Must read

This particular piece offers a distinct perspective on mental health. Usually, we only see and hear from the person who has received a diagnosis. However, with this book, you are able to look in and truly feel what a family experiences. It provides an in-depth look into the complex emotions and challenges that families face when dealing with a loved one's mental health issues. By understanding the family's point of view, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the overall impact of mental health on individuals and those around them. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge and empathy towards mental health and the families affected by it.

A very powerful book that delves deep into the heart-wrenching story of a mother's unwavering efforts to safeguard her daughter, who is afflicted with a severe mental illness. As the daughter reaches the age of 18, the situation becomes increasingly complex as she is no longer considered a minor, leaving very few viable options. The author tells this story in a highly visceral and brutally honest manner, shining a light on how racism can significantly impact and alter the experience for people of color. While the last quarter or so of the book didn't grip me quite as strongly as the earlier chapters, the overall narrative is truly captivating and engaging. It offers valuable insights into the challenges faced by families dealing with mental illness and the added layer of discrimination. Without a doubt, the whole book is definitely worth a read, as it has the potential to touch the hearts and minds of readers and raise awareness about these important issues.

The story is centered around a mother who is grappling with her daughter's mental illness.

Personally, I don't have in-depth knowledge about this particular topic. However, I had high hopes of liking this book more as I am a devoted fan of Bebe Moore Campbell's works.

Regrettably, this book proved to be a difficult read for me. It took me significantly longer than my usual reading time. In fact, it seemed to drag on interminably, and there were numerous parts that I found rather boring.

I truly hate to express such sentiments about a book that is addressing such a crucial and sensitive issue. Nevertheless, I must admit that this particular one is not a book that I would recommend.

Perhaps it was due to the complex nature of the subject matter or the way it was presented, but unfortunately, it failed to engage me on a deeper level.

I still hold Bebe Moore Campbell in high regard for her other literary achievements, but this particular work did not meet my expectations.

Maybe others with a different perspective or more familiarity with the topic might find more value in it, but for me, it was a disappointment.

Your daughter has just reached the age of 18 and has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After being placed on a 72-hour hold, she is released from the hospital. However, when you go to pick her up, she is nowhere to be found, and there is little you can do. Technically, she is an adult and is free to do as she pleases. Meanwhile, you are consumed by worry. Where could she be? What is she doing? Is someone harming her? Or is she hurting herself?

Despite the fact that she is now an "adult," you still feel a responsibility to protect her. You might try reaching out to her friends and family to see if they have any information about her whereabouts. You could also file a missing person's report with the police. Additionally, you might consider seeking the help of a mental health professional or a support group to deal with your own anxiety and stress.

Helping someone who doesn't want to be helped can be extremely difficult. You might try approaching her with empathy and understanding, rather than judgment or coercion. You could also offer her practical support, such as transportation to appointments or assistance with daily tasks. However, it's important to respect her autonomy and not force her to do anything she doesn't want to do.

In the case of Trina, after several 72-hour holds, her mother, Keri, decides to take some extreme measures to help her daughter with her mental illness. This might involve enrolling her in a residential treatment program or seeking legal guardianship. While these measures may seem drastic, Keri believes that they are necessary to ensure that Trina gets the help she needs. Through her own struggles, Keri learns a lot about her daughter's life and exactly how to help them both.

Bebe Moore Campbell's "72 Hour Hold" offers a profound exploration of the age-old saying "that's my child."

Faced with her daughter Trina's bipolar disorder and the challenges of a woefully inept mental health care system, Keri Whitmore, the loving mother, embarks on a harrowing journey.

Told from Keri's perspective, we witness her grief over the loss of her relationship with Trina as it once was and the future she had envisioned. The book delves into the waves of fear, guilt, and hopelessness with direct and sincere language.

Page after page, we come to respect, empathize, and admire Keri as she struggles. Through her story, we learn about the importance of supporting caregivers and the additional barriers faced by the black community due to stigma, mistrust in medical institutions, and cultural norms.

Trina is often either manic or under the influence of drugs in the book, and it is only through Keri's memories that we see the promising future that was snatched away by her illness. Despite the many difficulties, Campbell's characters find a way to strive for recovery.

"72 Hour Hold" provides a new perspective on the experiences of family members and caregivers of the mentally ill. It is a moving and personal book that touches on multiple levels, including mental health standards in America, the black experience with the mental health system, and more. Campbell draws on her own powerful emotions and African-American roots to create her best work yet.

One night in Keri's life is vividly described: "She measured my will with her eyes and then took the pills from my hand. But Trina wasn't hollering uncle. I watched her put the medicine in her mouth and take a swallow of water. The antipsychotic was a knockout punch and I'd given Trina a double dose, but by 3 a.m. she was still awake. Noise from the television and her CD player drifted through the house. The light on the telephone didn't go off. Trina stayed awake all that night, talking, laughing, singing, dancing, smoking cigarettes and weed. I was awake too: locking up the wine and champagne, hiding the sharp knives, writing my things-to-do list: 1. Turn off long-distance service. 2. Turn off DIRECTV service. 3. Make sure batteries in fire detectors are working. I was busy. Listening. Anticipating. This will go on and on and on."

FYI: A 72-hour hold is a means by which someone in serious need of mental health treatment can be taken to a designated psychiatric inpatient facility for evaluation and treatment for up to 72 hours against their will.

Wonderful

This was an extremely good book.

Once I managed to find the time to read it, I simply couldn't put it down. It was an absolutely wonderful read.

The story was so engaging and the characters were so well-developed that I was completely hooked from the very beginning.

I loved how the author was able to create a vivid and immersive world that I could easily lose myself in.

