Dead Reckoning: A Therapist Confronts His Own Grief

by David C. Treadway

When David Treadway was twenty, his life was changed dramatically by one single, shattering his mother's suicide. The child of a prominent New England hotel family, Treadway watched numbly as his father and sister suffered mental breakdowns and his older brother retreated into alcoholism. Though barely out of his teens, David took on the role of family caretaker, burying his own grief and immersing himself in helping his family cope. This numbness lasted for twenty-seven years.
Then, in the midst of a busy and successful life as a husband, father, and therapist, he realized that he was overcome by an ever-growing emotional emptiness. For so many years he had been running away from his feelings about his mother, diverting his attention with ambitious sailing excursions and working to heal clients while ignoring his own quiet despair. Though Treadway is a well-known authority in the field of alcoholism and suicide, his professional expertise did not help him resolve his own pain.
Now, with this moving memoir - at turns deeply heartbreaking and tender - Treadway chronicles his arduous journey to finally come to terms with his mother's depression and suicide.

Genres: Psychology

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Keegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went to a conference a couple weeks ago where David spoke about his battle with cancer and how it has effected his professional and personal life. This is the book about his own childhood and the struggles he faced. After seeing him and his whole family speak I was interested in reading more about what brought him to where he is today.