No One Cares About Crazy People

The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America

By: Ron Powers

Narrated by: Ron Powers

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times-best-selling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia.

From the centuries of torture of "lunatiks" at Bedlam Asylum to the infamous eugenics era to the follies of the anti-psychiatry movement to the current landscape in which too many families struggle alone to manage afflicted love ones, Powers limns our fears and myths about mental illness and the fractured public policies that have resulted. Braided with that history is the moving story of Powers' beloved son Kevin - spirited, endearing, and gifted - who triumphed even while suffering from schizophrenia, until finally he did not, and the story of his courageous surviving son Dean, who is also schizophrenic.

A blend of history, biography, memoir, and current affairs ending with a consideration of where we might go from here, this is a thought-provoking look at a dreaded illness that has long been misunderstood.

"Extraordinary and courageous.... No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change." (New York Times Book Review)

©2017 Ron Powers (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Very emotional...[Powers] reminds us how apathetic and cruel society can be when it comes to mental illness." ( Booklist)

"Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Powers ( MarkTwain: A Life, 2005, etc.) presents two searing sagas: an indictment of mental health care in the United States and the story of his two schizophrenic sons.... This hybrid narrative, enhanced by the author's considerable skills as a literary stylist, succeeds on every level." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Ron Powers and his wife never expected to visit the exotic lands of schizophrenia until their two sons became affected. A gifted professional writer, Powers takes the reader along on his explorations as he tries to understand why it happened and what to do. What he finds is 'the most dreaded of all human mental disorders.' Very readable and highly recommended." (E. Fuller Torrey, MD, author of Surviving Schizophrenia)

heartbreaking

Excellent book about a very difficult subject, the treatment of mentally ill people in our society throughout history and today. You can feel the pain and frustration of this family, and their love for the two sons affected.

Excellent

This author does a fantastic job of balancing his personal experience and tragedy with helping the reader learn about the history of psychiatric medicine.

interesting, many feelings felt

My feelings were all over the place with this book. I appreciate hearing it instead of reading it because of the musical examples included.
I feel for the sense of loss for the father/author/narrator.
I have a daughter with autism who has never been able to talk so this both hit home and at times I was jealous since I lost her before she could say/express/accomplish anything. We both face similar handicaps in trying to get needed help for our children. I was jealous that the author had and is looking forward to having the freedom of being a couple without children in the house. While his plight is bad and difficult, it has more possibilities than mine. I wondered which is worse, losing an adult child and then struggling, where you look back with such sadness at what was lost, or never having the child be anything but difficult as a child or adult. In other words losing them early so there is so little to look back upon. He had normality until tragedy, I never had normality. He faces a difficult future but has hope. My future is largely without hope.
At times I really did not like the tone of voice used. It seemed for lack of a better term 'stuck-up', pedagogical but in a speaking down to you way. It grated like nails on the blackboard.
Good points; It did convey his deep sadness and the difficulty of trying to deal with a system which is underfunded and limited in what it can offer. It did explain the problem of individual choice versus how to treat a person who really is not competent to make that choice for his own good. It did a good job of explaining the complexity of mental illness treatment.
Bad points; It seemed it was almost two books with two purposes mixed into one. One of a father's story where the sons were lionized too much and the crushing loss experienced. One where the topic of mental illness was being explained and explored. Somehow, the mixing didn't fully work and the literary references used at times did not help this.
All in all I am glad to have bought this book and listened to it. I hope it opens people's eyes to the plight of parents faced with having to do the best they can in difficult circumstances. I hope it brings us all more help.

Full of history of mental health care!

Being a nurse and someone married to a man with Bi-polar 1, I found the history in this book very interesting. I enjoyed the way Ron Powers alternated chapters of history with the story of his family’s heartbreak and struggle with mental illness. I hope that this will open people’s eyes and hearts to the intense struggle of both the afflicted and the family members of those with debilitating mental illness.

Of Care and Caring

Ron Powers skillfully intertwines the historic lack of meaningful health care for people suffering from mental illness with the caring and love he and his wife extend to their sons. Though a heart wrenching journey, Powers concludes with hope. First, from advancing medical knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, a vision of community caring to benefit us all.

Powerful

So grateful to Ron for sharing his son's stories and the research he provides about the history mental healthcare. Very moving and enlightening. There is so much work to be done in reforming the state of care for those suffering from mental illness.

WOW...are you kidding me right now??!!

While this book had too many chapters strictly discussing the history of mental health, the chapters that actually discussed his family experiences were good. Im not sure where Mr Powers received his information on how inmates are treated but in my experience (25 years in Corrections) it is grossly incorrect. NEVER, in my experience, has an inmate been "restricted food, water or medication" while in "solitary confinement." These statements made me gruff out loud and stop the book to write this review. Prison is no place to make a "hair trigger" decision and certainly not around placing someone in restricted housing. Are there far too many mentally ill people in prison? Absolutely!, however that is a systemic problem. The overall lack of mental health facilities land many mentally ill people in prison because there isn't any other place to put them. That is NOT a corrections issues that is a SOCIETAL issue that the professional prison staff across this country are forced to manage. And then the GROSS misrepresentation that attempted suicide is a "violation of prison rules" and that an inmate is "beaten within an inch of his just rescued life" (YES, CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS RESCUE LIVES EVERY DAY!) if s/he attempts suicide. WOW! I dont know where you did your research for this area of your book Mr Powers but I can unequivocally say, in my experience, you couldn't be any further from the truth. I have been involved in, and witnessed, some of the most humane treatment while working INSIDE a correctional facility. Im not naive enough to think that somewhere in this world what you say might be true, however in my small place in this world you describe the minority NOT the majority of correctional professionals and facilities. Unfortunately there is a bad apple in every bunch but I want to share with readers that NOT EVERY correctional facility or correctional professional can or should be painted with the very broad brush Mr Powers uses to describe them in this book! So Ive stopped listening at chapter 11 because I am so pissed off with what Ive just heard.

Great book

An optimistic yet heartbreaking view of mental illness. Ron Powers is an amazing man and writer.

Excellent read

This book opens up the world of mental illness. Not just about the authors son but about others and the failing mental health system. It covers everything from A to Z. Excellent read!

Thorough, personal and helpful.

If you have experience with mental illness in your family or via someone close to you, this book will resonate deeply. I first bought a hardcover copy, but listened to most of it by way of Ron Powers reading. The history of development and usage of psychotropic drugs was most interesting to me, as I've heard all the names over the years. Extremely well researched and thoughtfully compiled. I'm a slow reader, so I'm glad I listened to the audible version! Well-read by the author. Thank you, Mr. Power's, for your helpful contribution to metal health policy reform by way of this book.