Crazy

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. This was incredibly fascinating on every level.

Lyn Barrett begins her memoir in her early, normal adulthood: girl meets boy, they fall in love, they have children. But, when she realizes that her husband was cheating on her, Lyn’s mental health begins to unravel. A shell of the person and mother she once was, Lyn discovers through years of therapy and support that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, or what was known at the time as multiple personality disorder, a symptom of severe trauma. Lyn takes us through her experiences of ultimate self realization and trauma healing in a memoir that is both very personal and educational.

I truly appreciated everything about this. It was gripping from the very start, particularly when she went into detail about how she went about each of her alters.

Obviously, I recommend assessing your own nervous system going in. As someone who has a lot more capacity these days, I still found quite a bit triggering. However, she still does not remember big details from her trauma, which is common.

I definitely recommend this one for anyone interested in mental health and my fellow trauma nerds.

Barrett's memoir reflecting on her process of discovering that she has Dissociative Identify Disorder and beginning therapy to address it is written in a way that puts you right in her mind with her. Her ability to do this allows readers to somewhat experience the uncomfortable nature of not feeling in control of one's self. Barrett included various aspects of her life, from parenting to working, with her mental illness and I really appreciated that she demonstrated that, even with severe mental illness, individuals can still be successful in areas of their lives, even when they feel everything else is a failure. I also appreciated that Barrett covered her entire process, from first feeling like she was "losing her sanity" to finding success through therapy in addressing her mental illness. Finally, for those looking to read this book who suffer with a history of trauma, Barrett doesn't specifically recall her trauma in clear memories. There are a couple scenes that break through for her that give a vague glimpse into the type of trauma she may have experienced, but she never fully describes her trauma history. I know this may be important for those who have specific triggers to be aware of ahead of time.

Inspirational read. A happy wife and mother who loved nothing more than taking care of her brood, Lyn Barrett was knocked off course by a family crisis that triggered her inner world to crumble.

Her diagnosis of multiple personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder, threatened her life as she knew it, her family, and her future.

With the knowledge that DID is a coping strategy young children use to protect themselves from chronic trauma, Lyn embarked on a journey to discover her true self.

A fascinating read that’s well written and truly is beautiful. I enjoyed this book so much,
Many thanks to both the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this book