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Twelve Cases: A Psychiatrist’s True Stories of Mental Illness and Addiction [and Other Human Predispositions]
Are you curious about the shadowy parts of the human psyche? Join Dr. Daniel Mierlak, a psychiatrist for twenty-five years, on a journey to the stranger corners of human experience. Here you’ll Tony, chauffeur to the fabulously rich, who overcomes crippling anxiety only to find himself descend into a homicidal rage following a botched cosmetic procedure. Amanda, hospitalized for mania, who sees a change to her medicine as an assassination attempt, and then stalks her doctor for a year after discharge. James, a schizophrenic hearing voices telling him to kill himself, whose piano playing leads to a shocking secret about his past.Psychiatric treatment is normally a private encounter and often misunderstood. In describing twelve of his most challenging cases, Dr. Mierlak brings you into his sessions, into his patients’ lives, and into the world of psychiatry. Get ready for some surprises.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2018
69 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 29, 2021
The best case was hilarious and would have been a great short story, except it was true. The patient, James, was a deaf mute, but could lip read as he had become deaf after an illness when he was 8. He communicated in signs and notes. Every now and again he would hear voices telling him to kill himself and then would go to the ER and be admitted to the psychiatric service. When stabilised and the voices quietened, he remained in the hospital as he couldn't easily be discharged being homeless.
One day he was discovered playing the piano. He said he remembered the tunes from his childhood and it gave other people pleasure. Then he was caught playing a tune from a musical not performed until after he went deaf! Detective work follows and in true crime-scene style, James swallows a piece of paper with a number written on it! They rescue the paper (ie manhandle him until he spits it out) and by various techniques they uncover the phone number which is missing one digit.
The author decides to try all ten missing digits and on the third one he scores.
The first case was the most freaky - his patient stalked him for years, threatened him, sent endless emails. The end came, years later, when a forensic psychiatrist who went through every detail discovered that there was a charge incorrectly imposed by the hospital. When that was sorted out, the former patient left off her harassment. This is not to suggest that was the reason for the stalking in the first place (but it might have been) as the patient never said anything about it.
It was an interesting book, although it doesn't sound it, it was different from the myriad of psychiatric/neurological doctor-patient books I've read. Ten out of the twelve cases were good reading, two were boring and I skimmed them, therefore 4 stars. Four stars and I'd read another book by this author.
One day he was discovered playing the piano. He said he remembered the tunes from his childhood and it gave other people pleasure. Then he was caught playing a tune from a musical not performed until after he went deaf! Detective work follows and in true crime-scene style, James swallows a piece of paper with a number written on it! They rescue the paper (ie manhandle him until he spits it out) and by various techniques they uncover the phone number which is missing one digit.
The author decides to try all ten missing digits and on the third one he scores.
The first case was the most freaky - his patient stalked him for years, threatened him, sent endless emails. The end came, years later, when a forensic psychiatrist who went through every detail discovered that there was a charge incorrectly imposed by the hospital. When that was sorted out, the former patient left off her harassment. This is not to suggest that was the reason for the stalking in the first place (but it might have been) as the patient never said anything about it.
It was an interesting book, although it doesn't sound it, it was different from the myriad of psychiatric/neurological doctor-patient books I've read. Ten out of the twelve cases were good reading, two were boring and I skimmed them, therefore 4 stars. Four stars and I'd read another book by this author.
December 5, 2023
An engaging little book of select psychiatric cases; cleverly written and appropriately hilarious.
July 2, 2024
Dr. Daniel Mierlak graciously invited us to take a glimpse into his daily life through the pages of his book. The experience was undeniably fascinating, as Mierlak's writing style allowed readers to engage all five senses in exploring the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, the toll of burnout, and the sacrifices made in the pursuit of healing others.
While it may seem somewhat callous to find moments of humor or levity within the narratives of these twelve case studies, it is essential to acknowledge the humanity within each patient's story. The sacrifices made by healthcare professionals, such as sleepless nights and missed family moments, are underscored throughout the book, serving as poignant reminders of the dedication required in their line of work.
