I Don't Talk to Dead Bodies: The Curious Encounters of a Forensic Psychiatrist

by Rhona Morrison

Prepare to be intrigued, amazed and astonished as you join Dr Rhona Morrison on an often funny, and at times downright bizarre, thought-provoking and eye-opening rollercoaster ride through some of the most curious encounters of her career as a leading forensic psychiatrist.
Delve into the minds of real people, whose actions may shock and stun you, but who's stories have the power to challenge your assumptions and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.
Travel directly into their living rooms and see behind the closed doors of hospitals, prisons and court rooms. Lift the lid on Dr Morrison's jaw-dropping experiences with murderers, stalkers and other dangerous offenders as she attempts to make sense of some highly unusual situations. Discover the true stories of the inspiring human beings who are bravely learning to live with major mental illness.
I Don't Talk To Dead Bodies shines a powerful, emotional and surprisingly moving spotlight on the fascinating life of a forensic psychiatrist and the people she works with. It goes beyond the sensationalist headlines to show you just what happens in a world where mental illness occasionally makes good people do bad things.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Medical, Psychology

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Ruthy lavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of medical memoirs and autobiographies, and the ones written by professionals in the mental health field are my favourite.
I enjoyed this book but i would have loved more memorable case stories and less about the authors private and personal life.
It was an interesting read, but I wanted exciting, enthralling and shocking…. If you do too then maybe avoid this one.
2.5 stars ⭐️ but I’ve rounded it up to 3 because considering the author is a doctor and not a writer by profession, she does write extremely well.

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book.
I think I went into this thinking there would way more short stories about interesting cases. However, there was a lot of personal information about the author's life and less about about the "curious encounters" the title mentions. Judging from some of the other reviews, I'm not alone in this opinion.

I will say the author did show a lot of compassion with her patients which is great to see.
I don't think I'll ever read this book again to be honest, but I'll likely check out other books in this genre.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easily read memoir of the journey of an experienced forensic psychiatrist as she navigates her way through her varied career. Having began wanting to specialise in learning disability, she progressed into the forensic field which became her area of expertise.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this became less a tale of patient experiences and more about her own life, family, hobbies and holidays. Not necessarily a critique, but not exactly what I anticipated when I picked up the book. I would have liked to read more detailed patient stories. There is a lot of information about the logistics of the health service and how it works, which was interesting.

The author writes with sensitivity and respect for her patients experiences and is clearly passionate about her work. She acknowledges her limitations (and claims to have zero knowledge of first aid or even much knowledge of anatomy, despite being medically trained prior to specialising in psychiatry). I liked the authors awareness of the various team players that take effect in the patient journey, particularly her fondness for the support staff.

This would make an intriguing read for trainee medical staff thinking about a foray into psychiatry. If you’re looking for complex patient stories, with a beginning, middle and end, this perhaps isn’t for you. Much of the patient stories feel like a sideline to the overall tone of the book. Maybe the author will follow this one up with better stories; after such an illustrious career, I’m sure she has many.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had an interest in forensic psychiatry for many years. I spent almost ten years working in a high-security forensic psychiatric hospital and have always been fascinated by the way that the human brain works. Why do some people commit terrible crimes, yet others with similar mental health issues do not? The questions are endless, and often unanswerable,

Dr Rhona Morrison's memoir is a fascinating and compassionate look at humanity. She details her early life and how the care of her young sister Vivienne, who had multiple health issues, inspired her decision to go on and try to help others. She discusses her training days, her personal relationships and then her career. Throughout, we are assured that Morrison made her life decisions in order to help those who most need it, and who are often those who are failed miserably by the system.

Despite the seriousness of the nature of many of the crimes committed by the patients in this book, Morrison writes with a touch of humour and wit that is very welcome at times. There are some very disturbing cases talked about, some that are actually heart breaking and all dealt with compassionately and with such empathy from the author.

Reading this book makes the reader really think about mental illness, and how it is perceived by the general public, and not least, by the media. All too often we are led to believe that people who do terrible things, are terrible, evil people. Morrison shines another light, a more understanding and constructive way to look at things, and to hopefully try to understand.

A brilliantly written book, by a woman who truly cares and who has dedicated her life to ensure that the most vulnerable in society are not overlooked. Recommended.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Rhona Morrison tells in vivid detail her experience with mainly forensic psychiatry over the course of a varied and impressive career.

