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The Locked Ward: A humane and revealing account of life on the frontlines of mental health care.
Dennis O'Donnell started work as an orderly in the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit of a large hospital in Scotland in 2000. In his daily life he encountered fear, violence and despair but also a considerable amount of care and compassion. Recounting the stories of the patients he worked with, and those of his colleagues on the ward, he examines:
·the different major mental disorders - their symptoms and manifestations
·the various methods of treatment - medication, therapy and conversation
·how religion, sex, wealth, health and drugs can bear influence on mental health
·the prevailing attitudes to psychiatric illness - the authorities, the professionals & society
What emerges is a document of humanity and humour, a remarkable memoir that sheds light on a world that still remains largely unknown and hugely feared.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 29, 2017
Rant about losing books, reviews and the culpability of Librarians. At least in my eyes. I read this book, rated it a 3* and reviewed it. (It's an ok book, but you could see why the author was an orderly rather than a psychiatrist). Now the book is gone from my shelves. No point in asking about this in Feedback as the mods always pretend that it's just the first time they've heard of such a thing and to send all info to Support. Who mostly don't reply. But on the odd occasion they do, they also pretend that this is a one-off and send them all info. whereupon they can't do anything if they even bother to reply.
I've always wondered how books disappear. I've had quite a few go. Sometimes I can prove it as I had exported the shelves. I am assured by mods that it can't possibly be librarians combining and renaming books and authors, but I think it is and they know it too. There are some really good and conscientious librarians on GR (I hope I'm one of them although I only correct books and authors from my shelves these days) but there are an awful lot that just race through 'corrections' and combining in order to get their names on Top Librarians. They know they are doing shit too otherwise why would they have private profiles and not allow messages from non-friends or reply to queries in the Librarians' Group on their data changes?
The Librarians group seems dominated by almost a clique of mean girls who think they are the arbiters of book data. What they say goes. Even when they are really wrong. I know I have a bee in my bonnet about Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Robotic Edition (where all people have been replaced by robots so that teachers will be able to teach this book without having to deal with the race question, of why Jim is such a humbleslave friend to the two preteen white boys. The Librarians say that the book is similar enough to Mark Twain's original to be combined. Mark Twain would turn in his grave at having the whole theme of his book perverted by White teachers who don't want children to know that Blacks were treated as goods and chattels and not people. And by combining this book, the Librarians collude in this.
But that isn't the only book that the Librarians in their infinite wisdom (!) have screwed up, by no means, there are publishers they don't like and whose books they marked as Not A Book, like Books LLC who aren't a proper publisher because all they do is reprints (what do they think constitutes the vast majority of Penguins' catalogue?) and because they collate Wikipedia and other articles in book form (thus saving some of us a lot of time and effort and therefore money by doing the research for us).
Today I discovered that my edition of Genet's The Maids (aka Les Bonnes) had been replaced by an Arabic one so I went to look at the Genet book page. Some librarian had combined not just all editions of The Maids but included Querelle of Brest as if they were the same book. Not only that but the top title had now been altered to Querelle, because that's what it's called on Kindle. Next thing it will be 'Pride' by Jane Austen and 'The Merchant' by Shakespeare.
All the qualifications you need to be a librarian is to have 50 books on your shelves, say you have read the librarians' manual (even if you haven't. No one can prove anyone has read any book on GR) and then you are free to carefully correct or screw around the book data as much as you like. I have good Librarian friends, in particular Super Librarian Lisa Vegan who has sorted out many problems for me. But she can't sort this one out. The answer is obviously only to have really conscientous people being Librarians and sorting out the data, but how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
So here I find yet another book disappeared and more importantly, along with it the review and comments. I can replace the book, I don't need a review to know what I thought of the book, but I can never, ever replace friends' comments that formed a conversation, and that makes me exceedingly cross. And I do blame the Librarians. Because I honestly don't think it's GR staff or Amazon removing, renaming or otherwise screwing up book titles so who else could it be?
Rant over. Until the next time.
I've always wondered how books disappear. I've had quite a few go. Sometimes I can prove it as I had exported the shelves. I am assured by mods that it can't possibly be librarians combining and renaming books and authors, but I think it is and they know it too. There are some really good and conscientious librarians on GR (I hope I'm one of them although I only correct books and authors from my shelves these days) but there are an awful lot that just race through 'corrections' and combining in order to get their names on Top Librarians. They know they are doing shit too otherwise why would they have private profiles and not allow messages from non-friends or reply to queries in the Librarians' Group on their data changes?
