Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: mentally ill siblings, developed schizophrenia, house director, New York, Fuller Torrey, East Meadow (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tales of family dysfunction have become so commonplace that a postcard witticism suggests that a conference for children of functional families would be sparsely attended. Certainly Clea Simon, whose two older siblings were gripped by schizophrenia in their teens, wouldn't be there. She lays out a bleak, affecting story of growing up in a family where the spotlight necessarily shone on the insistent dissociations of a brother she remembers as once gentle and brilliant and a sister whose screeching, violent terrors sent young Simon scrambling for safety. Cogent explanations of mental illness and slices of therapy interweave with Simon's stories and those of similarly besieged families and siblings who must dismantle huge emotional barricades in order to live fully as adults. Sometimes this mix is uneasy, such as when a professionally cool distance too swiftly replaces the white heat of painful memories. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA. As the much younger sister of schizophrenic siblings, Simon grew up in terror and confusion. Her brother first rejected her, and then became sexually abusive before she entered her teens, thus setting the stage for her future relationships with men. Her sister became vicious as her illness intensified. The enduring memories of a sadistic grin, a crushed pet hamster, and fear for her own life colored the author's attitudes toward other women as she matured. Her parents' desperation and the removal of both siblings from the home to institutions created a pattern of rejection and abandonment in the young girl's mind for anyone who caused parental disapproval. Interspersed with interviews, descriptions, and conclusions from the siblings of other mentally ill patients, the book depicts the dysfunctional effects of living with madness. This is an important book for young adults living in such situations. The implications of genetic predisposition, pharmaceutical treatments, and prognoses are clearly explained. Many issues are covered with sensitivity and a sense of "you are not alone." A short list of recommended reading is included.?Carol DeAngelo, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140274340
• ISBN-13: 978-0140274349
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,807 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #54 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > Schizophrenia
  #94 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Siblings

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perceptive memoir & low-key self-help tool, May 8, 2000

By	Carol S. (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Having "acquired" through marriage two family members with bipolar disorder, I have sought to educate myself about mental illness and its effect on the family. I found "Mad House" to be a perceptive and instructive look at the secondary victims of mental illness: siblings of the patient. The author's personal experiences as the sister of two schizophrenics is interwoven with explanations of current scientific research about serious mental illness as well as psychotherapeutic insights about how the experience of growing up with a mentally ill sibling can affect others in the household. The memoir-ish portions of the book bring comfort in the form of knowing one is not the only person to have so suffered (and mental illness is one of the last great bastions of shame, secrecy and guilt left in our culture). The summaries of recent research are great educational tools. And if you are struggling with personal issues arising out of your experience as a sibling of a mentally ill person, then the matter-of-fact explanations of common behavioral and emotional patterns will give you insight -- self-help without the twelve steps or touchy-feely-wallowing-in-my-angst element that can be off-putting. Be advised that the book focuses on the special issues that siblings of the mentally ill face (as opposed to parents, or children, or spouses, for example) and the discussion does center on schizophrenia and related disorders, with only a passing nod to bipolar disorder, depression and other illnesses. But this skillfully written book contains plenty of empathy and perception for anyone interested in the mental health field.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book for all of us!, December 1, 1999

By	E. J. Keel "nashville sparkle" (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My brother is schizophrenic and for many years while the family focus has been on his illness, I have felt at varying times sorrow, anger, grief, but above all loneliness. It is gratifying to find an author who gives words to these feelings. Clea Simon in _Mad House_ has done a masterful job of holding the mirror to the families who deal with the tragedy of mental illness. Her book tells the story of the brothers and sisters who sit in the quiet corners of home and watch unpredictable, uncontrollable and terrifying events unfold. I highly recommend this book to any brother, sister, or parent of a person who has been diagnosed as mentally ill. We can learn and grow from her experiences and by helping ourselves, we can help those in our care.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the author, September 24, 2001

By	Clea Simon "avid reader" (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Hi Folks,
I just wanted to say thank you to all the readers who've read Mad House and either posted here or contacted me. So many of you are also siblings, and I am gratified that many of you have found your experiences reflected in my book. I've tried to show, through my experiences and the dozens of you interviewed, that while our story may be one of the quieter ones in our family, it is still valid and deserving of space. Strength and health to you all!
I've used the same combination of memoir and interviews (more than 70) in my new book, "Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads" (Wiley). If any of you read that, please let me know what you think.
peace,
Clea