£5.00
175 in stock
By Dolores L. Bell
ISBN: 978-1-84991-594-6
Published: 2011
Pages: 137
Key Themes: Depression, Mental Health, Biography, Family
Description
This is a true account of one woman’s encounters with depression, and
how she dealt with it.
It was never easy, and her story tells of her ecstatically good times, followed
by the depths of despair she plummeted into.
Her battle with prescription drugs, psychiatrists and Mental Institutions, and
her fight to lead a normal family life were a constant drain on her physical health, in
addition to her already fragile state.
The first thirty-three years of her life are described in detail as she remembered it, and
although she died aged 62 years, of an unrelated illness, it was her wish to let other
people in similar circumstances, see that they are not alone with their problems, and
that there is light at the end of that very long, dark tunnel.
Book Extract
The Mecca Lacarno in Basildon was one of our regular haunts. It was a very popular dance hall, and the only one in the town.
There was a resident group of musicians who, we thought, were one of the best groups we had heard, in a dance hall anyway.
The main singer was very good looking, with a voice to go with it. The music was loud, and coloured spotlights flashed on and off while people danced.
The dance floor was quite large but got packed. It was very cramped, with everybody trying to find space to dance.
There was one of those large balls hanging from the ceiling, with mirrors which reflected the spotlights as it rotated. They had one of these at the Ilford Palais too.
It sent off little flecks of light all around, and the different colours gave the dance hall a “groovy atmosphere”.
Along one side of the floor were intimate settees for two, and a place to leave your handbag while you danced. In exchange for your handbag they gave you a numbered disc, just as they did at the cloakroom.
Upstairs at the far end was a licensed bar with glass windows looking onto the dance floor, and you could see from one end to the other.
There were small tables scattered here and there, in case you didn’t want to sit up at the bar on a stool. I always found that doing that wasn’t very comfortable as I never knew where to put my feet. They just seemed to dangle with a will of their own.
The main bar was “L” shaped, and had a balcony all round where you could sit and watch the people dancing, or have a quiet drink and a chat with your friends.
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Jim Bell (verified owner) –
A very touching, and moving story through the troubled life of a lady trying to cope with her emotions and a young family.
She reaches ecstatic highs and depths of despair in a tale that is like a rollercoaster ride.
Combatting the increasing effects of her Mental Health medication, she succumbed to taking drastic attempts to end her life, but each time was pulled back from the brink, by those around her.
I found this a very compelling read, and would recommend it to people in a similar situation, or those studying cases for future psychiatric
studies.