After finishing this book, I am now eager to find more books by the same author or similar ones to read.

I believe that reading is a great way to relax and expand our knowledge and imagination, and this book has definitely reinforced that belief for me.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading and is looking for a great story to get lost in.

This is an extremely interesting account about an African - American woman residing in L.A.

Her 18-year-old daughter develops bipolar disorder early on in the book. The mother, who is divorced and whose father "does not believe" in mental illness, does everything that the doctors and support groups instruct her to do.

Yet, her daughter still descends into violent manic phases. The book chronicles the mother's journey as she seeks both standard help and off-the-grid assistance.

As the story unfolds, she discovers a great deal about herself, her own mother, her daughter, and her friends. It is truly a captivating read that offers valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of dealing with mental illness within a family.

Definitely worth picking up and spending some time with.

Because the overall reviews for this book were so positive, I was truly anticipating a great deal. I had high hopes that it would be a remarkable and life-altering piece of literature. However, upon reading it, I found that it was indeed a good book, but it did not quite reach the level of being as life-changing as I had initially expected. It could potentially be a case of having set my expectations too high. Perhaps my anticipation was skewed by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Nevertheless, it is important to note that everyone's perception and experience of a book can vary. What might be life-changing for one person may not have the same impact on another. Despite not meeting my extremely high expectations, the book still had its merits and provided an enjoyable reading experience.

Bebe Moore Campbell's latest novel, 72 Hour Hold, delves deep into the complex and harrowing experience of a mother, Kira Whitmore, dealing with her daughter Trina's mental illness.

Earlier in the year, Trina was a promising high school senior with a bright future. But suddenly, her behavior changed, and Kira initially ignored the warning signs. As Trina's condition worsened, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Kira, being a loving mother, sought a cure but was repeatedly told there was none. She had to rely on lifelong treatment with prescription drugs. Trina's refusal to take the medication and her use of alcohol and marijuana only made things worse.

Kira had to resort to law enforcement to protect Trina from herself and others. The "72 hour hold" became a recurring event, but it was never enough time to stabilize Trina.

At one point, Kira was advised to detach from Trina to preserve her own life, but a mother's love is hard to sever. Kira took desperate measures and staged an "intervention" with surprising results.

Campbell's story is a powerful testament to the clash between patients' rights and what is best for the mentally ill. She paints a realistic portrait of the victims and their loved ones, as well as the flaws in the medical and legal systems.

The novel also brings awareness to society's judgmental attitude towards mental illness and educates readers about its hereditary and genetic nature. Campbell challenges cultural boundaries by highlighting the low priority given to mental illness in many ethnic communities.

Overall, 72 Hour Hold is a wonderful, enlightening work that is told with tenderness and sensitivity. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex world of mental illness.

This book offers a distinct perspective on mental illness, specifically from a black point of view.

I had the opportunity to read it as part of a healthcare/ethics book club.

There was indeed a wealth of knowledge to be gained from it.

However, I couldn't help but feel that there were many aspects that were left unexplored.

These could have been extremely beneficial in helping those of us without personal experience of mental illness to gain a deeper understanding.

Despite this, I would still highly recommend this book.

The unique perspective it provides is truly valuable and offers insights that are not commonly found in other literature on the subject.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

It has its shortcomings, but the information and perspective it presents make it well worth the read.

I believe that it can contribute to a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of mental illness.

First off, I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep any comparisons of An Unquiet Mind out of this. 72 hour Hold is, after all, a work of fiction, while An Unquiet Mind is not. When you strip away the subject matter, this book has very little in common with An Unquiet Mind. In fact, this book is rather... different. I didn't have an overwhelming fondness for it, but I didn't loathe it either.

The characters in the book are well developed and fleshed out. However, I found most of the cast to be particularly unlikable. Take Keri, for example. She's the mother figure who tries so hard to hold onto the ideal of what her daughter could have been before her illness advanced. It wasn't until the last fifteen or so pages that she finally realized the woman her daughter could become. Keri has just as many flaws, if not more, than Trina. There's also an alcoholic mother who makes an appearance and becomes a more prominent part of the story in the last few chapters.

Moore Campbell does a decent job of portraying the various illnesses that are encountered in the novel. The timeline is a bit off-kilter, and there are a few plot holes that are rather gaping. But aside from that, it was actually quite passable. There's a motif of forgiveness that runs throughout the entire novel, as well as a comparison between Keri's handling of Trina and Trina's illness and Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. This is actually the first non-academic book by an author of color that I've read. It was interesting to see how a character of color was written and the mention of prejudices by some of the medical staff, something that probably wouldn't have occurred if the main characters were white.

Overall: It's not my favorite thing I've read this year, but it's far from the worst. To be honest, I read it for the extra credit in abnormal psychology. But if you're interested in a fictional, well-researched look at characters with various disorders, give this a try. Also, I know there are some of you who are actively seeking books by authors of color, and Bebe Moore Campbell fits that bill. So if it seems interesting to you, there you have it. :)

Like peeking into a world I have yet to see,

this experience is both thrilling and mysterious. It's as if a door has been cracked open, revealing a glimpse of something entirely new and unknown. The anticipation builds within me as I wonder what lies beyond that narrow opening.

Every detail I catch in this fleeting peek makes my curiosity grow stronger. It could be a colorful landscape, filled with strange and wonderful creatures. Or perhaps it's a bustling city, with buildings reaching towards the sky and people going about their daily lives in ways I can't even imagine.

I long to step through that door and fully immerse myself in this uncharted world. To explore its nooks and crannies, to meet its inhabitants, and to discover the secrets it holds. This peeking is just the beginning of what I hope will be an unforgettable adventure.