Review by: Nick Kowalenko,

Thursday, 3 May 2007

I arrived late, sat down and just as the movie started heard a scraping sound in front of me, sat forward and looked over a boy's shoulder. The kid had the flattest, largest Tupperware container I have ever seen, and was spooning out his dinner. I reckon his mum or dad had lovingly prepared it for him. I wished someone was still doing that for me!

This movie Romulus, my father is about a kid, too. It is an extraordinarily well acted, cleverly crafted, but spare tale told from his perspective. Richard Roxbrough's direction draws on his extensive acting skills and delivers an intimate portrait, the intensity of which keeps you looking inwards not out. Many of the dilemmas faced by a child of parents who experience mental illness are explored, but their life stories are always so much bigger than their illnesses. It's cleverly shot from the ground up and this cinematographic technique keeps you gazing upwards as if you are 10 years old and searching for an authoritative declaration from above! Most of the time that authority is Romulus (dad) whose presence anchors Raimond. When Romulus loses his footing in life Raimond is very nearly torn apart.

In the movie Raimond Gaita turns 10. He sometimes cooks his own dinner. His mum and dad love each other, but they live apart and mum is dating dad's mate. Dad is injured in an accident and Raimond has to rely on Dad's mate to look after him because mum's not reliable, even though she is lovable. But they are still family. And that family is joined by baby Susan, Raimond's half-sister. Raimond continues to be cared for by Dad's mate, then the neighbours and then has to manage on his own for a spell. The adults in his life are like planets that can shine brightly at times and are lost from sight at others. But they are always in his orbit, somewhere. His father is his sun, but even he undergoes an eclipse. Mum and Dad are afflicted by mental illness at different times but Raimond's affection, dependence and rebellion is undiminished. At times his distress is nearly unbearable, but eventually, together with his dad, he finds a way to sustain hope, grow and get his adolescence underway.

There's also a migrants' tale embedded in this story but thankfully not decorated in the usual stereotypic Australian way by reference to wogs or skippies or family feasting at trestle tables outdoors under dappled light. This film's version of that device is to seat the adults in Raimond's life at one table for his birthday and he becomes the only one to remark how delicious that is (and it's obvious what a unique perspective he has!) as he is so excited that mum has cooked a meal.

This is a remarkably good movie. It's beautifully directed, and faithful to Raimond Gaita's book of the same name. It's exquisitely acted. Eric Bana is superb and is very nearly outshone by young Raimond. The narrative is carefully crafted to tie in the loose threads that lead into such an intensely woven tale that binds you so tight you can hardly breathe!

Make sure you see it!

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Review by: Taleah French (young carer),

"Maria is a little girl who's very worried about her mother: why does she behave so oddly at times?

One night, very upset about it all, she feels a tap on her shoulder and wakes to find a mouse sitting on her duvet. It is not just any mouse though, but a very wise one who can talk to Maria about all her worries.

Written for 5-11 year olds, The Wise Mouse' will help children understand what is happening to a family member who may be experiencing a mental illness."

Taleah:
This book is excellent for the 5 to 11 year olds it is written for. It tells really good information because it helps you understand what is happening with someone who has a mental illness and what you can do to help.

The main character Maria started off frightened and didn't have any idea of what to do and after she met the mouse and he answered her questions she felt a whole lot better. I like Maria because she understood she wasn't alone and she learnt that there were lots of kids including at school that also felt like they didn't have normal families either. She reminded me of how I have felt in the past and even now sometimes.

The Mouse was very wise and I wish he was real. Even though I know the mouse couldn't really give advice in real life it was a really good way to get the information across to young people.

Because it is a short book the story line didn't drag at all. When I finished the book I was happy I had read it and felt it gave enough information for young people like me to deal with.
B I feel any young carer 5 to 11 years of age would enjoy reading this book and get something out of it.

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Review by: Koping Program Coordinator and two young people,

This three-part workbook is designed to assist teenagers who have a parent with a mental illness. It covers details about the different types of mental illness, and attempts to help young people to evaluate their feelings. It also tries to help them gain a greater understanding of what their parents are going through. Importantly, the book endeavors to teach young people coping strategies that will assist them in managing their own feelings, and reinforces that their parents' illness is 'not your fault'.

