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Monday, July 12, 2010

# Book Review # Jill Byrne

Book Review: Step on a Crack


Summary from GoodReads: Jill Byrne's inspirational memoir Step on a Crack shows how her indomitable spirit and sense of humor helped her survive childhood neglect, divorces, chronic and clinical depression, a psychotic episode, and a revolving door of therapists. Following her completion of the Hoffman Quadrinity Process, she removed the psychiatric gum from her shoe forever. In Step on a Crack, Jill tells of her recovery and offers hope to the millions in America who suffer from depression's anguish.

My Review: This book, though different from the author's original plan for it, turns out to be a great memoir. So often, issues such as depression are misdiagnosed, unnoticed, said to be all in your mind or turn you into some kind of test dummy for drugs. This book shows that many times things are simply prescribed without much concern for follow up and actual work versus not work.

Jill also lets us see that, while medications are useful in treatment, so is a good supportive social circle {of sorts}. You need your support group. Friends and family who believe in you and what is happening with you.

She takes you with her through her struggles: neglect, depression, therapists and divorces. Through it she also kept her sens of humor and understanding. It is clear this played a huge part in where she is today. This book also shows her thoughts on things later in life as she looks back at various things within her past. Sometimes, how you feel at the time, can be over expressed. It's not always quite as bad as it feels once the time has passed.

This book is direct and to the point. It's not for those that don't like to deal with reality head on. I don't like books that place blame. I've always felt that you are who you are and the only one responsible for your reactions and choices is you {something I try very hard to teach my children "well she did this so I had to do this" -- bull -- you chose to do it as a response}. The way the book starts out, it seems it's going to go this way. However, as you read more, Jill faces more and more of the things that happen in her life and doesn't so much lay blame.

Props to Jill for overcoming, moving forward and being able to have the courage to write this book.


RATING: ♥♥♥

Pages: 230
Softcover

Review copy of this book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. In no way did the provision of the book affect the outcome of my review.

2 comments:

  1. Nice review! Only few courageous people can tell their struggles by adding humour content to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's great that she could write about this. Although, tis isnt a book I would generally pick up, I just may.

    ReplyDelete

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