Customer Reviews

Kiosks Keep The Devils Away: A Novel About Mental Health

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author labels the book as a novel, but I see it as two books. The first section is highly descriptive of medical, social,and legal paths that individuals travel in the "never-never land" of mental illness. It is apparent that the author's legal and personal experience is manifest in the frustration that the patient and the family undergo through the trials and tribulations in facing the illness and seeking assistance and peace of mind. The course of events is portrayed so realistically that the reader finds himself (or herself)experiencing the same emotions of the characters, both the patient and the family.
But the reader is not left despondent as the second half is very uplifting. The author shifts gears and in a fiction mode creates an extremely creative "modus opoerandi" to positively attempt to solve some of the problem. The Kiosk serves as a unique therapeutic tool, which could become a model for a successful treatment modality. This concept could very easily be introduced into the mental health environment. Although mental illness is a dark area in our society, at the end of the story one comes away with good vibes.

Don Rothschild spins a highly readable yarn about community responses to the mentally ill; both proper and improper. He shows us how the traditional community responses harm the patient and cheat the community out of the fine contributions that they can make--all through the voice of a patient who, in part by chance, stumbles upon proper treatment in a caring community. It is a short but inspiring read. I'm going to read it again, as there are layers of meaning that I might have missed, and besides, I enjoyed it.

Kiosks Keep the Devils Away

Don Rothschild's novel about mental health is unusual for its messages about reality, treatment and hope. A far cry from Hollywood's normal fare of ax-murdering geniuses escaping their bonds, this story deals with very real people and very real problems in a compelling approach to solutions that can actually work.

"Kiosks Keep the Devils Away" uses the advantages of fiction to bring reality to life and make it understandable. Rothschild knows whereof he writes, presenting the subject in ways that make us care and comprehend. It's a worthwhile read for everyone.

"Kiosks keep the Devil(s) away" by Donald P. Rothschild
A review by John Rader, PhD.

Don Rothschild has fictionally captured some of the bumbling, inept, and
even incompetent characteristics that are often typical of any large
beaurocracy. What is unusual in this portrayal, however, is the "peek"
that we get into such a shunned population as the mentally ill. Don's
story accurately shows many of the awful things that happen to "patients"
who were treated by the institutionalized mode of the psychiatric medical
model, even today.

Over-medicated, wrongly medicated, restrained and isolated (to protect
them from themselves), patients were ususally kept on locked wards and
even seperate campuses from the regular hospital. Beginning in the 60's
many of these large wharehousing institutions began to close. As positive
as many of the more reform-minded mental health professionals viewed these
closings, they were rarely replaced by comparably funded community
services.

Don tells the story of Ted; labeled, medicated, and forgotten by most.
Ted is "lost" in a maze of treatment policies, theories, and his own
confusion, made worse by the financial and emotional wreck on his family.
His parents want their son back, but do not have the sophisticated
knowledge or the financial resources to do very much . . . typical for
many families with a mentally ill member. But, ultimately, Ted is the
lucky one. He is the benefactor of a pair of progressive mental health
professionals who help him find employment. They have found a food
cart in a mall, operated by a warm and caring and very supportive man.
Ted begins by watching the man run the cart, then by just helping with
some of the activities. Soon, he is running the cart himself, and then
asking permission to make a small change. You can watch and feel his
confidence grow, and his willingness to take small, confidence enhancing
risks. Don populates Ted's story with a few other very believable
characters who add depth and strength to the theme of more humane treatment
for the mentally ill.

This is the story of how some mental health professionals envision
treatment for the mentally ill. It is a story of hope, and inclusion,
and of sharing a respect for all persons, especially the mentally ill.
But, to learn how the story ends, you'll have to read it yourself.