The Librarians group seems dominated by almost a clique of mean girls who think they are the arbiters of book data. What they say goes. Even when they are really wrong. I know I have a bee in my bonnet about Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Robotic Edition (where all people have been replaced by robots so that teachers will be able to teach this book without having to deal with the race question, of why Jim is such a humble
But that isn't the only book that the Librarians in their infinite wisdom (!) have screwed up, by no means, there are publishers they don't like and whose books they marked as Not A Book, like Books LLC who aren't a proper publisher because all they do is reprints (what do they think constitutes the vast majority of Penguins' catalogue?) and because they collate Wikipedia and other articles in book form (thus saving some of us a lot of time and effort and therefore money by doing the research for us).
Today I discovered that my edition of Genet's The Maids (aka Les Bonnes) had been replaced by an Arabic one so I went to look at the Genet book page. Some librarian had combined not just all editions of The Maids but included Querelle of Brest as if they were the same book. Not only that but the top title had now been altered to Querelle, because that's what it's called on Kindle. Next thing it will be 'Pride' by Jane Austen and 'The Merchant' by Shakespeare.
All the qualifications you need to be a librarian is to have 50 books on your shelves, say you have read the librarians' manual (even if you haven't. No one can prove anyone has read any book on GR) and then you are free to carefully correct or screw around the book data as much as you like. I have good Librarian friends, in particular Super Librarian Lisa Vegan who has sorted out many problems for me. But she can't sort this one out. The answer is obviously only to have really conscientous people being Librarians and sorting out the data, but how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
So here I find yet another book disappeared and more importantly, along with it the review and comments. I can replace the book, I don't need a review to know what I thought of the book, but I can never, ever replace friends' comments that formed a conversation, and that makes me exceedingly cross. And I do blame the Librarians. Because I honestly don't think it's GR staff or Amazon removing, renaming or otherwise screwing up book titles so who else could it be?
Rant over. Until the next time.
June 12, 2016
I got this because I thought it would be the British equivalent of Behind the Gates of Gomorrah: A Year with the Criminally Insane by Stephen Seager which is a Good Read. But it wasn’t because Stephen Seager can write plain English and Dennis O’Donnell can’t. If he's not doing his infodumps, Dennis thinks he has to be performing in every sentence, he can’t say a single thing without it has to be in this blokey, slangy, self-regardingly comical voice which grated so badly I thought I would rather be watching a boxed set of Everybody Loves Raymond and at that point I pressed the EJECT button. I hate Everybody Loves Raymond.
This is what I mean :
During the course of this ten-bob hour, some patients paid as little attention to me as if I’d been a snatch of music or a smell of Bisto
And then the door opened and my arse fell off and rattled on the floor like a hubcap
In the middle of his towering rage the big fella had thought better of giving Humphrey a tanking and had lamped the door instead. I found that really impressive. It was just as well for Dr Humphrey , too. That punch might well have severed his head from his body. He’d have had to pick it up and do his entire ward round carrying it under his arm, like the Green Knight.
And another thing is that because the author doesn’t want to betray any patient confidentiality, all these patients are composites; and yet, we have pages of dialogue with them. It’s an uneasy stew with dubious ingredients and a jolly, gurning, sniggering chef stirring away.
But one thing did strike me as worth mentioning : the curious psychological condition of Erotomania, which pops up on p154. I quote from one of Dennis’s non-jovial infodumps :
Called “unrequited love” for centuries, and often confused with nymphomania or satyriasis, this is a condition whereby the sufferer believes that another person is in love with them. But not someone who actually is in love with them… rather, a total stranger. Sometimes a celebrity the sufferer has developed a fixation on. It is a psychotic symptom since it is completely delusional… The sufferer remains convinced that the object of his or her affections returns the feeling and communicates the regard in covert ways, such as secret signals, meaningful glances and other forms of coded behavior. These might be increasingly baroque and detached from reality, such as the clothes he or she wears on a particular day. The sufferer, however, demonstrates his or her love by overt means.
What a wonderful way of describing how the atheist perceives religious believers. The atheist says well, sorry and all that, but a) God does not exist, and b) if he does, he doesn't love you, for sure - but no no no, says the believer, look – we can read these covert signs which only us believers can spot – see this statue of Mary actually wept on a certain day in 1953; see, this lady went to Lourdes and her migraines ceased. And anyway, who needs such signs – we know in our hearts he loves us.
Dennis gives us the case history of Cordelia ("a delightful young woman who spoke with the clipped vowels of the city’s educated middle class"). She has conceived this almighty passion for her local doctor, an older married man. She invents a thousand fake illnesses so she can make appointments with him. Once when he asked her to remove her blouse, he twigged something was wrong, and made an excuse, and left and came back with a nurse to find she was completely naked. Another time, she made up a story about being the daughter of one of his colleagues and visited his house and met his wife. At that point the cops and the psychiatrists were involved. In conversation, she said well, the doctor would certainly have made love to her if the nurse hadn’t have been there. And he had to call the police, because his wife was there.
"How do you know he loves you?"