This book serves as a compelling introduction to Dr. Mierlak perspective on the human condition. The afterword, in particular, added a lighthearted touch that left a lasting impression.
While it may seem somewhat callous to find moments of humor or levity within the narratives of these twelve case studies, it is essential to acknowledge the humanity within each patient's story. The sacrifices made by healthcare professionals, such as sleepless nights and missed family moments, are underscored throughout the book, serving as poignant reminders of the dedication required in their line of work.
This book serves as a compelling introduction to Dr. Mierlak perspective on the human condition. The afterword, in particular, added a lighthearted touch that left a lasting impression.
December 3, 2021
The novel, The 12 Cases By Dr. Daniel Mierlak, pertains to his twelve most interesting cases of mentally ill patients. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Mierlak encounters many astonishing people with complex disorders. Whether they feel controlled by voices in their head or believe that people around them are there to hurt them, the cases are all uniquely different but similar in the fact that they all need help. Dr. Mierlak discovers many life lessons and becomes a better person throughout his career because of these interesting cases.
This book was intriguing to me. I loved being able to solve the patient's case with the author. Because I want to go into the medical field, I find the brain a delicate place. My favorite case was case three. This was the case of James, a deaf, mute, schizophrenic patient that was hearing voices to kill himself. Throughout the case, you see his past struggle through life and begin trying to solve the case. Why is he having these hallucinations? The end is not what you’d expect, and it opened my eyes to realize how deceitful people can be. It is crazy to think that people exist with these helpless obstacles and overcome them. I would have to say that my favorite parts of the book are when the unexpected happens in each case. The author does a great job at keeping the cases interesting, and they leave you guessing until the final page(s) of the case. I enjoyed how the author set up the book. Each case was a chapter, so although it had a dense vocabulary, it seemed like a quick read. The book expresses how each case affected the doctor. He shows how broken people can expose brokenness in one’s own life. The book even affected the way I look at life.
The disappointing thing about the book was his extensive talk about serious disorders. Although it's valuable to learn about mental illness, it's a heavy subject that shouldn't be taken lightly. Because of this, I felt like I could only read this novel if I was in a serious mood to learn. Many cases talked about suicide, being watched, self-harm, and many other devastating topics. Also, because the book is pretty short, there weren’t many pages on the backstories of each patient. I wish it had a little bit more about them to fully comprehend their illnesses.
Ultimately I would rate the 12 cases a 4 out of 5 stars. With the extensive detail of illnesses and how they work, and the quick time it took to read, I can say it was a great book. Typically non-fiction is boring but this one left me at the edge of my seat most of the time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Psychology or the human brain.
This book was intriguing to me. I loved being able to solve the patient's case with the author. Because I want to go into the medical field, I find the brain a delicate place. My favorite case was case three. This was the case of James, a deaf, mute, schizophrenic patient that was hearing voices to kill himself. Throughout the case, you see his past struggle through life and begin trying to solve the case. Why is he having these hallucinations? The end is not what you’d expect, and it opened my eyes to realize how deceitful people can be. It is crazy to think that people exist with these helpless obstacles and overcome them. I would have to say that my favorite parts of the book are when the unexpected happens in each case. The author does a great job at keeping the cases interesting, and they leave you guessing until the final page(s) of the case. I enjoyed how the author set up the book. Each case was a chapter, so although it had a dense vocabulary, it seemed like a quick read. The book expresses how each case affected the doctor. He shows how broken people can expose brokenness in one’s own life. The book even affected the way I look at life.
The disappointing thing about the book was his extensive talk about serious disorders. Although it's valuable to learn about mental illness, it's a heavy subject that shouldn't be taken lightly. Because of this, I felt like I could only read this novel if I was in a serious mood to learn. Many cases talked about suicide, being watched, self-harm, and many other devastating topics. Also, because the book is pretty short, there weren’t many pages on the backstories of each patient. I wish it had a little bit more about them to fully comprehend their illnesses.
Ultimately I would rate the 12 cases a 4 out of 5 stars. With the extensive detail of illnesses and how they work, and the quick time it took to read, I can say it was a great book. Typically non-fiction is boring but this one left me at the edge of my seat most of the time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Psychology or the human brain.
