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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pain and redemption, May 20, 2005
Ms. Griffith's well-written account of her son Will's suicide attempt and the effects it has had on Will, his family and friends is heart-squeezing in and of itself. Yet Griffith not only tells her own family's story, but through research gives us a troubling description of our entire society's failure to understand and deal with the growing phenomenon of teenage depression and suicide.
How did Will--a seemingly happy child--so quickly fall into depression and then attempt to stop his pain by death? What brings any teen, happy or not, to such a joyless existence that they think death is the answer?
Griffith offers some explanations based on her investigations, including both societal (too early media-driven sexual awakenings, lack of parental involvement in their children's lives, etc.) and natural (chemical imbalances, heredity), but the real contribution in the book is perhaps the call to all parents to become better informed about teen depression while trusting their instincts as parents to guard, guide, and love their kids.
She also speaks to needed changes in attitudes and policies regarding mental illness from the general public, government agencies, health care professionals, and health insurers.
Despite all of Will's and his family's pain depicted in this book, there is redemption. Will has recovered and is doing well. And his mother has given all of us a clearer path to better understand and help troubled teens.
And the book is not a total downer--there are light moments of dark humor by both Will and his mom. There is no need for a caution label on the cover. It is ultimately a very good read.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping and Helpful, May 20, 2005
Gail Griffith's account of her son's illness comes across as painfully honest. Her inclusion of her son's and Megan's writings was very helpful for those of us who seek to understand the crippling illness called clinical depression. If you have ever had to deal with a close relative who is suffering from clinical depression, this account clearly lays out the anguish being experienced by the sufferer and also by the immediate family dealing with this person. Because the author deals with many of the difficulties and controversies (medical, pharmacological, and financial) encountered in trying to find a viable treatment program, much helpful information is offered. The book is also very informative about the present state-of-the art in dealing with clinical depression.
Above all, I found this book to be a fascinating, well-written and gripping account that was very much worth reading. Thank you, Gail.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy of a Nobel Prize for Brilliance and Generosity, January 11, 2006
Reading this book was one of the most affecting entertainment experiences I have ever had. I venture to say that not since the 12-hour 1973 TV documentary, 'An American Family', has there been -- in print or on video -- as fully realized a portrait of a family in crisis as is portrayed in this astonishing work. The story begins with the highest possible drama in recounting the near-fatal suicide attempt of an exceptionally bright, seemingly well-adjusted 17-year-old boy in the bedroom of the upper middle class D.C. home he shared with two loving and dedicated parents. In fact, at the time of his attempt, Will was actually being raised by four remarkable parents, as both his mother (author Gail Griffith with whom he was living when he overdosed on anti-depressant drugs intending to die) and his father (with whom he was also extremely close) had each acquired a second spouse; not only had the respective step-parents embraced Will as if he were their natural child, but the four adults had achieved unusual harmony amongst themselves, beautifully integrating their extended families. No post-divorce rancor or other trauma, no major drug or alcohol problems, few dark clouds of any kind appeared to have unleashed the violent storm that nearly destroyed a promising young man. Partial answers to the riddle of why Will crashed are suggested by Griffith's history of her own lengthy depression and hospitalization, as well as her painfully detailed portrait of Will's girlfriend, Megan, who was also suffering from severe depression as well as an addiction to cutting her skin with razor blades and knives. Indeed, Griffith, in securing the right to publish contemporaneous letters and diary notes from young Megan Mathews (interspersed with those of Will and many other family members) tells a story of a second deeply-troubled self-mutilating teen, who, like Will, eventually manages to regain her mental health; not only does the quality of Megan's writing add an excellent further dimension to Griffith's story, but I feel certain that the excerpts from Megan are our introduction to an uncommonly talented writer -- whose own books I eagerly look forward to reading. As Will rallies from a 2-day coma, his family confronts their fears that he might attempt a second try, as well as guilt and anger over the mystery of what led to the first attempt. Griffith ably stitches together the story of Will's earlier years and then recounts the intensive family effort to locate what proves to be a rare and remarkable institution, Montana Academy, which accepts Will and shepards his year-long recovery to where he regains a strong will to live and resume normal life in the 'real' world. Griffith pauses throughout her narrative to alert parents to what she learned from this excruciating experience -- how to foretell suicide threats, how to diagnose and deal with depressed children, how to work with psychiatrists and other doctors, how to evaluate and manage anti-depressant drugs, and many other insights into preserving family mental health. Virtually no names are fictionalized in this book, which adds to its authenticity and underlines the courage of the many family members, friends, and others who cooperated in this supremely generous offering -- which no parent should miss the opportunity to learn from.
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