A Vexation of the Spirit

Sheila W. Mooney has written a book about the effects of chronic illness on the mind and spirit. She has eight chronic illnesses and talks about her own experiences with refreshing candor. There's no self-pity here just an honest account of her illnesses and what she has come to know about mind and spirit. You'll read about her growing up in a small farming village in Maine then on to her own family and ultimately several psychiatric hospitalizations. After losing her career to Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome she faced a great change in her life.</P><P>Chronic illness brings a new life and suddenly leaves an old one behind. One may look normal but on the inside is suffering and pain. The great accumulation of suffering includes:</P><P>* Grief</P><P>* Isolation and Loneliness</P> <P>* Anxiety</P> <P>* Depression</P> <P>* Economic Stress</P> <P>* Pain</P> <P>After the author chronicles her story she has some basic suggestions to help those who are suffering invisibly. She intertwines two stories her private subjective thoughts with a concise presentation of ideas. She writes with compassion and imagination. This book is a must-read for those and their caretakers facing chronic illness such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome arthritis and brain injury. </P>.