January 5, 2026
(3.75 stars) I really enjoyed this. I’m just obsessed with learning about other people’s lives. I do feel like the author sometimes lacked empathy but I don’t know if that’s just because of how the narrator read it
January 20, 2022
Honestly if these are his 3 most interesting cases, he needs to find more patients. I like the concept of the book better than the actual book. But a cool idea for other careers. I'd definitely have 12 good stories from my work life.
January 26, 2024
Meh. He seems ….. kinda rude? Like, do you really want to help people? Audiobook narrator was the same vibe.
November 19, 2023
Nothing like the year-end to spur a existential reading bout. This book consists of short, bite sized psychiatric diagnoses over the course of the Author's medical experience.
As I've just realised, I immensely enjoy books of this format. Easy to digest, does away with the need to remember details of the previous chapters ( Hello, Old age!), and hits the right spot in my brain by letting us into the secrets of other professions.
As mentioned in the preface, owing to the confidentiality clause especially in the psychiatric field, it can be difficult to publish stories that protect both parties while also creating awareness amongst the general public. This in turn draws a veil over the profession, making it harder to access medical help when required. With these considerations in mind, the book does a splendid job covering in depth how such diagnoses take place. It's a process of detective work, peeling back layers of the patient's history and origins and matching it to the symptoms displayed. Closure isn't a given at all points, sometimes patients disappear without any reason, leaving the psychiatrist wondering about their whereabouts and if they did enough. Other times, you do enough to prove yourself worthy. But the bottom line remains that the positive change they can make in people's lives keep them going. Worthwhile, quick read. 4 stars.
As I've just realised, I immensely enjoy books of this format. Easy to digest, does away with the need to remember details of the previous chapters ( Hello, Old age!), and hits the right spot in my brain by letting us into the secrets of other professions.
As mentioned in the preface, owing to the confidentiality clause especially in the psychiatric field, it can be difficult to publish stories that protect both parties while also creating awareness amongst the general public. This in turn draws a veil over the profession, making it harder to access medical help when required. With these considerations in mind, the book does a splendid job covering in depth how such diagnoses take place. It's a process of detective work, peeling back layers of the patient's history and origins and matching it to the symptoms displayed. Closure isn't a given at all points, sometimes patients disappear without any reason, leaving the psychiatrist wondering about their whereabouts and if they did enough. Other times, you do enough to prove yourself worthy. But the bottom line remains that the positive change they can make in people's lives keep them going. Worthwhile, quick read. 4 stars.
December 11, 2021
The book 12 Cases by Daniel Mierlak, Daniel talks about his experience as a psychiatrist and the 12 different cases he has done. This book gives the reader insight into the life of a psychiatrist and the physical and mental toll it can take on them. The 12 cases are very different varying from people with severe depression to psychotic and each one teaches the reader something different about the human psyche. In addition, these cases are from the very beginning of his career when he was a first year resident, till when he was a full psychiatrist.
I like how the book is easy to read and you are not confused about what Daniel is talking about. This book is very descriptive and gives the reader a good visual about what is happening. In addition, each case is very different and keeps the reader engaged. I like how it is organized how each chapter is a new case. Also at the end of each chapter there is an explanation of what happens in the end to the patient of that case. I really like how the book is throughout his career, so we see how he grows as a psychiatrist and as a person. My favorite case in the book was a guy named James who pretended to be deaf, mute, and schizophrenic who said he was hearing voices to kill himself, however he actually had a syndrome called Munchausen’s syndrome, which is a mental disorder where patients pretend to have symptoms of a disease and undergo testing, hospitalization, and sometimes even surgery.
Something I did not like about the book was that the entire book was pretty serious and dark. I know mental diseases and disorders are not something that should be taken lightly, but there was little to no comedy or lightheartedness in this book. I would’ve liked to have some parts of the book where you can take a break from all the gloominess. I think adding some comedy would’ve given the book a different feeling and it would keep the reader engaged more and keep them interested.
