked forward to. When lectures started to feel long and monotonous, I found myself sneaking into the ward to take patient histories. I was intrigued, by both the diversity of the field and the endless room for learning.
In just three weeks, I saw patients with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, and child psychiatric illnesses. One of my teachers once told us that we often try to avoid psychiatric diagnoses. I didn’t understand it then, but after reading this book, I realised that patients often have to live with the weight of that label long after the diagnosis itself.
Everything I witnessed in those three weeks has been so aptly captured by Dr. Ali through stories of his patients and his own life. He shares parts of himself that many of us keep hidden, including his father’s death and the grief that followed:
"I was fluent in the language of grief, but not yet its weight."
This book also introduced me to the genre of narrative medicine , the art of using patients’ stories to improve medical care. It made me realise how much room psychiatry leaves for empathy, something that seems increasingly lost in medical practice today, especially in a country like Pakistan.
The author has a rare ability to draw readers in with his eloquent prose. This book didn’t just teach me about psychiatry, it made me fall in love with it.
I’m grateful I came across this book, and I hope it reaches the audience it deserves. "Secrets" belongs on every medical student’s bookshelf.
It is, without doubt, one of my most prized possessions.
Displaying 1 of 1 review