Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers

This was one book I did not hesitate to buy as I know so many people with the mental illnesses. I must applaud Rosalyn Carter one of the former First Ladies for her help in understanding Mental Illness and for trying her utmost not to see it as a stigma in this twenty first century......but for us to learn that getting help is the priority here. From Depression to Panic attacks......Paranoia to Schizophrenia, caregiving with lots of love and understanding can go a long way. Buy this book to assist you if not now, sometime in the Autumn-time when friends and love ones will be taken under that dark umbrella. The treatments for each mental illness is remarkable.Thank you Roslyn Carter with help from Susan K. Golnat for a book that's going to help millions. Congratulations. Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 26/10/01)

The former First Lady's book is a very compassionate effort which can help a person who has to deal with mental illness for the first time no matter what the setting. Mrs. Carter gives a good over-view of the "whole picture" concerning all mental illness with enough detail to give the reader a good foundation in the subject. I think the really profound thing that I read in every line of the book was the real sincerity that Mrs. Carter has for her work. She really is serious about changing the way some in society look at individuals with mental illesses. I applaud her for her work and her book.

An excellent resource for family members and friends who wish to help a person with mental illness. I especially appreciated the book's emphasis on biological *and* social risk factors for various forms of mental illness. The section on building resiliancy in children at risk for mental illness is reason alone to purchase this book. It is a wise, compassionate, humane treatus on a very important topic.

Rosalynn Carter's new book evokes compassion from the reader as she unfolds her personal experience of becoming aware of persons with mental illness. This affliction has many facets and is painful for the family as well as the patient. Carter leads the reader through various types of mental illness, noting symptoms. The reader may use the book as a reference and not a 'read for pleasure' book.Carter writes simply and without exaggerating, so she is easy to read and to understand. With the resources listed in index "D", she equips the uninformed reader to bring understanding in his interaction with his/her co-workers and friends. This is especially important as mentally ill patients need support of those around them. They also need the same financial help that patients with surgical and medical problems receive.

Rosalyn Carter's book is full of resources and suggestions for anyone needing help from mental health professionals. Besides encouraging people to get help for themselves and their family members, it encourages community involvement and support of those afflicted with mental illness. There is a good discussion of the causes of mental illness. Mrs. Carter emphasizes awareness of early signs of mental illness and describes subtle changes that may indicate the need to get help, as well as how to get that help. I recommend this book for students looking for a positive, overall description of mental illness. It has an excellent guide to Web sites too!