"Little things, that only a lover would pick up on. When the lounge light is on it means she’s at home and he has to go through the motions of being a husband and a father. But when the top window is open at night, with the curtains down, that means he wants to see me in the near future."
"Right – it couldn’t just be that they want some fresh air in the bedroom at night?"
"Don’t be so prosaic, Dennis."
This is precisely the conversation between the atheist and the believer.
This is what I mean :
During the course of this ten-bob hour, some patients paid as little attention to me as if I’d been a snatch of music or a smell of Bisto
And then the door opened and my arse fell off and rattled on the floor like a hubcap
In the middle of his towering rage the big fella had thought better of giving Humphrey a tanking and had lamped the door instead. I found that really impressive. It was just as well for Dr Humphrey , too. That punch might well have severed his head from his body. He’d have had to pick it up and do his entire ward round carrying it under his arm, like the Green Knight.
And another thing is that because the author doesn’t want to betray any patient confidentiality, all these patients are composites; and yet, we have pages of dialogue with them. It’s an uneasy stew with dubious ingredients and a jolly, gurning, sniggering chef stirring away.
But one thing did strike me as worth mentioning : the curious psychological condition of Erotomania, which pops up on p154. I quote from one of Dennis’s non-jovial infodumps :
Called “unrequited love” for centuries, and often confused with nymphomania or satyriasis, this is a condition whereby the sufferer believes that another person is in love with them. But not someone who actually is in love with them… rather, a total stranger. Sometimes a celebrity the sufferer has developed a fixation on. It is a psychotic symptom since it is completely delusional… The sufferer remains convinced that the object of his or her affections returns the feeling and communicates the regard in covert ways, such as secret signals, meaningful glances and other forms of coded behavior. These might be increasingly baroque and detached from reality, such as the clothes he or she wears on a particular day. The sufferer, however, demonstrates his or her love by overt means.
What a wonderful way of describing how the atheist perceives religious believers. The atheist says well, sorry and all that, but a) God does not exist, and b) if he does, he doesn't love you, for sure - but no no no, says the believer, look – we can read these covert signs which only us believers can spot – see this statue of Mary actually wept on a certain day in 1953; see, this lady went to Lourdes and her migraines ceased. And anyway, who needs such signs – we know in our hearts he loves us.
Dennis gives us the case history of Cordelia ("a delightful young woman who spoke with the clipped vowels of the city’s educated middle class"). She has conceived this almighty passion for her local doctor, an older married man. She invents a thousand fake illnesses so she can make appointments with him. Once when he asked her to remove her blouse, he twigged something was wrong, and made an excuse, and left and came back with a nurse to find she was completely naked. Another time, she made up a story about being the daughter of one of his colleagues and visited his house and met his wife. At that point the cops and the psychiatrists were involved. In conversation, she said well, the doctor would certainly have made love to her if the nurse hadn’t have been there. And he had to call the police, because his wife was there.
"How do you know he loves you?"
"Little things, that only a lover would pick up on. When the lounge light is on it means she’s at home and he has to go through the motions of being a husband and a father. But when the top window is open at night, with the curtains down, that means he wants to see me in the near future."
"Right – it couldn’t just be that they want some fresh air in the bedroom at night?"
"Don’t be so prosaic, Dennis."
This is precisely the conversation between the atheist and the believer.
December 23, 2020
Mental health fascinates me, and despite not being a stranger to mental health issues myself, I'm always on the hunt for new reading material. This particular book had been on my list for a good while, and I admit, I couldn't wait to jump right into this.
For the most part, this book was a decent insight into mental illness, which is written by Dennis O' Donnell, who was a nurse on ward 25, the locked ward, for 7.5 years. I have worked with individuals suffering with mental illness, and I know from experience that it is an extremely challenging profession, no day is ever the same, but one must remember that there are in fact many rewarding aspects of the job, too.
The people mentioned in this are patients that O'Donnell came into contact with over the years, and the chapters read as little stories, with some information on different mental illnesses throughout. I found these parts particularly interesting.
To work in mental health, I think one has to be of a certain character, be able to show empathy for patients, and to also be in possession of good humour, otherwise, there really isn't much point in persuing that kind of career.
Despite my enjoyment of this book, there are a couple of things that didn't bode well with me. The first would be the Scottish dialect. I've no issue with it, but when O'Donnell chooses to narrate in English, then a sentence later the Scottish dialect butts in, well, let's just say it didn't make me happy.
Also, I realise O'Donnell loves a good joke, but most likely of this humor just simply wasn't funny, and the majority of this humor was made at the expense of the patients themselves, which to me, isn't the least bit professional. I know how much of a demanding and sometimes relentless occupation it is, always having to look over your shoulder, but please, have some respect.