Written by a clinical psychologist and a teacher (a mother and daughter team), the book conveys its messages through activities, case studies and information. It challenges young people to look deeply into their feelings and to consider who they can call on for support. Generally the style of writing was easy to read and understand and it is written in a style that would appeal to many young people.

The workbook is designed to be used by individuals; however some of the activities could be adapted to suit group situations. It contains some great tips for discussions that could be used in a group format. It also contains some excellent suggestions for coping strategies that may be valuable to young people and adults alike.

As with any workbook, it would take a degree of discipline to steadily work through and complete this book. The reviewers did feel that young people may not be stimulated enough by the layout to want to continue through the whole workbook. This was mainly due to the limited use of colour, illustrations, and its length of over 120 pages. The reviewers were also concerned that young people may have trouble translating the written information into practical examples.

There was also some concern expressed that due to the content of the workbook, young people may develop emotions and reactions that need to be discussed in the open. This may suggest that the workbook should be used as an individual, yet guided process whereby young people have access to supports if the need arises. Obviously the authors have considered this, as they have included support/information options at the end of the book (many of the options are USA based). However in many cases face to face contact would be more ideal.

This workbook could be extremely useful tool for young people with parents with a mental illness. While it may be a challenge for them to complete the workbook, young people will surely learn some invaluable tips and information about themselves, their parents and mental illness.

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Review by: Koping Program Coordinator and two young people,

See the review for 'I'm Not Alone', written by the same authors. While the subject matter is different, the workbook was set out in a similar way and the comments made above are applicable for both books.

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Review by: Paola Mason, Co-convenor, C.O.M.I.C

This new book will take you on a journey that only some of us will travel. That is, the children of the mentally ill. There are may challenges for you to undertake but it is worthwhile. 'Out of the Shadows' offers you insight with the journeys already undertaken by these remarkable women. I found myself crying, laughing and having many 'light bulb moments'. What I found truly fascinating is that I related so well to all of them as I am a daughter of a mentally ill mother.

I found the term 'mad' a little uncomfortable mainly because I don't relate anything positive to it. I, like all the women have had a lot of anger, shame, guilt etc but have always tried to be optimistic in the sense of 'what have I learnt from this' or 'what is the positive side of this' and that is what keeps me going.

Out of the shadows also has given insight into treatment of the mentally ill in the past, when referring to the medical model. Thankfully, times have changed and so have methods, so there is more available nowadays, not only for our mothers but also for ourselves if we should require it. Medications have become a little kinder, but we still have a long way to go with medical research. We still have some States in Australia that don't acknowledge that their client may be a parent, therefore, there is no support offered to the parent if they are struggling - this book clearly demonstrates the consequences.

Mental illness is no-ones fault and it's important that we as children growing up understand this. We need to understand that we have needs too and if these are not met, it may affect us. Again, this book demonstrates this very well. We need to understand what we are dealing with 'mental illness' (we live with it) and avenues to access help and care without the threat of being removed from our parent, unless it is truly a child protection issue. This would help us to not keep a family secret or put up a protective mask. It would help us learn to help ourselves, and our parent.

I truly wish this book had been available years ago, when I had many, many questions to ask. I would have felt some reassurance that my feelings and thoughts were not at odds with the rest of the 'normal' world and being 'normal' is so important to us all.
B This book is a little treasure, even though confronting at times it offers some 'real' insight into 'what its like' growing up with a mother that has mental illness. More importantly, it offers various pathways for understanding ourselves.

For all the daughters out there, it gives us acknowledgement, reassurance, empathy and ideas on how we can heal our wounds and that we are not alone in our thoughts, and feelings of pain. So, for this, I thank Catherine and all of the women.

For all others, this book will give insight to some amazing women who are survivors and more importantly pilots for others.

