Book Review: Blinded by Hope

The words, “You’ve suffered no hardship,” ring in Meg McGuire’s ears as she watches her forty-three year old son receive a sentence to four years in prison. It is then that she realizes there are some things a mother’s love simply cannot overcome, and mental illness is one of them. In her riveting memoir, Blinded by Hope: My Journey Through My Son’s Bipolar Illness and Addiction, McGuire tells the story of her son Ryan who battles bipolar, addiction and incarceration. Yet on a much larger level, McGuire exposes the messy and often heartbreaking reality of mental illness. In the beginning, McGuire didn’t worry about her son’s adrenaline filled bursts of energy. “He reminded me of my father who seemed incapable of sitting still or relaxing…I didn’t associate creative energy with a mood disorder,” McGuire writes. Then Ryan’s behavior began to change; his grades dropped and he found himself on probation for smashing a window. He told his mother, “I don’t know what happened. I barely remember.” Shortly thereafter, Ryan’s counselor called McGuire to suggest that her son return home from college–and that he not travel alone. On that plane ride, McGuire noticed that the once fearless skateboarder was gripping the hand rests of his seat, and sweating profusely. Still, McGuire searched for any reason to believe that her son would be okay. “I talked myself into believing that if I got Ryan home, we would get help and as my sister had ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Addictions Bipolar Book Reviews Dual Diagnosis Family Parenting Personal Stories Substance Abuse Bipolar Disorder Depression skateboarding Source Type: news