Overall, I found this to be informative, and was a eye-opener into the world of a locked ward. I'd definitely read something similar to this in the future.
For the most part, this book was a decent insight into mental illness, which is written by Dennis O' Donnell, who was a nurse on ward 25, the locked ward, for 7.5 years. I have worked with individuals suffering with mental illness, and I know from experience that it is an extremely challenging profession, no day is ever the same, but one must remember that there are in fact many rewarding aspects of the job, too.
The people mentioned in this are patients that O'Donnell came into contact with over the years, and the chapters read as little stories, with some information on different mental illnesses throughout. I found these parts particularly interesting.
To work in mental health, I think one has to be of a certain character, be able to show empathy for patients, and to also be in possession of good humour, otherwise, there really isn't much point in persuing that kind of career.
Despite my enjoyment of this book, there are a couple of things that didn't bode well with me. The first would be the Scottish dialect. I've no issue with it, but when O'Donnell chooses to narrate in English, then a sentence later the Scottish dialect butts in, well, let's just say it didn't make me happy.
Also, I realise O'Donnell loves a good joke, but most likely of this humor just simply wasn't funny, and the majority of this humor was made at the expense of the patients themselves, which to me, isn't the least bit professional. I know how much of a demanding and sometimes relentless occupation it is, always having to look over your shoulder, but please, have some respect.
Overall, I found this to be informative, and was a eye-opener into the world of a locked ward. I'd definitely read something similar to this in the future.
September 27, 2022
This was a very good book about how it is to work on a locked ward. Dennis is empathic and honest, It shines through that he cares for the people he helped. I also liked his sense of humor, although it can be a dark type that might feel offensive for some. He is honest when he didn’t quite like someone, like the girl who probably was a psychopath. He still treated all the people he met with respect and was curious about their lives.
January 25, 2016
Absolutely awful. Pompous git with awfully written dialogue... almost had me in a locked ward
July 27, 2014
This book had a lot of potential. A novel devoted to humanizing psychiatric patients and humor! What could go wrong?
Firstly the Scottish brogue, its especially jarring that O'Donnell writes in plain English, but opts to have his dialogue in the dialect (the old literary no-no.)
Secondly the humor isn't always what was promised. Many of the jokes are actually Dadish punchlines unrelated to the Ward or its patients/consumers/PEOPLE.
Finally the narrative doesn't lend itself to page-turning or enjoyment. the 30+ chapters are essentially short stories devoted to the people O'Donnell worked with, sometimes a fellow staff-member or a brief segue into a related topic such as medication. The book concludes with (however true) rant about funding and lack of staffing and the incident that compelled O'Donnell to quit.
This review probably seems overly negative, given the four star rated. The book is overall quite good, the people intriguing and the author's genuine empathy and wit refreshing. Nonetheless due to the problems mentioned above this piece is mostly recommended for people interested in the area, rather than a stand-out work of non-fiction.
Firstly the Scottish brogue, its especially jarring that O'Donnell writes in plain English, but opts to have his dialogue in the dialect (the old literary no-no.)
Secondly the humor isn't always what was promised. Many of the jokes are actually Dadish punchlines unrelated to the Ward or its patients/consumers/PEOPLE.
Finally the narrative doesn't lend itself to page-turning or enjoyment. the 30+ chapters are essentially short stories devoted to the people O'Donnell worked with, sometimes a fellow staff-member or a brief segue into a related topic such as medication. The book concludes with (however true) rant about funding and lack of staffing and the incident that compelled O'Donnell to quit.
This review probably seems overly negative, given the four star rated. The book is overall quite good, the people intriguing and the author's genuine empathy and wit refreshing. Nonetheless due to the problems mentioned above this piece is mostly recommended for people interested in the area, rather than a stand-out work of non-fiction.
May 10, 2023
Really engaging, excellent turns of phrase and loved the Shakespeare references. Hard hitting, honest and funny in places. Audible has the author narrating it and his voice is ideal for narration! Definitely recommend.
May 28, 2021
(DNF. And a painful one...)
Ahhhhhh I am so disappointed. I decided to pause (maybe permanently stop) reading this book at 55% after quite a lot of perseverance on my part.
I am fascinated by mental health, and especially the history of its treatment in the U.K., from the asylum system to today. This book presented itself as a sombre and thoughtful exploration into the topic by someone with first-hand experience working in the intensive psychiatric care unit of one hospital. The author made a point on several occasions to “ground” the reader, and encourage them not to be blinded by ill-informed traditional stereotypes of psychiatric patients. He reminds us, to his credit, that psychiatric illnesses and those who suffer from them are not a laughing matter, and should be treated with respect and compassion......
before presenting them in a light-hearted or thinly veiled mocking light two minutes later. It’s really hard to explain exactly what this is like in a review, but it just came across to me as very hypocritical, and quite frankly uncomfortable. I give the book 2 stars simply because of the few moments of compassion and emotional depth that interspersed the attempts at forced humour that made up the other 50% of what I’ve read so far. Adam Kay this guy is not.