Review by: Anne Sved-Williams
Director, Helen Mayo House

Dr Catherine Camden-Pratt's life was darkly coloured by her early family life, growing up as the youngest child in a large family with a "mad" mother (the author's own preferred description of her mentally ill mother). As so often happens in this situation, not only did her mother bring significant problems to her children because of her mental difficulties, but there was a simultaneous lack of protection from her sexually abusive alcoholic father. Thus her book, Out of the Shadows, makes clear in its title its double purpose: the author is working through her own very substantial consequences from her past and simultaneously shedding light on a highly stigmatised and often hidden topic: children with madness in the family.

Whilst she makes no secret of some of her deepest scars, it is also clear that her childhood experiences honed many strengths. The most evident include a determination to understand and learn from her own pain, and in so doing, to help others. This is obvious in many ways: her career path involves teaching creative processes and cultural action at the University of Western Sydney and her PhD involved intense group interviews with other women also raised by mad mothers, and then a rich analysis of common themes. The book is written as if speaking directly to other women who have been brought up by mentally ill mothers and it is clear that the author wishes to highlight all the positives she can find but also the gift of sharing her and the group members' pain - with the knowledge that such sharing and bringing into the light may help others feel less alone. The resulting book is a rich distillation of her findings, and will make excellent reading not just for the intended audience of those in similar life circumstances, but also for those working in the field.

There is an excellent fit for Dr Camden-Pratt as the author of such a book. Clearly, her own experiences are totally relevant, and her family encouraged creativity, including an interest in reading and writing. Her life long interest in writing shines through in this book. She advertised in Sydney for women raised in similar troubled backgrounds to herself and then analysed the group discussions as 11 women met to share their life stories. The group included several of her own sisters whose experiences at time mirrored and at other times contrasted her own. The book is richer for her ability to show the range of effects even within her own family. In addition, she has a strikingly positive view of the strengths of the other women in her group, and this view also adds greatly to the impact of the book. The phrase "what doesn't kill me will strengthen me" frequently came to mind as the book unrolled snatches of the various life stories, revealing how many of these women had triumphed against adversity, despite continuing pain and negative consequences.

I liked the way that Dr Camden-Pratt organised her material, using in particular Erik Erikson's life stages as a template on which to build the stories of growing up with a mad mother. After detailing the potential effects for child, then adolescent and finally young adult and new mother with all the fears of a repeating pattern, she moves on to a section on Families, with briefer glimpses of the often negative impact of the men who partner mad women, and the support which siblings can give each other.

In the later sections of the book, she attempts a political analysis, and sadly, I found that much of this grated. The author uses the phrase "medical model" frequently throughout her book, and I was already alerted to her seeming dislike of doctors. It is in these later sections that her negativity towards psychiatry, science and conventional treatment stand out. As the open-ness of the author's experience lay bare her life, I believe I could understand her contempt for professionals, who clearly could not cure her mother, nor the other mothers in this story. For the most part us professionals seemed only to be present as the dispensers of medication (the "medicated mother" in chapter 6 is overweight and sluggish, and a person to be despised) or as inept social workers failing to understand the salient needs of the relatively invisible children in need. The biological and psychological and social/cultural (bio-psycho-social) model of modern times may allow a wider choice of help for families who live with mental illness but as this book imparts what actually happened to these 11 women, it seems that it was not the model used to help their mothers.

In recommending this book to women whom I treat whose life experiences may have been similar to Dr Camden-Pratt's, and to students of many health disciplines, I do so with the rider that professionals and families working together to fight the problems brought to families by madness in one family member may ultimately benefit the sufferer the most - this book gives us all the chance to understand the hurt and the pain and the difficulties, to applaud the strengths of children raising themselves in this adversity but less about working collaboratively with mental health professionals. As the needs of children of parents with mental illness are better described in recent times, it brings more potential to work towards goals of a bio-psycho-social understanding and treatment model for the patient rather than the despised "medical model" of the era in which Dr Camden-Pratt was raised. Hopefully, this understanding will also be linked with an understanding of systems, and the effects on families. Not all current children of mentally ill mothers live very different lives to the women in the book - a better understanding as made available by this author, combined with better biopsychosocial packages, systems and narrative approaches and overall empathy and care with a collaborative approach from treating health professionals may benefit the woman and her offspring more.

