Barbara Taylor (2) (1950–)

Lots of good reviews of this book, seemed like something to read given my interest in former mental institutions and the treatment of the mentally ill.
What it did was make me wonder if it was her therapy that was making her ill. Years and years of analysis I, some of it for months, daily, would prevent ever stepping out of your head. I am astonished Barbara Taylor managed to extract herself from this disease causing cycle and get on with her life.
It is terrifying to think of the damage that can be done with bad mental health care, and that is front and centre in this telling.
I wonder. I have gone for therapy myself, the useless for me CBT, now trauma-centred therapy. I'm not convinced much of it helps, and the risk of becoming a victim of the system is very large.
Scary, scary book, and so sadly self-obsessed. Page after page of dreams and analysis of her dreams and chewing over her life and such. Had to start skimming after chapter three, though it is well-written and offers some wisdom. The horror of watching Ms. Taylor self-flagellate on the point of a pin was too horrible to watch.… (altro)

The book Jacket says, "The Lived Past is never really past." Barbara Taylor has written the story of her past - 'a memoir of madness' as she calls it. One cannot but feel compassionate towards her; but is all her suffering really necessary? I would question her decision to undergo/continue with psychoanalysis. Given the progress in psychiatry and treatment of psychiatric condition there was absolutely no reason for Taylor to go through all that she did. Also, the title is misleading. The book deals not only with "The Last Asylum" but is also a history of Psychiatric Hospitals in London. Not all readers want to read about these. One also wonders if the sexual overtones present throughout are real or thrown in to perk readers' interest.… (altro)