Fires in the Dark: Healing the Unquiet Mind (Unabridged)
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • The acclaimed author of An Unquiet Mind considers the age-old quest for relief from psychological pain and the role of the exceptional healer in the journey back to health.
“To treat, even to cure, is not always to heal.” In this expansive cultural history of the treatment and healing of mental suffering, Kay Jamison writes about psychotherapy, what makes a great healer, and the role of imagination and memory in regenerating the mind. From the trauma of the battlefields of the twentieth century, to those who are grieving, depressed, or with otherwise unquiet minds, to her own experience with bipolar illness, Jamison demonstrates how remarkable psychotherapy and other treatments can be when done well.
She argues that not only patients but doctors must be healed. She draws on the example of W.H.R. Rivers, the renowned psychiatrist who treated poet Siegfried Sassoon and other World War I soldiers, and discusses the long history of physical treatments for mental illness, as well as the ancient and modern importance of religion, ritual, and myth in healing the mind. She looks at the vital role of artists and writers, as well as exemplary figures, such as Paul Robeson, who have helped to heal us as a people.
Fires in the Dark is a beautiful meditation on the quest and adventure of healing the mind, on the power of accompaniment, and the necessity for knowledge.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We were amazed by this dynamic, engaging history of psychological care by clinical psychologist and author Kay Redfield Jamison. Beginning with the ancient chronicles of Egyptian scientist Imhotep administering soothing herbs to his patients, Jamison documents the long, surprisingly varied story of treating mental illness through the centuries. From religious confession being used to alleviate anxiety to addressing the shell shock experienced by World War I veterans, Jamison artfully uses her medical background, expert research, and personal experiences to show us how modern mental health treatments evolved from these early roots. Narrator Beth Hicks is engaging and genuine, even when discussing topics like delusions, emotional dysregulation, and trauma. We were delighted to learn that creativity, art, and music play a vital role in healing—Fires in the Dark broadened our understanding of mental illness while giving us hope for the future of mental health care.