A Vexation of the Spirit

Sheila W. Mooney has written a book about the effects of chronic illness on the mind and spirit. She has eight chronic illnesses and talks about her own experiences with refreshing candor. There’s no self-pity here, just an honest account of her illnesses and what she has come to know about mind and spirit. You’ll read about her growing up in a small farming village in Maine, then on to her own family and ultimately, several psychiatric hospitalizations. After losing her career to Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, she faced a great change in her life. Chronic illness brings a new life, and suddenly leaves an old one behind. One may look normal, but on the inside is suffering and pain. The great accumulation of suffering includes:

• Grief

• Isolation and Loneliness

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Economic Stress

• Pain

After the author chronicles her story, she has some basic suggestions to help those who are suffering invisibly. She intertwines two stories, her private subjective thoughts with a concise presentation of ideas. She writes with compassion and imagination. This book is a must-read for those and their caretakers facing chronic illness, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, arthritis and brain injury.

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