The book does great work in challenging the perceptions of mental illness, while still managing to remain humorous and relatively light in tone.

The last few chapters are beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. I really loved this book.

[Steph Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

I am a sucker for reading anything related to psychology and psychiatry and so jumped at the chance to read this memoir from Dr Rhona Morrison about her career in forensic psychiatry – a specialist field I knew little about previously.

In fact, this book doesn’t just provide a memoir of forensic psychiatry (although anecdotes about those cases do form a small part of the book) but a comprehensive and detailed account of Dr Morrison’s medical training, career, colleagues and personal life too.

There is so much fascinating information here that it is a treasure trove for anyone interested in a career in medicine and/or psychiatry. And none of the anecdotes or examples are lurid, gratuitous or exploitative, as would have been easy with such potentially sensationalist source material. Instead, every story is told with kindness and empathy and the author never forgets (and regularly reminds the reader) that those who experience issues with their mental health deserve dignity and understanding, despite (and indeed, because of) the actions that can result from their unwellness.

Reading this memoir, I marvelled at the varied and fascinating life that the author has experienced during her career in psychiatry and was filled with admiration for her indomitable, optimistic attitude and the changes she has affected to mental health practice on behalf of the individuals she worked with directly, as well as her positive impact on the profession as a whole.

This is one of those medical memoirs that performs the dual function of providing insight into a little-known area of the field whilst also providing an entertaining read for the interested layperson.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Jen Surname · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a memoir, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised with the amount of detail about the author’s personal life and background, but I think there needs to be a balance with this type of book and I’m not sure she got it quite right.

Given the title, I was expecting more of the professional side of things rather than the personal and whilst I have no doubt she’s done sterling work throughout her career, I’m still left feeling a little disappointed with this book.

[Charlotte Conlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be about forensic psychology but it was about so much more! I love listening to Rhoda’s stories not just from her work but from her life. I found the whole audiobook fascinating especially hearing it from the woman herself. After recently going through a bereavement that was similar in ways to how she lost her husband I was chocking up listening to the last few chapters but hearing about how she created a new life for herself after so much finality in her job and personal life was truly inspiring.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was very informative, I feel like it glossed over many details and could have been improved by just slowing down and adding more information about certain cases. I still have to commend the author as it must be extremely difficult to condense a 30 year career into only 241 pages.

[Keely · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I think this was a more, it's not you, it's me. So take my rating with a pinch of salt. It just wasn't what I after but isn't a bad book by any means.

[Louise Hite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Morrison is a Scottish Forensic Psychiatrist and this is a non-fiction account of her most noteworthy experiences. She talks about her disabled sister's life and death and how she ended up in the forensic psychiatrist field. Her family was prominent during her career as well as in this book. She tells the story about how she met her husband and his early death. Dr. Morrison is a caring and personal person. It is evident in the stories she tells and when you meet her. I had the distinct pleasure of having dinner with her for sixteen days on a cruise where she gave six presentations derived from the episodes in her book.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating biography of someone who worked in forensic psychiatry for years. An accessible and easy read but no less enjoyable for it, as someone who has worked with people at risk of offending parts of this hit close to home and it makes some excellent points a truly fascinating read 4.5* from me

[Fiona Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and, as a reader who suffers from both Bipolar and EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder), it was very enlightening to see both inside my mental issues and the way treatments have changed so much over the years.

[Rebecca Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful read

A really insightful read into the life of a forensic psychiatrist.

Such a heartbreaking end tears rolling down my face

[Peggy Haufle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the book which the accent keeps one enthralled.

[Nicky Bouchier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book made me sad in places laugh in others and a great insight to mental health problems

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forensic Psychiatry is perhaps one of the key fields in criminal justice that I know little about. The people who not only have to assess and diagnose whether or not the perpetrator of a crime may be suffering from some kind of mental health issue that drove them to their actions, but who also have to treat them, clinically and medicinally, afterwards, ensuring that they have the care and support then need, be that inside or outside of prisons or secure mental health units. In Dr Rhona Morrison's memoir we are treated to a fascinating and often emotional glimpse of her life and, by extension, the work she has done with patients and convicted criminals to remove the stigma of mental illness and to better understand the people she has been treating.