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Review by: Paola Mason, Co-convenor, C.O.M.I.C

This insightful and caring book shares a personal account of thoughts and feelings shared by mother and daughter where Bipolar is present. Penelope shares her journey as a mother and gives insight to who she is (intelligent, witty, caring and honest) and her illness. Jessica, also intelligent, optimistic and caring gives insight as the child growing up and observing her mothers illness. Jessica shares her love, concerns, caring and responsibilities in such a way that answer some of the questions a parent may have whilst parenting with a mental illness. This honest book gives insight to what a family may be going through and how important it is that a parent and child may both require education and support.

Thank you Penelope and Jessica for opening doors, sharing your story and contributing to the destigmatising of this issue. By doing so you are definitely contributing towards helping families understand that "They are not alone" and more importantly "That you can survive". It is very important to note though that their family had understanding family members and friends that supported them through some of the challenging times and it is acknowledged within the book that this is not always available to other families. This is where it is important to "ask for help" when needed and more importantly, that services are made available for these families.

On a more personal note, as an adult child of a parent with a mental illness, Penelope has offered me insight to her illness in a way that has helped me understand a little of what my parent may have gone through (even though my parent has another mental illness). She has written her part of the story with such honesty and respect not only for herself but also for an illness that has taken a long journey to understand and accept. Denial is such a huge barrier that can tear families and relationships apart. Jessica on the other hand has extended her gentle and caring heart to other children of parents with a mental illness by giving us insight and letting us know that "We are not alone". It's such an embracing and comforting feeling when we know we're not alone in our journeys and more importantly that she has identified that there may be times that we (the children) may need help ourselves, be it when we are young or older as adults and that it's OK to do so.

We all have different journeys, some short, some very long. Some are easy and others challenging, difficult and frustrating. What is important is how we prepare ourselves (education), what mechanisms we have in place in case something goes wrong (plans/support/respite) that make any journey easier. If we as adults/services/community can put these principles into practice properly we are paving the way for our children therefore hopefully making the journey they will have a safer and easier one.

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Review by: Julie Proctor, Information and Resources Officer
Mental health promotion and Prevention Unit
Greater Western Area Health Service, Orange NSW

In the Merrygrove School grounds, rumours and gossip abound! It seems that Ms. Zinnia has contracted a dreadful illness called buy-poles disease that is highly contagious and, as a result, she won't be able to organise the annual Firefly Festival. Whatever shall they do?

In this book, we follow the adventures of Darcy Daisy and her friends. Darcy is confused as she hears differing stories about Ms. Zinnia from her school friends and people gossipping in town. Darcy sees Ms. Zinnia talking fast, raising her voice, tapping her toe and waving her arms about. Darcy is worried about Ms. Zinnia and whether the magical Firefly Festival will come to fruition.

Darcy turns to her mother for answers regarding Ms. Zinnia and her illness. Fortunately, Darcy's mother has been talking to Ms. Zinnia about her Bipolar Disorder, and she is able to answer Darcy's questions in a matter-of-fact way. Darcy and her mother sort out the truth from myth and decide that the best way to help Ms. Zinnia is by being nice to her and accepting her.

Darcy rallies her friends and fellow Merrygrovers to support Ms. Zinnia in organising the Firefly Festival. Darcy and her friends attribute the success of the festival to Ms. Zinnia and the community spirit of Merrygrove.

This would be ideal for younger children (4-10) wanting to know more about Bipolar Disorder and mental illness. Darcy Daisy and the Firefly Festival is so vibrantly illustrated by Kimberly Shaw-Peterson that readers of all ages will enjoy the story playing out on the pages of this book. It could be read aloud to a group of children; discussed one-on-one with a child; or given to a more solitary child as a reading book. Darcy Daisy and the Firefly Festival is a starting point for discussions regarding Bipolar Disorder, mental health and well-being and social isolation.

The book addresses the concepts of stigma, mental health literacy, the importance of open discussions regarding mental illness, the positive effects of tolerance and acceptance, the power of community cooperation and the ability of small communities to overcome difficulties and succeed.

