The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness

by Lori Schiller

Hardcover, 1994

Status

Available

Genres

Publication

Grand Central Pub (1994), 270 pages

Description

Biography & Autobiography. Psychology. Nonfiction. HTML:Moving, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting, Lori Schiller's memoir is a classic testimony to the ravages of mental illness and the power of perseverance and courage. At seventeen Lori Schiller was the perfect child-the only daughter of an affluent, close-knit family. Six years later she made her first suicide attempt, then wandered the streets of New York City dressed in ragged clothes, tormenting voices crying out in her mind. Lori Schiller had entered the horrifying world of full-blown schizophrenia. She began an ordeal of hospitalizations, halfway houses, relapses, more suicide attempts, and constant, withering despair. But against all odds, she survived. In this personal account, she tells how she did it, taking us not only into her own shattered world, but drawing on the words of the doctors who treated her and family members who suffered with her.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member JanaRose1

While spending the summer as a camp counselor at the age of 17, Lori began hearing the Voices. They repeatedly told her she was worthless, everyone hated her, and told her to die. She tried to hide her symptoms as long as possible, believing that everyone else heard voices also. She was able to

make it through college, before she became overwhelmed and attempted suicide. At first her parents though she was under stress, that she was going through a phase and expected her to snap out of it after a bit of rest and relaxation. Instead, Lori began the revolving journey from hospital, to half-way house, and back again as she struggled in a seemingly hostile world.

From shock therapy, to talk therapy and endless medication Lori spiraled rapidly out of control. Told from multiple point of views, the book explores the effect of schizophrenia on the patient, their family and friends. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mental health, or affected by the disease.

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LibraryThing member danielaridley

This is an awesome journey through the world of Schizophrenia. Lori Shiller allows you access to her worst torments, deepest denials, biggest failures, and a climatic achievement. If you want to understand what it is like for someone who suffers this horrible disease, this book will without a

doubt, take you on the journey of your life.

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LibraryThing member kris1990

This wonderful book shows the life of a woman with mental health and her daily struggles to do absolutely anything. It documents her satys in different mental institutions as well as her ever present fight with depression and her mental disease. This book also shows her relationship with friends

and hardships in work as her illness seems to always spiral her out of control. She finds success in her own way in the end, still stricken by her disease but in a way somehow more positive. Great book!

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LibraryThing member Kayla-Marie

Schizophrenia is such an unusual illness and difficult to understand. This was an interesting look into the mind of schizophrenic. It began at the very start of her break down up through the present time when she is nearly recovered. I say nearly because schizophrenia is incurable and Schiller will

never be completely well, but she was able to get her illness under control and is now living a happy, peaceful life. Very inspirational.

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LibraryThing member wellreadcatlady

It’s no secret I like memoirs by people who have mental illness, but The Quiet Room goes deep. Lori Schiller is schizophrenia and manic depression (bi-polar) and the way she is able to write about her disorders brings great insight. She doesn’t remember it all and parts she felt were important

that she didn’t remember she had family members or doctors write what she was like during that time. She hears voices and experiences mood swings, she lived a normal life at first with these issues, she graduated high school when it first started and did great in college before it took over her life. She tries to commit suicide, she is hospitalized and develops a drug problem.

Lori does not hold back on her emotions and actions that occurred. It allows the reader to learn and empathize with her. I liked that it is addressed there is no cure, you will always have your mental illness, so the best people can do is fight the symptoms so they can live their life. I think many people dismiss lesser disorders as being something that can be stopped and cured, that a person isn’t trying hard enough, but this book shuts that down and explains how it actually works. Lori explains the treatment process and how medications are guess work until doctors find the right combo. Her experiences at hospitals vary, some want to cure her and get her out to have a high turn over rate, but this doesn’t work for her. It’s not until she goes into long term care does she start to improve. Highly recommend reading

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