Review of Lived To Tell

[Praise GodWord]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lived To Tell" by Kay Whiting Harrison.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Lived To Tell: Thriving After Suicide Attempt by Kay Whiting Harrison with Wendy O’Leary is a non-fiction narration of Kay's suicidal experience and victory.

Kay tells of her struggle with depression and suicidal attempts in this book. Kay's suffering from mental illness began at the tender age of seven. She was bullied as a child, which strongly impacted her mental health until she became an adult. She got married to Lex and was blessed with four children. But despite all this, Kay seemed not to have recognized a problem that had been trailing her since childhood. And even when she did, she refused to open up due to fear of stigmatization. Her depression and suicidal attempt are all captured in this book. This is not to impose her healing process on others but to help individuals have an insight into the mind of those suffering from this dilemma.

From the book's outlook, Kay would be imagined to be a strong, determined, and resolute woman who was privileged to survive a suicide attempt. But the reality is very far from this. Kay's struggle with her daughter's terminal sickness, which surfaced weeks after her birth, is a sensitive and emotional part of this book. Kay had not expected this to happen, but like every other individual, she didn't get to choose the script for her life. More than luck, Kay had survived this ordeal to share her experiences with people in similar situations as hers. Twice, she was faced with helping her children endure and survive terminal sicknesses like brain damage and cancer. This makes it clear that Kay was not a special individual who was lucky to have survived. She was a normal person who lived a normal life like everyone else, so her victory can be extended to every other person suffering from mental illnesses. I loved this part of the book.

As explained in the book, mental illness is an illness of the brain. The major aspects of this illness discussed in the book related to Kay are depression, anxiety, PTSD, and attempted suicide. To not be mistaken, Kay was a very successful woman. She had a career in hospital management and marketing and was even the Chairwoman of one of the four local Chambers of Commerce. Yet, all these didn't seem to erode the tendency of depression. Her husband, Lex, shared his side of the story, being her closest family at the time of the incident. Overcoming the shame and reaching out to comfort others is a real display of empathy.

The book contains helpful resources for assisting those struggling with suicidal thoughts, supporting loved ones, and comforting those who have lost a loved one to suicide. My rating for this book is four out of four stars. There is no disagreeable content in this book. It was well written to suit the expectations of readers. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy mental-health-related books. This book would be a good read for anyone who is going through emotional stress.

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Lived To Tell
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[Dayna Frank]

I enjoyed your review! I liked your recommendation for this book. Nice job!

[Yasmine ZM]

Kay is an amazing and brave person. She is not only sharing her long lived ordeal but she is thinking of those who might find themselves in her situation. Thankfully she managed to have a normal life and a supportive husband. Great review, thank you.