Review by: Kellie O'Callaghan
Good Beginnings, Victoria

If you are looking for a book for a child that explores mental health issues in an appropriate way, Darcy Daisy and the Firefly Festival may be the book for you.

In the context of the planning of the Firefly Festival, Darcy the Daisy is introduced to the concepts of mental illness. Unfortunately in the initial stages Darcy is confronted with inaccurate and ill-informed information about Mrs Zinnia, a member of the community who is living with Bipolar Disorder.

As children work through the book they explore the impact of town gossip and the hurtful nature of misinformation that is rampant in the small community of flower people. Concerned about observing an interaction when Mrs Zinnia was distressed and agitated, Darcy approaches her mother for more information.

Darcy's mother present information about Bipolar disorder in a factual and comforting manner. This gives Darcy the confidence she needs to interact with Mrs Zinnia without any anxiety or judgement. The book concludes with a positive interaction between Darcy and Mrs Zinnia. They are both able to enjoy the Firefly Festival.

Suitable for primary school aged children, who will be supported by an adult in the initial reading, this book is accessible and relevant. The information provided is appropriate for children learning about appreciating difference or specifically discussing Bipolar Disorder. The illustrations are bright and inviting and can be used to encourage the younger reader to explore more than the text in an appreciating difference context.

This books encourages cooperation and communication with the primary character Darcy Daisy leading by example.

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Review by: Sylvia Lim-Gibson MB.BS.(Hons) FRANZCP
Staff Specialist Psychiatrist, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry
St George Hospital

An excellent book in an area where there is a dearth of literature available. It is encouraging as this book reflects growing local recognition of what has been the silent sufferers - the children of parents with mental illness.

The book is written in an easy conversational style without presumed knowledge in either child or adult mental health. It is well-interspersed with a number of personal accounts, from young children to adult children of persons with mental illness. Even to seasoned workers in the field, these accounts serve as a reminder to us about the reality and struggles these children deal with on a day-to-day basis.

The book's chapter on cultural issues is also noteworthy. Not only does it recommends considering the family's cultural framework but also deals with the local context where many of the issues which arise related to the family's migration status and experience rather than culture per se.

The book finishes on a high note - its final chapter is as provocative as its title suggests - how we fail to care for children of mentally ill parents. The author of that chapter reviews the current trends for mental health service delivery - the "time-poor" environment and the focus on biological disorders and pharmacotherapy - and how this impacts on our ability to adequately notice the psychosocial contexts our patients live in, much less their families.

Interesting and challenging.

Review by: Doreen WestleyPsychologist
Private Practice

The title of the book indicates what it is about and gives an insight into the world of the children and professionals dealing with the issues of parents with mental illness.

It was refreshing to have a book written about Australian conditions dealing with the perspectives of the infant, adolescence and the parent. The book is a good starting point for information about Australian conditions and the references are useful to lead you further into the journey of children who have parents with mental illness.

The book is written in easy to understand language and is well organized and gives plenty of examples of the experiences of children. The examples in the book help to understand the complexity of the situation for all concerned, the children, the carer and the professional.

An important feature of this book is the inclusion of cultural considerations, something that is not always considered but plays an important role in interacting with others.

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Review by: Elizabeth Fudge / Dr Nick Kowalenko
media release

Review by: Dr Adrian Falkov
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Nexus / CAMHSNET
John Hunter Hospital

Tarnation - The act of damning or the condition of being damned.
A film by Jonathan Caouette

'Tarnation' is an "in your face", vivid and harrowing portrayal of the ravages of mental illness and child abuse. Jonathon's description of his experiences from his earliest years with his mother who suffered seemingly life long mental illness, and with his grandparents, leaves unclear that difficult area of the relationship between abuse and mental illness. In fact the reality for him is exactly that - lack of clarity and understanding about his experiences for much of his early years. And indeed the movie itself is his attempt to describe his search for meaning and love.

The movie is powerful for its "warts and all" approach and in this sense is good specifically because of the absence of any social sanitisation.