Not to mention, as I have seen in a few other reviews, the peppering of a few implicit - and at the 55% mark where I stopped, much more EXplicit - homophobic and transphobic views here and there every so often.
Finally, the writing was very inconsistent. I am Scottish, like the author, and found that his voice jarred in several places. He seemed to pretend to be crass and uncouth in his speech, with quite a lot of swearing, yet in most of his prose he used unnecessarily florid and erudite language. This contradiction made it very difficult to build up empathy for him or any of the characters.
I feel terrible writing a review like this: in all honesty I usually don’t bother and keep my opinions to myself. But in this case, I was just so disappointed I made an exception.
I’m really sorry, Dennis, if you’re reading this. This is only my opinion, and, by the looks of it, there are a lot of people who loved the book. I may try to finish it again later, and if my opinion changes, I’ll add an update to the review. For now though, I’m moving onto something else I think...
Ahhhhhh I am so disappointed. I decided to pause (maybe permanently stop) reading this book at 55% after quite a lot of perseverance on my part.
I am fascinated by mental health, and especially the history of its treatment in the U.K., from the asylum system to today. This book presented itself as a sombre and thoughtful exploration into the topic by someone with first-hand experience working in the intensive psychiatric care unit of one hospital. The author made a point on several occasions to “ground” the reader, and encourage them not to be blinded by ill-informed traditional stereotypes of psychiatric patients. He reminds us, to his credit, that psychiatric illnesses and those who suffer from them are not a laughing matter, and should be treated with respect and compassion......
before presenting them in a light-hearted or thinly veiled mocking light two minutes later. It’s really hard to explain exactly what this is like in a review, but it just came across to me as very hypocritical, and quite frankly uncomfortable. I give the book 2 stars simply because of the few moments of compassion and emotional depth that interspersed the attempts at forced humour that made up the other 50% of what I’ve read so far. Adam Kay this guy is not.
Not to mention, as I have seen in a few other reviews, the peppering of a few implicit - and at the 55% mark where I stopped, much more EXplicit - homophobic and transphobic views here and there every so often.
Finally, the writing was very inconsistent. I am Scottish, like the author, and found that his voice jarred in several places. He seemed to pretend to be crass and uncouth in his speech, with quite a lot of swearing, yet in most of his prose he used unnecessarily florid and erudite language. This contradiction made it very difficult to build up empathy for him or any of the characters.
I feel terrible writing a review like this: in all honesty I usually don’t bother and keep my opinions to myself. But in this case, I was just so disappointed I made an exception.
I’m really sorry, Dennis, if you’re reading this. This is only my opinion, and, by the looks of it, there are a lot of people who loved the book. I may try to finish it again later, and if my opinion changes, I’ll add an update to the review. For now though, I’m moving onto something else I think...
March 4, 2012
A friend recommended this book to me. I was sceptical at first, as I previously had no particular awareness or interest in psychiatric care or mental health issues and thought that it would be a book for those in the profession.
I quickly found that inside knowledge was not necessary and that it was actually a compassionate but very humorous read about folk; those who care and those who are cared for, some who are mad and some less so. The author provides insightful accounts of patients and their treatments as well as detailing some of their relationships with the nursing staff, making you realise that the kind of care that the author and his colleagues provide is very special indeed.
The book does take you through the emotions. You laugh, very hard in places, but you are most definitely not laughing at or conspiring against the patients. You may also shed a tear in sadness or anger, but the author does attempt to explain why the patients are how they are and intersperses the anecdotes with explanations of the different illnesses and psychoses which helps to provide a context to the patients' stories.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and without trying to make it sound like a textbook, educated. Educated in the sense that it helped me overcome my own ignorance and in some cases prejudices about mental illness.
Although, I am sure this book will be pigeon holed in the health and/or biography sections of bookshops and Amazon, it is much more than that.
I am eagerly anticipating a follow up by Dennis O'Donnell and surely a memoir of his teaching career is the obvious follow up.
I quickly found that inside knowledge was not necessary and that it was actually a compassionate but very humorous read about folk; those who care and those who are cared for, some who are mad and some less so. The author provides insightful accounts of patients and their treatments as well as detailing some of their relationships with the nursing staff, making you realise that the kind of care that the author and his colleagues provide is very special indeed.
The book does take you through the emotions. You laugh, very hard in places, but you are most definitely not laughing at or conspiring against the patients. You may also shed a tear in sadness or anger, but the author does attempt to explain why the patients are how they are and intersperses the anecdotes with explanations of the different illnesses and psychoses which helps to provide a context to the patients' stories.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and without trying to make it sound like a textbook, educated. Educated in the sense that it helped me overcome my own ignorance and in some cases prejudices about mental illness.
