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Life is Worth Living!

8/18/2015

This is the latest review on Amazon. 5 stars and so touching. Thank you Cheryl

I read this book many months ago but the words on the pages continue to float through my mind daily and in my dreams at night. The depth that Theresa reaches with her words are life changing. Mental Illness at any age is difficult but to experience it at such a young age is heart breaking. Being a teenager is tough enough and parenting those teenagers is a challenge on any given day. Add mental illness to the challenge and many people would cave in and/or give up. Theresa's determination and unrelenting love for her son teaches us all what being a parent is all about. Loving unconditionally! Matthew's determination to continue his daily survival and defeat his demons may be a life long struggle but knowing he has his mom in his corner must give him the reassurance he needs to know life is worth living. This book has such a powerful message and should be read by all.

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4 Star Review of "Cutting the Soul"

8/17/2015

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Thank you Tabrizia Jones for this 4 Star review of "Cutting the Soul"
https://cupofteawiththatbookplease.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/book-review-cutting-the-soul-a-memoir-by-theresa-larsen/

Theresa Larsen's uphill battle with her son's mental illness emotionally and beautifully discusses an issue that unfortunately doesn't get the attention that it deserves. I'm not saying that this was not an easy read and I'm not just discussing the uncomfortable and descriptive details of Matthew's trials. But difficult for someone who has suffered through mental illness, like myself. I needed to read this, not just to be informed, but for my own well being. Like both Matthew and Theresa discovered, I wasn't alone in my struggles.

Usually when you read about mental illness, it's always in the point of view of, in this case I will say, the patient. So it is refreshing to read someone's experience dealing with a close relative's mental illness. When you hear about a person suffering through depression and other mental disorders, you always concentrate on how it is affecting that person, but you rarely think twice on how it affects the whole family. You truly don't understand the physical and emotional toil it puts on a family, the financial burden that they have to go through. When reading this memoir, it is a huge eye opener. Reading about Larsen's experiences proves why this issue needs to be openly discussed and backed, especially from insurance companies. This is an important issue that just cannot be set aside.

Larsen's emotions are radiating from these pages. You can feel her pain when she sees her son at his worst. You can feel her frustration when she sometimes loses hope. You can feel her fear when she thinks that every time she visits her son it will be for the last time. I applaud Larsen for writing Matthew's and her family's struggles. It must be very difficult for her to relive these painful experiences. But I think it was necessary. It might have been cathartic for her but her story needed to be told for others to know that you are not alone in this and there's hope at the end of the tunnel.

Larsen refers back to Matthew's writings from his journal and even though it was uncomfortable to read at times due to its dark nature, I believe it was very important. You are reading what Larsen is going through which is vital but you need to know what Matthew is going through in his own words and you get that through his journal writings.

If you are uncomfortable reading about dark, personal matters, then this memoir may not be for you. But I hope you change your mind because in my opinion, I feel that this is a type of book that everyone should read. This is an important issue that should definitely not be bypassed.

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Can Someone be an Effective Parent of a Transgender Child?

8/13/2015

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My latest article on PsychCentral grew from a conversation I had with the parent of a transgender child. It discusses the challenges of this transition for parents and why they feel talking about it is difficult. Check it out on the link below.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/08/09/the-line-between-parenting-and-political-correctness/

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Life is Worth Living!

4 Star Review of "Cutting the Soul"

Can Someone be an Effective Parent of a Transgender Child?

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Author Note

Life is Worth Living!

4 Star Review of "Cutting the Soul"

Can Someone be an Effective Parent of a Transgender Child?

Archives

Click on the RSS Feed link above to follow my blogClick on the All word below to view all blogs in a given year

Author Note

Click on the RSS Feed link above to follow my blog

Click on the All word below to view all blogs in a given year