Falling into the Fire

A Psychiatrist's Encounters with the Mind in Crisis

By: Christine Montross

Narrated by: Christine Montross

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Falling into the Fire is psychiatrist Christine Montross's thoughtful investigation of the gripping patient encounters that have challenged and deepened her practice. The majority of the patients Montross treats in Falling into the Fire are seen in the locked inpatient wards of a psychiatric hospital; all are in moments of profound crisis. We meet a young woman who habitually commits self-injury, having ingested light bulbs, a box of nails, and a steak knife, among other objects. Her repeated visits to the hospital incite the frustration of the staff, leading Montross to examine how emotion can interfere with proper care. A recent college graduate, dressed in a tunic and declaring that love emanates from everything around him, is brought to the ER by his concerned girlfriend. Is it ecstasy or psychosis? What legal ability do doctors have to hospitalize - and sometimes medicate - a patient against his will? A new mother is admitted with incessant visions of harming her child. Is she psychotic and a danger or does she suffer from obsessive thoughts? Her course of treatment - and her child's future - depends upon whether she receives the correct diagnosis.

Each case study presents its own line of inquiry, leading Montross to seek relevant psychiatric knowledge from diverse sources. A doctor of uncommon curiosity and compassion, Montross discovers lessons in medieval dancing plagues, in leading forensic and neurological research, and in moments from her own life. Beautifully written, deeply felt, Falling into the Fire brings us inside the doctor’s mind, illuminating the grave human costs of mental illness as well as the challenges of diagnosis and treatment. At once rigorous and meditative, Falling into the Fire is an intimate portrait of psychiatry, allowing the reader to witness the humanity of the practice and the enduring mysteries of the mind.

©2013 Christine Montross (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Buy this book! and READ it

oh, this audiobook is awful! Read by the author in a deliberate, listless, extremely careful monotone (someone must have told her to slow down her reading and she went nuts with that advice). Much as I wanted to hear the content, which subject fascinates me, I simply could not keep my mind from straying as I listened. It's a great soporific. Listen at bedtime and you'll zonk right out.
Buy the book. Read it.

Learned a lot from this book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If my friend likes books about mental illness then yes..this was a great read.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the detail that the author went into regarding each patient.

Have you listened to any of Christine Montross’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think so

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

not really

Mixed Bag but Interesting mixed bag

it's definitely more personal that I originally thought when purchasing. however, I appreciate the authors insight and thought process as someone who has been hospitalized. She also dabbles into various sub sections of pathology - it's not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed it since I also share those various connections to social phenomena and, great historical artists. if you're looking for an "objective" informative book in psychiatry/medicine this is not it. She shares her thoughts but I don't think they take away.

Read it, don’t listen to it.

Dr. Montross is a gifted writer. I enjoyed both the research aspects and the patient stories, however I will never listen to her read another book. She is very monotone, and almost sounds bored at points. I had to speed it up in order to finish it.

Exquisite writing

As good, if not better than Body of Work! Montross writes with such emotion and introspection…The woman has a literary gift!

Great book for understanding mental illness

The author reads with her own compassionate voice, about a litany of mental conditions. If you’re interested in becoming a shrink or working with the mentally ill, this book is a must read. Well written, well delivered and extremely thoughtful and honest introspection.

An in-depth look into psychiatry

I really enjoyed listening to Christine divulge her experiences as a psychiatrist. She discusses the this and feelings of some of her patients, and what it is she is supposed to do to help them.

Dreary Narration

This audio book is so tedious to listen to that I gave up trying after only a couple of chapters. The narrator drones on in a monotone with almost no inflection. It’s quite literally unbearable! Please, for pity’s sake, spare your ears.