Although, I am sure this book will be pigeon holed in the health and/or biography sections of bookshops and Amazon, it is much more than that.
I am eagerly anticipating a follow up by Dennis O'Donnell and surely a memoir of his teaching career is the obvious follow up.
May 18, 2013
Great book, really enjoyed it.
December 13, 2015
The Locked Ward details the experience of a psychiatric helper working in a psychiatric hospital. Dennis O’Donnell describes his heartfelt experience, with day-to-day details upon his daily goings. He writes upon the fear, violence but also care and compassion which occur in psychiatric hospitals. At the same time, O’Donnell educates the reader about mental disorders, symptoms, treatment and care of these patients. An educational book, but also one filled with compassionate stories of patients O’Donnell has encountered. The stories within this book are written in order to educate readers about what really happens within a mental hospital and to rid the stereotypes upon it.
I would recommend this book to anyone. Stories from movies and TV shows portray psychiatric hospitals as those filled with violence and evil. However, O’Donnell’s real experience and stories shed light upon the true care and compassion they hold instead. These stories hold humour and they hold happiness – as well as stories which really educate upon the different mentalities that the mentally disabled have. Through reading this book, mind-sets upon the usual stereotype of psychiatric hospitals are bound to change, along with a new-found education upon mental disorders.
I would recommend this book to anyone. Stories from movies and TV shows portray psychiatric hospitals as those filled with violence and evil. However, O’Donnell’s real experience and stories shed light upon the true care and compassion they hold instead. These stories hold humour and they hold happiness – as well as stories which really educate upon the different mentalities that the mentally disabled have. Through reading this book, mind-sets upon the usual stereotype of psychiatric hospitals are bound to change, along with a new-found education upon mental disorders.
February 22, 2013
Really well written memoir recounting the experiences of a mental health nurse. As you'd expect, there's sadness, tragedy and fear, but this is a book suffused with such wonderful wit and humour, one gets the feeling this is one of the most honest reflections you could get of working in this profession.
There's a little on the clinical side of mental illness for the uninformed reader, but more important I think is the real insight into what living with a serious mental illness actually feels like for the individual.
In addition to being a very competent writer, I believe the author must have also been a great nurse.
There's a little on the clinical side of mental illness for the uninformed reader, but more important I think is the real insight into what living with a serious mental illness actually feels like for the individual.
In addition to being a very competent writer, I believe the author must have also been a great nurse.
March 12, 2017
A decent memoir, sad in parts, funny in parts. It is a bit elementary in its discussion regarding mental illness but it is a good, informative book for those not very familiar with psychiatry. I found some of the humorous bits to be off putting, as well as the Scottish dialect which can be difficult to discern.
December 5, 2016
The subject of this book is interesting but the style of the book, the rich turn of phrase, the wry descriptions, make this an excellent book which I highly recommend. I listened to the audio book and had the additional pleasure of listening to the author read: his accent is sublime
March 19, 2020
An easy, fairly interesting read. The author isn't as funny as he thinks he is, and the casual transphobia and homophobia was a bit jarring - especially coming from someone in the mental health field.
December 15, 2019
It is what it says. Quite interesting and readable. I had two problems with this book though.
Firstly, it is presented as an insight into places housing mentally ill people, and the dynamics around working there. Sometimes, O'Donnell trades on the strangeness of the inmates almost sensationalising it; whilst at other times he suggests that the readers need to keep in mind that the behaviour being described is that of ill people and not that remarkable. There's an uncomfortable inconsistency here.
Secondly, he wastes a lot of space on ranting on about his atheistic views of religion. Hardly attractive to most of the world's populace. This page space would have been better used describing his personal details. His romantic, after-hours, and domestic life (accommodation/entertainment) is not really dealt with at all.
He has some amusing turns of phrase and original idiomatic writing which is entertaining.
Firstly, it is presented as an insight into places housing mentally ill people, and the dynamics around working there. Sometimes, O'Donnell trades on the strangeness of the inmates almost sensationalising it; whilst at other times he suggests that the readers need to keep in mind that the behaviour being described is that of ill people and not that remarkable. There's an uncomfortable inconsistency here.
Secondly, he wastes a lot of space on ranting on about his atheistic views of religion. Hardly attractive to most of the world's populace. This page space would have been better used describing his personal details. His romantic, after-hours, and domestic life (accommodation/entertainment) is not really dealt with at all.
He has some amusing turns of phrase and original idiomatic writing which is entertaining.
