Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: PublishAmerica
Release Date: May 2004
ISBN:
1413718833
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Paperback
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Genre:   Nonfiction / Memoir
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Lynda E. Lukow
Reviewer Notes:  
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The Miradors
Descensions of A Man  
By B. Elwin Sherman

    Depression-a mental illness that slowly, insidiously assaults the psyche. It causes no visible wounds. No cuts to suture, no broken bones to cast, no quick fix to send sufferers on their merry way. For those who work in the service industry, this mental illness often hides behind a pasted-on smile until suicidal ideations rip away the facade. The Miradors: Descensions of a Man candidly describes one man's near drowning in a sea of darkness and his battle to regain the surface and stay afloat.

   Author B. Elwin Sherman, who has worked as a psychiatric nurse, tells his story from both sides of the stethoscope. In his journal, he comments on the medications and their side effects; the medical and psychological tests which measure patients' progress; and the effects staff attitudes have upon a patient's state of mind. He also reveals the residual effects his depression has had on his wife and children.

      Though Mr. Sherman berates himself for hiding behind metaphors, those comparisons clearly illustrate the complicated and often convoluted thought processes that accompany the inwardly turned anger, the desperation and the fear. The author's poetic leanings compel readers to consider life in a different light.

     As the title suggests, The Miradors: Descensions of a Man provides an extensive look into a depressed man's soul. This is a profound and demanding journal, but it contains enough light moments to balance the darkness. I highly recommend this work to anyone who has dealt with or wishes to learn more about depression. Kudos to Mr. Sherman for having the courage to put a human face on an inhumane illness.