Description

By Alice A Holstein

ISBN: 978-1-84991-640-0
Published: 2011
Pages: 120
Key Themes: Manic Depression, Spirituality, Homelessness, Mental Health

Description

A Tough Grace: Mental Illness As A Spiritual Path proclaims the revolutionary idea that mental illness can be a profound spiritual journey. Contrary to popular viewpoints that spirituality is pious and easy, this work suggests that the path is usually one of tests and trials and suffering. Mental illness can be a kind of tough grace where people can reframe their experiences to understand them as a heros journey that creates wisdom and steely strengths. This shift makes a tremendous difference to enhancing self esteem and reducing stigma. This book is a major contribution to a new paradigm. Mental illness can be a journey to the soul, a challenging route to wholeness.

About the Author

Alice A. Holstein, Ed.D., born in 1943 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, was once a proud career woman with a doctoral degree who taught college courses and had a successful organization consulting practice. In her late 50s and early 60s, however, she was reduced to periodically living on the streets as a bag lady because of manic depression episodes.

She spent 12 horrific years trying to recover. Finally, in 2006, Alice began the climb to solid recovery. Reframing her experiences as a profound spiritual path was key to creating a fulfilling life. Today she works parttime in a Veterans Administration mental health clinic where she uses both her veteran status Vietnam era Intelligence Officer and her illness to help other veterans recover.