December 11, 2018
3 ½ stars. Dennis O'Donnell worked in a locked psychiatric ward for over seven years, and this is his story. A story that, for obvious reasons, dosen't give up the names or anything else that can identify a specific individual. Confidentiality and all that, you know. But other than this his experiences on the ward are real, and it's intriguing to get to tag along for the ride.
One thing that took some getting used to for me was the dialect that a lot of the dialogues are written in. Think Scotland, wee lassies and words being spelled exactly as they are said. Although it did have its charm, as well. Especially when you after a while are getting into it and can almost hear the Scottish dialect in your head.
It's a well written book that you can learn a lot from. It's not just about a day to day experience, but you get to really follow patients time on the ward and learn about different kinds of mental illnesses. O'Donnell is good at teaching what he learned during his time there.
Suicide is one of the things that I love that he brought up and provided information about. Because this is such an important topic, and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. Talking openly about suicide can save lives. If someone is suicidal talking about it won't hurt or make it worse, but it can make it better. I've been suicidal, I've had concrete suicide plans and from time to time I still have suicidal thoughts. So I know. Talking about it helps. Hell, talking about it has saved me from probably having made a suicide attempt at least one time.
One thing that I didn't like was how offensive the author was towards religion. Of course he has a right to his own opinion, but since this is not a book about religion it feels really unnecessary. As a caregiver a person's own opinion about these things shouldn't even matter anyway. And okay, I realize that the religious patients they had on the ward weren't exactly of a sound mind. But it's still insulting to read things like: It's a wonder not all believers are gibbering wrecks. There's also an implication that Christians that interpret the Bible in a more literal way are nut jobs. Thanks a lot...?
I still think this is a good book, though. We need books like this one. We need to be able to discuss mental health and break the stigma.
One thing that took some getting used to for me was the dialect that a lot of the dialogues are written in. Think Scotland, wee lassies and words being spelled exactly as they are said. Although it did have its charm, as well. Especially when you after a while are getting into it and can almost hear the Scottish dialect in your head.
It's a well written book that you can learn a lot from. It's not just about a day to day experience, but you get to really follow patients time on the ward and learn about different kinds of mental illnesses. O'Donnell is good at teaching what he learned during his time there.
Some old-fashioned ideas about suicide have to be challenged. Unfortunately, there is a lingering reluctance to discuss the topic. That has to change. It is impossible to know when a knowledge of how to deal with a situation might be needed. And, more to the point, might prove a life-saver.
Suicide is one of the things that I love that he brought up and provided information about. Because this is such an important topic, and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. Talking openly about suicide can save lives. If someone is suicidal talking about it won't hurt or make it worse, but it can make it better. I've been suicidal, I've had concrete suicide plans and from time to time I still have suicidal thoughts. So I know. Talking about it helps. Hell, talking about it has saved me from probably having made a suicide attempt at least one time.
One thing that I didn't like was how offensive the author was towards religion. Of course he has a right to his own opinion, but since this is not a book about religion it feels really unnecessary. As a caregiver a person's own opinion about these things shouldn't even matter anyway. And okay, I realize that the religious patients they had on the ward weren't exactly of a sound mind. But it's still insulting to read things like: It's a wonder not all believers are gibbering wrecks. There's also an implication that Christians that interpret the Bible in a more literal way are nut jobs. Thanks a lot...?
I still think this is a good book, though. We need books like this one. We need to be able to discuss mental health and break the stigma.
April 9, 2020
Terribly written. I hated it - didn't like the patter and I am Scottish!! Outdated, overdone rubbish by someone clearly up their own donkey!!
October 9, 2013
Author Dennis O'Donnell worked in the "Locked Ward", a psychiatric institution, for seven years. This book tells of how he was invited to work there while he was caring for elderly patients, and of his experiences.
Not surprisingly, O'Donnell has a very good knowledge of mental illness and the different forms it can take, as he talks about various patients he has dealt with, ranging from people with schizophrenia to even nymphomania. Most of the individual chapters talk about different patients, but you can tell there is a linear progression through the book as his time in the ward is charted.
Inevitably, this book is quite harrowing and very gritty in its realistic portrayal of mental illness, and although it felt a bit repetitive (how many accounts of patients taking their clothes off and attempting to have sex with others did the book need?), I found the book to be compelling. Surprisingly, there were some very humourous moments, for example O'Donnell noting that he was so alarmed he might have dashed through the wall leaving a cartoon-like hole that was shaped like him, and there are some occasional depictions of the absurd conversations that he and his colleagues have had. To be honest, I think if you're working in a place like this you need to have a good laugh at times, or you'd go crazy yourself!
Not surprisingly, O'Donnell has a very good knowledge of mental illness and the different forms it can take, as he talks about various patients he has dealt with, ranging from people with schizophrenia to even nymphomania. Most of the individual chapters talk about different patients, but you can tell there is a linear progression through the book as his time in the ward is charted.