Mother's illness, beginning at the age of twelve, following an accident when she fell from a roof, was a relentless and life long condition. The diagnosis is not dwelt on or dealt with in much detail but she required multiple hospitalisations over the years and took at least one overdose of Lithium. As a twelve year old, she was treated with ECT and hospitalisation but there is little mention of clinical indications and other treatment modalities. Mother's relationship with Jonathan's father was brief and it was to be many years before Jonathan was able to make contact with him.

Jonathan's early years were marred by inconsistency, inability of his mother to care for him adequately and abuse in foster care.

Jonathan's interest in media, movies and music is apparent from an early age, as is his interest in movie making. His earliest efforts are clearly the forerunner of things to come - documenting his thoughts & feelings - his "testimony" about his experiences. He used himself and other family members as real life actors.

Jonathan is exposed precociously to illegal drugs, underground movies and he manages to survive in an adult, alternative world. His search for meaning is apparent throughout as is his effort to unite his family.

Filming some of the family interactions powerfully demonstrates Jonathan's desperation as he comes up against "the illness" and his confusion - who is his mother? What is the illness? And what can/should his mother take responsibility for?

For those who wish to see some of the harrowing but compelling footage, the movie is worthwhile.

On the other hand for those who wish to learn about mental illness, the movie may not be quite so helpful. For example, Jonathon's mother received ECT when she was very young and there is no clear explanation as to why and what the clinical justifications were. For Jonathan, this was his (and his mother's) reality, but for observers this uncertainty would feed into the stigma and high anxiety associated with ECT and without sufficient balance to promote a more informed discussion. Perhaps a health warning to ensure adequate contextualisation?

On a positive note I do think that Jonathon showed some remarkably resilient qualities as demonstrated by the movie itself, which is testament to his astonishing capacity to endure many years of abuse, neglect, uncertainty and the absence of good consistent and able adults to buffer his experiences. His resilient qualities showed themselves at a very young age with his interest in and use of film. There is an unnerving vignette where, aged 11, he first describes his "testimony" whilst filming himself.

There is also a relentless sadness in the movie that shows itself in an increasingly understandable way as Jonathon gets older, as greater coherence in the images emerges (a reflection of his life) and greater availability of footage which films his interactions with key family members is seen.

By the end I was left with some optimism and hope by what appeared to be Jonathon's acceptance of his mothers' frailties and limitations and his ability to enjoy what there was of her which mental illness had not taken from her (and him).

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Imagine living in a "Heritage Hotel" (an old shed) because your mum has passed away and your dad is schizophrenic. That means he has a disease in his mind that makes him think that everyone is out to get him.

And imagine having to go to Court and seeing your dad go to hospital and having to live with people you don't know.

It sounds like an adventure but in this book Pete keeps a diary of what happens. So he travels all over Victoria and NSW with his dad escaping helicopters (well that's what his dad thinks). But then he has to live with Prue and Godfrey, who have not had any children before. Luckily they let him keep Merv and Merrie his pet mice.

The thing that I liked best about the book is when Pete catches the two mice and breeds them and has a whole family of mice. I also liked the end with Pete and his dad together (with a helicopter).

I would recommend this book to my friends.

As an adult child still caring for a parent with schizophrenia this contemporary book bought back many memories of living with paranoia, my parent being taken away to hospital, feelings of loneliness and grief of losing my parent (when she "wasn't there - nobody is home"), feelings of fear and confusion and most importantly my lack of understanding "what was wrong with mum - not being informed what her illness and symptoms were".

This book offers a glimpse at all of this whilst handling it in a truly engaging, sensitive and honest manner. It bought many tears but it also beautifully presented the topic through the eyes of a child and Oh! how optimistic is that?, if only we as adults never lose touch of this. The book was also humorous with some of the antics (school yard/children's views) so I would often have a laugh.

Elizabeth has a wonderful manner of engaging so many different topics within this book which opens up a great deal of room for discussion and research. With this in mind I feel that this would be a brilliant tool to be used within a school and hope that it is taken up by the Education System. It is also a fantastic resource that we at COMIC (Children of Mentally Ill Consumers) will highlight and recommend to our networks as a "Must Have" resource within our age specific recommendations.