Overall, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because I really like learning more about the human brain, and mental diseases and disorders and this book really gave me good insight into that topic. However, the book was very one note and serious, and didn’t give me much emotion or tone. Some of the cases did keep me on my toes and it kept me wanting to read more, but some of the other ones were a little bit less interesting. None the less, I did really enjoy this book, and I would say if you are interested in learning about the human psyche and mental disorders or diseases.
I like how the book is easy to read and you are not confused about what Daniel is talking about. This book is very descriptive and gives the reader a good visual about what is happening. In addition, each case is very different and keeps the reader engaged. I like how it is organized how each chapter is a new case. Also at the end of each chapter there is an explanation of what happens in the end to the patient of that case. I really like how the book is throughout his career, so we see how he grows as a psychiatrist and as a person. My favorite case in the book was a guy named James who pretended to be deaf, mute, and schizophrenic who said he was hearing voices to kill himself, however he actually had a syndrome called Munchausen’s syndrome, which is a mental disorder where patients pretend to have symptoms of a disease and undergo testing, hospitalization, and sometimes even surgery.
Something I did not like about the book was that the entire book was pretty serious and dark. I know mental diseases and disorders are not something that should be taken lightly, but there was little to no comedy or lightheartedness in this book. I would’ve liked to have some parts of the book where you can take a break from all the gloominess. I think adding some comedy would’ve given the book a different feeling and it would keep the reader engaged more and keep them interested.
Overall, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because I really like learning more about the human brain, and mental diseases and disorders and this book really gave me good insight into that topic. However, the book was very one note and serious, and didn’t give me much emotion or tone. Some of the cases did keep me on my toes and it kept me wanting to read more, but some of the other ones were a little bit less interesting. None the less, I did really enjoy this book, and I would say if you are interested in learning about the human psyche and mental disorders or diseases.
December 12, 2021
The book Twelve Cases written by Daniel Mierlak Is about different cases of mental illness and addiction. The doctor explains in detail his experience with treating psychiatric patients. He also goes into great explanation of how these patients have an effect on his personal life.
Personally I really enjoyed this book. Some of my favorite parts were with the most difficult patients.There were many scenes in the book that I found very intriguing. From the personal stories of the patients to the drama going on in the hospital. The way that the cases were broken up, but also tied together in one way or another made me want to keep turning the pages. Every new case brought
up so many new questions that I was so ready to get answered.
In addition to the book being good there were also parts I didn't like as much as others. Such as the vocabulary used in the book. Some of the words were difficult to understand, making the book much harder to follow and enjoy. Also in a few of the cases it was hard to comprehend how some of the patients were feeling, because so many other things were also going on at the same time. Lastly this book contained lots of very heavy topics. With this it resulted in me having to take a few breaks once in a while from reading to take a few minutes to absorb what I had read. I gave the book a four star rating because overall I really enjoyed that it stayed interesting pretty much the whole time and that overall it was an easy read. I would highly recommend this book to someone who is interested in mental health and psychiatric stories.
Personally I really enjoyed this book. Some of my favorite parts were with the most difficult patients.There were many scenes in the book that I found very intriguing. From the personal stories of the patients to the drama going on in the hospital. The way that the cases were broken up, but also tied together in one way or another made me want to keep turning the pages. Every new case brought
up so many new questions that I was so ready to get answered.
In addition to the book being good there were also parts I didn't like as much as others. Such as the vocabulary used in the book. Some of the words were difficult to understand, making the book much harder to follow and enjoy. Also in a few of the cases it was hard to comprehend how some of the patients were feeling, because so many other things were also going on at the same time. Lastly this book contained lots of very heavy topics. With this it resulted in me having to take a few breaks once in a while from reading to take a few minutes to absorb what I had read. I gave the book a four star rating because overall I really enjoyed that it stayed interesting pretty much the whole time and that overall it was an easy read. I would highly recommend this book to someone who is interested in mental health and psychiatric stories.
March 11, 2025
I do really enjoy books like this where you get to have a nosey into the work of professionals, especially medical ones. I'm not sure I can recommend this one though. On the plus, side, I will admit the author's writing style was pretty funny and the audiobook delivery matched it well. It was also interesting to see how different US healthcare is to UK, especially in the mental health field (the short version is - there's a lot more choice, and a lot more help available a lot faster... If you can pay. Doctors also have much more choice over which patients they will and won't treat, which isn't necessarily a good thing).