Inevitably, this book is quite harrowing and very gritty in its realistic portrayal of mental illness, and although it felt a bit repetitive (how many accounts of patients taking their clothes off and attempting to have sex with others did the book need?), I found the book to be compelling. Surprisingly, there were some very humourous moments, for example O'Donnell noting that he was so alarmed he might have dashed through the wall leaving a cartoon-like hole that was shaped like him, and there are some occasional depictions of the absurd conversations that he and his colleagues have had. To be honest, I think if you're working in a place like this you need to have a good laugh at times, or you'd go crazy yourself!
April 24, 2016
The treacle voice and Scottish accent alone recommend this book if you, like me, miss Scottish voices around me. Apart from that, I love books that allow the reader to tour someone else's job and this one tours a workplace around which misconceptions are rife - the closed mental asylums, locked wards. As someone who has had friends who needed to spend some time there this has always bothered me.
This book describes a male nurse, who is both an English Lit graduate as well as a hippy, and his job, which is to give unconditional care to the heartbreaking, hilarious and very rarely scary patients he serves. His closing remarks are that his job made him see "the indomitable human spirit" he had previously only read about in books in real life, and I can see what he means there.
This book describes a male nurse, who is both an English Lit graduate as well as a hippy, and his job, which is to give unconditional care to the heartbreaking, hilarious and very rarely scary patients he serves. His closing remarks are that his job made him see "the indomitable human spirit" he had previously only read about in books in real life, and I can see what he means there.
January 8, 2014
Superbly written book, you can really get a feel for the up's and down's of life on the Locked Ward.
Dennis does a sterling job of allowing us to enter the lives of some of the people he came across, without intruding too much into their lives (names changed to protect individuals).
If you have even the slightest interest in this subject then I strongly recommend you pick up a copy as its so much more than the standard book whereby someone offers their own opinion on people and treatments in such a place.
Dennis does a sterling job of allowing us to enter the lives of some of the people he came across, without intruding too much into their lives (names changed to protect individuals).
If you have even the slightest interest in this subject then I strongly recommend you pick up a copy as its so much more than the standard book whereby someone offers their own opinion on people and treatments in such a place.
October 27, 2015
This was really good. Not at all what I was expecting, either. I was expecting this to mainly consist of anecdotes about difficult patients, but really it is a much more complete and human story than that. I was struck by how many preconceptions I had about serious mental illness and patients afflicted by it. Dennis O'Donnell does a remarkable job of conveying the message that people are people, some have mental illnesses, some do not. The same spectrum of personalities, talents, and abilities can be found inside or outside of the locked ward.
February 6, 2013
It felt a little like trying not to look at a car crash reading this book at times but I can tell that the humour, tolerance and understanding of the author would have made him the perfect nurse in this setting. I chose to read this book because I'd like to understand some of the conditions discussed here better. Although it was lighthearted and not clinical, I did feel I came away with increased understanding and some terrible jokes....
July 14, 2013
I probably shouldn't describe a book like this as funny as it deals with a serious subject but O'Donnell writes in such an amusing way that I couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't being mean about his patients but there's humour to be found in every situation and that's what this author did. He treated the serious subjects with grace and sincerity and there was no point where you thought he was making fun of the patients. An entertaining and informative read.
March 6, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Having been in psych units myself I understood the illness and medications. I never experienced such severe reactions in other patients though I knew that people are like that. It had great humor and I enjoyed the relationships. I've experienced great relationships with staff in psych units as well.
February 16, 2019
Absolutely loved this book! I found it by chance when searching for books of memoirs, a genre I particularly enjoy, and just had to buy it!! The inner works of peoples mind and memoirs.. whats not to like?
It was brilliantly written, you really connected with both the patients and the staff, almost like a fly on the wall observing the actual events.. definitely a must read!
It was brilliantly written, you really connected with both the patients and the staff, almost like a fly on the wall observing the actual events.. definitely a must read!
January 23, 2012
i did not not really enjoy this book i have worked for many years in the mental health service ad my views of the progression of the mental health service dffered just too much from the author,s to enjoy the book
March 7, 2012
This really mixes humour with the sadness and fear felt by patients with mental illnesses. I laughed and cried. I don't know a lot about mental illness but learned and understood so much from each "character". I have recommended this book to lots of friends who have also really enjoyed it!
August 22, 2013
Fascinating book about the life of an orderly in the locked ward. Stories of humanity and also the edges of sanity, how we could all easily end up on the spectrum of what is considered mad. The depths of sadness and also some funny stories and truly literary writing.
November 9, 2013
Accurate depiction of staff, patients and life on a locked ward. However in the 11 years I've worked in forensic psychiatry I've never heard the term "psychiatric orderly" being used! Good book for someone who is thinking of starting a career is psychiatry.
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