A first person narrative and accompanying clinical analysis of that adolescent depression.
Adolescent depression: Outside In is an innovative book for adolescents, parents, and clinical professionals. Keena, a licensed addictions and mental health counselor, takes her readers inside the depressed adolescent's imagination, and insecurities.
Using a combination of narrative, poetry, and prose, Ms. Keena has taken her personal experiences with depression and has woven a masterful work. Through her own experiences, Ms. Keena has shown a way to understand the sense of lost helplessness of depressed adolescents. She then shows us the path towards hope and recovery.
This book will help adolescents, parents, and clinicians understand the difficulties and challenges that can arise as the treatable illness of depression begins to emerge in adolescence.
Samuel M. Silverman, M.D.
Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
Excerpt
The adolescent suffering from depression has an impact on the entire family. Emotional numbing blocks the perception that the afflicted are loved or lovable. Entering depression as a teenager, the young person feels misunderstood and alienated from family members, and is often angry without provocation. Depression also decreases the capacity for empathy, causing a loss of sensitivity to others. Anger originates, as in any major illness, because of the restrictions the illness imposes. Anger is caused because young people do not know what is happening to them emotionally. This anger can spill over into family relationships.
viscerally breath-taking. intense, energetic, clear as a whistle, overpoweringly real, strong strong voice, amazing objective/subjective stance. eye opening. powerful poetry although the terrorist one doesn't seem to fit. powerful line "MS. I'm not going away." Informative, want to be reassured sooner as to how or that the MS is also a teacher, ie very strong hook re the right brain compensating. i'd work that up, or you probably do in the next part. bravo. interesting that the writing is intact. wonder how that works. sounds like the change in life is ripe with new ways of experiencing life, rich and spiritual and colorful. look forward to more magic in the unfolding story. makes me miss you.
Reviewed by Bill Keena
11/19/2004
Just a few immediate reactions after reading part one: It is interesting to me that this narrative about her experience with MS reveals a defining characteristic of Kathy which I am not sure she is aware that she shares with her mother. Namely, Kathy has spent her life serving others. How? Kathy has certainly done so as a counselor, opening rooms of pain with her clients and methodically showing them the light. She has also served in the theater where, she has helped actors and audiences to understand, to glance in to, to peel back the veils of psyche just a bit. This explains the sometimes painful subjects she has chosen to present. Kathy has done so with the feminist groups she has founded or supported, with the teaching she has done and even as a manager where her style was to admire and respect the talents of her team. Kathy is instantly trusting, accepting and supportive and attentive. This is what makes her a great counselor. Her desire to share her experiences and her skill as a writer combine with these traits to make this an intimate and truthful narrative. And once again, I believe it will help to serve others who take the time to read it. Congratulations, Kathy.
Stress is the name of the job for almost all first responders. Learn how to lower your stress, help other first resonders lower their stress, and how to deal with people at a scene who are stressed.
This is a book to help readers plow through the enormous overload of the 95% nonsense to find the 5% common sense that is hidden away, which is needed to sustain long-term success in solving today's problems.
