Voices from the Inside: Readings on the Experience of Mental Illness

by David A. Karp, Gretchen E. Sisson (Editor)

One of sociology's most important missions is giving voice to those whose experiences are typically otherwise blunted, marginalized, or simply ignored. Featuring memorable, first-person accounts of mentally ill individuals, Voices from the Inside: Readings on the Experiences of Mental Illness allows students to connect directly with real-life "experts" who know mental illness all too intimately. This unique anthology addresses a variety of central topics surrounding mental illness, including suicide, hospitalization, the meanings of medication, the experiences of caregivers, and the stigma attached to mental illness. Each section of readings opens with a "sensitizing" introduction that outlines key questions, specific matters for student consideration, and ways in which social scientists approach relevant substantive issues. The thought-provoking discussion questions following each set of readings are designed to foster vibrant class discussion. Comprehensive enough to be used throughout a course--but brief enough to be combined with other supplementary materials or a full-scale textbook--Voices from the Inside is ideal for upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses on the sociology of mental health and illness. It can also be used in courses in medical sociology, social work and mental health, nursing and mental health, and abnormal psychology.

Genres: Mental Health, Sociology, Psychology, Nonfiction, Anthologies

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a university student, I had to read this for a class of mine. I will keep this short. The stories and experiences in this story help readers with the idea of what mental illness is and what it can do to you. It's a large variety of stories of different mental health illness. I feel that after reading this I can say I have a better understanding of what mental health illnesses can do and the importance of it as well.

[J's Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Step inside the shoes and heads, souls of others, depending from whence you come. This book is an outstanding collection of very short mostly autobiographical essays by those struggling with mild to severe mental health issues. Many of them by professionals. HIGHLY recommended widows into their struggles and realities.

[Mayoaoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read excerpts of this for a class in my first year of uni, but holy shit being able to read the whole book at my leisure was an amazing experience. The stories are diverse and cutting and fascinating - every chapter of this book emphasizes the value of letting individuals describe their own experiences, in their own words.