The book takes readers all the way through the authors life to date, from her early childhood and time spent with her beloved sister Vivienne, the person who inspired her to become a Psychiatrist in the first place. Vivienne's mental impairment and arguably premature death, led to the author working hard and pushing herself to be able to study medicine, specifically geared towards Psychiatry, with an intention to specialise in learning disability psychiatry. We follow her through her early childhood, her teenage years, and come competitive badminton playing which ultimately leads her to meet her future husband, Richard. As she walks us through each stage in her life a clear picture starts to form of someone who is completely passionate about her field, about understanding and ultimately helping those people most in need, from children in need of a sympathetic ear and a competent 'poo detective', to offenders and ex-offenders who often just need a firm hand.

Whilst the author refrains from walking us through too many of her cases, many of which I am sure would be truly upsetting, as much for the patient as perhaps those they have offended against, she gives us enough of their stories to be able to understand the highs and lows of this very specialised and important field. From stories that, whilst disturbing, will also make you smile a touch - can you imagine having to ask someone not to bring a machete into your workplace next time around? - to those that are just heartbreaking, and sometimes just plain scary, Rhona Morrison challenges perceptions of what it means to be mentally ill and breaks down those barriers that prevent us from seeing those to do bad things as anything than just plain evil. It is seldom that simple.

There were times when this book had me chuckling, times when even the simplest of situations prove that with the right approach you can make a significant difference, but, perhaps more surprisingly, times when I really did feel the emotions leak out of me. Literally. By the end of the book tears were forming. This was a really emotional read and whether it is the author's innate understanding of how our minds work or just the very human way in which her story is presented, the ending made me cry. It goes to show that no matter what your training or experience, you can never be granted immunity from the tragedies of life. This is a memoir after all, and whilst it does cover the medical cases which have shaped her career, this is Rhona Morrison's own story, one I feel very lucky to have read. It may be short but it packs a real punch. Emotional, thought-provoking and honest, it is most definitely recommended.

[Terri (BooklyMatters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compassionate and heart-felt memoir, written by a retired forensic psychiatrist, whose thirty-two year career exposed her to more diversity, challenges, risks, and yes, opportunities, than many of us can even imagine.

As a psychiatrist who works with mentally-ill criminals (and not dead bodies, as is a common misconception), Dr Rhona’s world involved the diagnosis and assessment of sometimes violent, often incoherent, and always unpredictable offenders - before or after their illness and its impacts that could not help but make “good people behave badly”.

As a prison psychiatrist, on and off for eighteen years, Dr Rhona has seen it all - placing herself and her service team in situations that can only be described as chilling as they evaluate the risk presented by an individual, their baseline mental state and ability to plead, or stand trial, and most importantly, establish a rapport and a communication pattern that will allow access and treatment of the disordered thoughts, delusions, or hallucinations that may be the patients perceived reality.

Confronted with each violent offender, and faced with a need to understand what “life experiences or illness may have contributed to him becoming a dangerous (in many cases) man”, Dr Rhona shows remarkable self-control as she suspends judgement, engages with the patient to build trust, and begins the process of assessment and ultimately, treatment - doing what is necessary to support and connect with individuals experiencing secondary crises stemming from their own mental illness, trauma, abuse, emotional distress, drug addiction, rage, violence, and alienation.

What follows is a journey both horrifying in its portrayal of the criminally-mental ill (who may be society’s most in need), and yet still uplifting, as Dr Rhona and her team, take it upon themselves to service, educate the public, manage and compassionately advocate on their behalf.

A great big thank you to the author, the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

[Hannah Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhona has led such an interesting life. Her stories are entertaining, moving and sometimes shocking. Her sensitive, empathetic approach has helped many people over the years, and it was heart-warming to hear about the success stories. I liked how she balanced telling us about some of the politics and the wider picture with many examples of personal conversations with colleagues and clients. She had to deal with all sorts (!) and often put her own personal safety on the line.

We can all be guilty of reading the headlines about crimes committed and forgetting that behind some truly awful crimes is a perpetrator with a mental illness. Rhona reminded me that not everything is black and white.

The book lays bare Rhona's work challenges against a backdrop of personal tragedy. Her calling as a forensic psychiatrist came from her experience of loving and losing her disabled sister. Her emotion poured off the page when she described this time and again at the end of the book when her husband becomes ill.

[Lynne Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed this book I think it’s important to set expectations. If you are looking for all the juicy details of specific cases, or even to learn more about forensic psychiatry, then this isn’t the book for you. I would say it’s almost more of a biography of the authors career and life.

That being said, even though it wasn’t what I expected it was still a good read. I listened to the audiobook as it was narrated by the author herself, and hearing her quivering voice as she spoke through her husbands death brought tears to my eyes.

This is quite off the cuff, but if you are someone, like me, who is interested in leadership and management then the author has some really good descriptions and insights on how to manage this. I found her to be very passionate and inspiring.

Overall it is a good, easy read and perfect if you aren’t looking for something too complicated. Again I do highly recommend the audiobook since it is read by the author.

[Carrie-anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad that there are people like dr Morrison in the world, I certainly don't have the compassion and dedication that she, and I'm sure many more medical professionals have that mean they can do their jobs so well.

People who say that there was too much about the authors personal life- I think that its important that it was mentioned to show a work life balance, and that people who work these kind of jobs are real people with real lives facing their own struggles.

I would have liked a bit more in depth about some of the cases, and i would have liked to know how the job impacted family life and personal relationships. I was thinking throughout that i would have liked more emotion, but the end was far too emotional!

[Brenda Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read to help break up fiction - or as I like to call them, stabby books.
Morrison details her young life, medical studies and career. At times, it does drag yet I found it fascinating. An in-depth glimpse into a health care system, training of providers and of course Morrison's personal experiences.
Growing up and watching her disabled sister, Vivienne's quality of care - and participating obviously inspired Morrison's career chose but also lent much humanity to her clients. Her care and respect for them clearly shines. It lends much optimism and hope for those seeking care and desperate to be treated with respect and humanity.

[Layla Penfold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoy anything medical, I work in care myself.
I absolutely loved reading this book, could definitely relate to what she was saying in some parts of the book. I think anyone that has career in care or medical, they would totally understand how tough it is. Mental health is such a untouched subject, and I do think there is so much more we have to learn about it.
Dr Morrison is truly a wonderful, intelligent person with so much empathy for everyone in all different ways of life.
I devoured this book, it was so interesting, there is some humour, some frustrations and joyous in it.
Thank you so much for writing this incredible memoir.

[Robert Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially didn't realise that this book was an autobiography of Dr Morrisons life and thought it would be more focussed on interactions with past patients. Nevertheless I still enjoyed learning about her life and everything that Dr Morrison got up to as a forensic psychiatrist. Her chapters on risk assessment / management were really interesting and some of the stories she tells about her patients are wild!

Dr Morrisons approach to working with offenders with mental health problems is really refreshing and reading about how Dr Morrison implemented person centred and trauma informed care in her practice was great.

Really enjoyed this book!

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has aspirations to become a Mental Health nurse I found this absolutely fascinating. Morrison takes us on a no holds barred journey through her thirty two year career as a forensic psychiatrist, the highs, the lows and the unexpected.

Morrison is honest, empathic and compassionate as she talks of her experiences starting with her younger sister Vivienne whose mental difficulties inspired her to want to help others.

Well written, gritty, emotive and definitely one to recommend.

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Victoria The Frog · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - beginning as just really hard to go through, as other people stated: it looks like title of the book is simple misleading. Some parts of the book were indeed adorable and had important lessons, but somehow because something interesting was about 20% of everything, I just couldn’t get myself to read more than half.

Also I don’t think it was the best idea for the author to read the book as an audiobook, because she has very strong Scottish accent and not gonna lie, I did struggle while listening

[Suzannah Rockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good, I could not put it down

A wonderfully warm and easy to read account of Dr Rhona’s career; really interesting and engaging.

A great introduction to forensic psychiatry and it.s impact upon Rhona’s professional and personal life.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, enjoyed getting an insight into forensic psychiatry and how Rhona’s career progressed over the years. Felt it could have benefited from a few more interesting cases being discussed and/or a bit more of the psychology behind it all.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book thinking it would be short stories about cases, however, it turned out to be more about the authors life, which was interesting and funny, but I would have enjoyed reading about the cases more.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

aud