Review of Step Into My World Of Schizophrenia
Posted: 21 Jun 2021, 04:08
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Step Into My World Of Schizophrenia" by Sakimah N. Coleman.]
Step Into My World of Schizophrenia is a gripping, informative memoir written by Sakimah Coleman, taking us through her battle with paranoid schizophrenia. Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, and just like many of us, the author had big dreams. One of them was to help people, and to get an opportunity to help many people, she wanted to become a nurse. Unfortunately, this had to be deferred until a later date due to the onset of her illness. So, in sharing this story, the author hopes to create awareness and enable readers to learn some facts about mental illnesses, most of which she did not know before becoming sick and has taken a better part of her struggle with the mental illness to learn. I greatly enjoyed this book, and at the end of this journey, I learned a lot that changed my perspective on mental illnesses.
I also liked how well the author executed this book. She begins by narrating her childhood life, growing up in Trenton, NJ. Due to this, readers get to know how her life was before she was inflicted with mental illness. Readers also get to witness how she first started to develop the symptoms, the journey toward her diagnosis, and the emotional farewell to her pre-schizophrenic life. Now the life she was used to was gone, and she was ushered into the world that was only real to her, a world whose inhabitants are stereotypically labeled as “crazy.” But she did not give up the hope of ever becoming well again. This book has been adapted from the journals she has been writing throughout this journey, and they appear just as she first wrote them. They are raw, unfiltered, and contain some of her embarrassing moments, but she decided to share them anyway, all with the desire to help people to witness mental illness from the eyes of the one suffering from it. The vivid, transparent journals enhanced my appreciation of this informative book.
My favorite aspect of this book was that the author not only teaches about paranoid schizophrenia but also other types of mental illnesses. Readers will learn more about bipolar disorders, depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. Apart from the lessons on the other mental illnesses, I also liked the author's trust and strong belief in God, and this played a pivotal role in her recovery process as readers will see.
All in all, I didn't find anything to dislike about this book. It seems to have been professionally edited since I found just some minor errors, most of which were not distracting. However, due to their number, I am deducting a star to award Step Into My World of Schizophrenia by Sakimah Coleman 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, I would have given it a perfect rating.
To people suffering from or whose relatives are suffering from mental illness, I highly recommend this. I also believe that anyone should read this book since mental illness affects all of us in one way or another; the only difference is the degree of its effect. On the other hand, the author makes references to the Bible and has incorporated some Bible verses. I believe nonreligious and open-minded readers from other religions can enjoy it as well without being affected by such.
******
Step Into My World Of Schizophrenia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Step Into My World of Schizophrenia is a gripping, informative memoir written by Sakimah Coleman, taking us through her battle with paranoid schizophrenia. Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, and just like many of us, the author had big dreams. One of them was to help people, and to get an opportunity to help many people, she wanted to become a nurse. Unfortunately, this had to be deferred until a later date due to the onset of her illness. So, in sharing this story, the author hopes to create awareness and enable readers to learn some facts about mental illnesses, most of which she did not know before becoming sick and has taken a better part of her struggle with the mental illness to learn. I greatly enjoyed this book, and at the end of this journey, I learned a lot that changed my perspective on mental illnesses.
I also liked how well the author executed this book. She begins by narrating her childhood life, growing up in Trenton, NJ. Due to this, readers get to know how her life was before she was inflicted with mental illness. Readers also get to witness how she first started to develop the symptoms, the journey toward her diagnosis, and the emotional farewell to her pre-schizophrenic life. Now the life she was used to was gone, and she was ushered into the world that was only real to her, a world whose inhabitants are stereotypically labeled as “crazy.” But she did not give up the hope of ever becoming well again. This book has been adapted from the journals she has been writing throughout this journey, and they appear just as she first wrote them. They are raw, unfiltered, and contain some of her embarrassing moments, but she decided to share them anyway, all with the desire to help people to witness mental illness from the eyes of the one suffering from it. The vivid, transparent journals enhanced my appreciation of this informative book.
My favorite aspect of this book was that the author not only teaches about paranoid schizophrenia but also other types of mental illnesses. Readers will learn more about bipolar disorders, depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. Apart from the lessons on the other mental illnesses, I also liked the author's trust and strong belief in God, and this played a pivotal role in her recovery process as readers will see.
All in all, I didn't find anything to dislike about this book. It seems to have been professionally edited since I found just some minor errors, most of which were not distracting. However, due to their number, I am deducting a star to award Step Into My World of Schizophrenia by Sakimah Coleman 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, I would have given it a perfect rating.
To people suffering from or whose relatives are suffering from mental illness, I highly recommend this. I also believe that anyone should read this book since mental illness affects all of us in one way or another; the only difference is the degree of its effect. On the other hand, the author makes references to the Bible and has incorporated some Bible verses. I believe nonreligious and open-minded readers from other religions can enjoy it as well without being affected by such.
******
Step Into My World Of Schizophrenia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I really loved your review. It was so interesting to know that the author who suffered from such a intent mental illness and then wrote a book based on her perspective. It is surely something I have never come across. It will sure help people suffering with it. Thanks for your review.