But... I duscht find the author very respectful in how he spoke about his patients. I was left wondering if he liked the patients or his job at all, or if it was all about the money for him? (And maybe the hours, as he talks a lot about how psychiatrists don't have to work as many night shifts as other specialists do.) Finally, the chapter on neurodiversity was very outdated - the book was published in 2018 and even with that in mind it felt old-fashioned.
But... I duscht find the author very respectful in how he spoke about his patients. I was left wondering if he liked the patients or his job at all, or if it was all about the money for him? (And maybe the hours, as he talks a lot about how psychiatrists don't have to work as many night shifts as other specialists do.) Finally, the chapter on neurodiversity was very outdated - the book was published in 2018 and even with that in mind it felt old-fashioned.
February 17, 2024
Basically the author seemed to be trying too hard to be funny using vocabulary that was more complicated than it needed to be. It’s an irritation of mine when an author writes as if the only people who are going to read his book have the education level of a doctor. This book had that a few times AND he was trying to be funny so it came across as arrogant. I still gave it 4 stars because there definitely were funny parts and the person who read the book did a great job.
October 3, 2021
Unique but kind of dull
This book was unique for me because I'd never read stories of psych patients from the perspective of a psychiatrist. It gave me some insight into how a provider feels when working with mentally ill or addicted patients. The author seems to have a sense of humor but I guess I was just hoping for more in-depth details. Quick read, so-so.
This book was unique for me because I'd never read stories of psych patients from the perspective of a psychiatrist. It gave me some insight into how a provider feels when working with mentally ill or addicted patients. The author seems to have a sense of humor but I guess I was just hoping for more in-depth details. Quick read, so-so.
June 10, 2022
Straightforward. What you see is what you get. In the case of “Twelve Cases” you get just that. 12 of a psychiatrists most interesting cases. Only, they aren’t really that interesting at best I’d call them “ho hum”. My most impressive reaction during this reading may have very well been, “well ya don’t say…”.
Meh…
Meh…
January 31, 2023
Great Read!
This book was well written. The author’s ability to write a story is what kept me in this book. I work in the medical field so I can relate to the wittiness of his descriptions. I am also fascinated with mental health which is how I stumbled upon this book. The stories are brief, but packed with emotion, and kept me wanting to know more. What a great read!
This book was well written. The author’s ability to write a story is what kept me in this book. I work in the medical field so I can relate to the wittiness of his descriptions. I am also fascinated with mental health which is how I stumbled upon this book. The stories are brief, but packed with emotion, and kept me wanting to know more. What a great read!
August 6, 2021
Complexity of humanity
Interesting fast read. The human mind is is complex. You can never sit and judge a person for an illness. But as far as addiction goes, that's self inflected. I had sympathy for the last case. The other 11 were fascinating.
Interesting fast read. The human mind is is complex. You can never sit and judge a person for an illness. But as far as addiction goes, that's self inflected. I had sympathy for the last case. The other 11 were fascinating.
June 28, 2025
So my anxiety really isn’t that bad, yay! Seriously though, this was really compelling and informative. It was cool to learn from a psychiatrist who’s been in the field for over 20 years. I just love learning about psychology!
July 16, 2018
A wise and thoughtful collection of stories.
December 27, 2021
This was a super interesting and fast read!
January 12, 2022
I *might* have confused this with Twelve Patients when I borrowed it from the library. The premise is sound but the scenarios aren’t captivating.
March 12, 2022
Intteresting
difficult patient profiles summed up with lucidity. I read it in one sitting and learned a lot about the quirky situations psychologists face.
difficult patient profiles summed up with lucidity. I read it in one sitting and learned a lot about the quirky situations psychologists face.
July 25, 2022
Interesting retelling of a psychiatric intern's first year. It's a short easy read.
dnf
September 13, 2023DNf. Taking break from reading about work stuff
June 2, 2024
These were very interesting!
November 10, 2022
Great bedtime - short stories
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews