Grieving Mental Illness: A Guide for Patients and Their Caregivers

Grieving Mental Illness: A Guide for Patients and Their Caregivers

Virginia Lafond

Toronto ON: University of Toronto Press, 88 pp., 1994

ISBN 0-8020-0614-0 (cloth)

This 88-page paperback is a brief but valuable contribution to a neglected topic in clinical psychiatry: the grieving process caused by the loss of mental health. This book is designed primarily to help patients come to terms with the consequences of mental illness which often include various losses (relationships, job, residence). In the first part of the book, the author encourages readers to become aware of the grieving process and acknowledge loss(es). The second part describes the various stages of grieving. The final chapter focuses upon the acceptance of mental illness and the reality that grieving is a continual process.

Readers are encouraged to take an active stance in helping themselves. The insight gained through this process can lead to the development of effective coping skills which can help promote recovery and/or decrease the risk of relapse.

The strengths of this book are the following: first and foremost, the author, a social worker, exposes her own struggle with chronic mental illness, and gives personal anecdotes as well as case vignettes of patients working through the grieving process. This personalized approach can no doubt help mentally ill people feel less isolated, more understood, and sensitive to the author’s first-hand experience both as a former patient and now as a caregiver. Second, the book is easy to read. Throughout the chapters, important points are highlighted, and exercises such as coping strategies are provided as helpful tools to succeed in the grieving process. Third, the author demystifies the myth that denial is exclusively abnormal, and explains its protective function. She discusses the reality of stigma associated with mental illness, and encourages patients to search for empathic professionals who can be helpful.

Despite the book’s numerous strengths, there are some weaknesses. Concerning the organization of content, the author chooses to describe the grieving stage of sadness immediately following denial. Because anger usually occurs before sadness, a modification to include this stage may have been useful to show patients that deeper feelings exist beneath the surface. Furthermore, the coping strategies, although useful, tend to become repetitive. Finally, the author does not give a clear definition of “the self,” an abstract concept which can be difficult to understand.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this original piece of work, and recommend this book as a useful adjunct to help patients grieve. Professionals who work with the grieving population are encouraged to read this book, since it highlights the importance of addressing the impact of mental illness in a patient’s life.