In my way of blogging for mental health, I’d like to introduce you to Jocelyne Dubois, a good friend of mine, who has suffered for many years from mental illness and has written a novella based on her struggles.
Her novella, World of Glass, was shortlisted for the 2013 Quebec Writers’ Federation Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction.
After the rupture of her most recent relationship, Chloé begins a new life by taking a job as an advertising rep for an upscale fashion magazine in Montréal. Her reconnection with her French Canadian soul is initially exhilarating, but soon turns out to be disastrous. She loses her footing and enters her own world of glass: a fragile, hypersensitive realm that eventually shatters.
World of Glass is a disquieting insight on the internal struggles and stigmas of mental health experienced through the eyes of one woman caught in a vicious, downward spiral.
Madeleine Thien, an award-winning writer, based in Montreal had this to say about World of Glass:
World of Glass discovers the woman that Chloé becomes, the love she
chooses, and the hesitant rebuilding of family, trust and
self. It is a remarkable work.
Carol Balawyder 
This sounds like a fascinating read, Carol. And I think it’s great that you’re helping to call attention to the needs of those with mental health issues. They deserve our support and friendship, not judgement.
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Thanks for reading, Margot. You’re right about people suffering with a mental illness need our support and not judgement. I personally witnessed Jocelyne’s roller coaster ride with psychiatrists who were just eager to catatonic her with drugs rather than listen to her pain. The book touches upon some of the horrors she faced with professionals in the mental health field.
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That happens with education professionals too. Lot’s of kids have gotten things like Ritalin or some other meds to keep them quiet in class, when all they need is a safe place to learn and someone to show them how to focus their energy. Some kids, just like some mental health patients, do need meds. But far too often they’re given meds as a way to make the problem go away rather than to actually try to solve it, or at least manage it. You don’t want my full-on rant on the way this happens in schools.
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I’m with you. 🙂
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Sounds like a moving story, Carol. Glad to read the author is being recognized. I’m sure it’s a difficult subject matter, but it is in tackling this difficulty, I’m guessing, that makes it a great read.
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Thanks for stopping by and reading, Silvia. 🙂 Yes, it is a difficult subject matter but I think one that needs to be said. I think it took a lot of courage on the author’s part to write about it but as you said, it was likely a healing process as well.
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I have a few friends who suffer from different mental illnesses. One is bi-polar and another a manic-depressive. They both have faced stigmas attached to their illnesses, this book would make them feel good and hopeful for the future. The way you stayed friends ‘through thick and thin’ with your friend, Jocelyne is a tribute to your character, Carol! Great post! Thanks so much for this book to share with my friends! ~Robin
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Once again, thanks for reading, Robin. I think the book would be helpful for anyone suffering from mental illness, especially if they’ve had frustrations with the mental health system.
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It’s good friends who help us through difficult times, and I’m sure your support has been powerful through your friend’s illness. Thanks for posting about her story.
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Thanks for stopping by, Elisa, and commenting. It’s much appreciated.
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Sounds great. Thanks for sharing.
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And thank you for reading and commenting. It’s always a pleasure to see you on my blog. 🙂
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Having been a foster mother for nearly 20 years, I have seen much in the realm of kids on medication. Very sad indeed. As a foster parent, you haven’t any say. You must go with the social worker and agency. The last teenager I had could have killed me. She was suffering from a horrible mental disorder but I wasn’t told beforehand. Usually never are in most cases. Anyway, thank you for sharing this great topic with us. Well done, once again.
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You have such rich experiences, Drew. There’s something wrong with our system when a foster parent isn’t told about a foster child’s mental disorder. It is damaging to the child and the parent. Ignorance is not bliss…not in this case. Ignorance is dangerous.
Have a great day…:)
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That’s for sure, Carol. What a shock when I heard she had Schizophrenia. And her older sister did as well. Very sad.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
GO JOCELYN…GO CAROL…GO JOCELYN…GO CAROL!!!!
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Thanks for letting me know about this. I like themes about mental health. What do you think of ‘Audiobooks’? Is it hard or expensive for a writer to produce an ‘Audiobook’?
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I too like audio books but I have no idea how expensive it is to make one. This would be a good idea for one of your future posts…I’m sure a lot of people would be interested in knowing how to go about making an audio book.
Thanks for stopping by, Maria. I appreciate it. Have a great day. 🙂
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I couldn’t agree with you more, Margot regarding drugging our kids. One of my son’s teachers suggested we put him on drugs to help him concentrate and keep still in class. He was only seven. My husband and I were appalled and moved him to another school.
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This should be a great read, thanks for posting and helping to spread awareness. 🙂
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Sounds like a fantastic book! Thanks for sharing!
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