Cactus

Throughout his forties and fifties Phillip found himself on a sticky wicket: the grief for his baby son and younger brothers suicide attempts self-harming the premature termination of his career and the failure of religious belief to explain or console. In and out of psychiatric care he has been treated for PTSD severe depression and social anxiety. There are consolations: family companion greyhounds Sunshine the Western Bulldogs and Australian Football books the fine and performing arts but for Phillip this remains a time of loss and despair. This is therefore a collection of lamentations achingly focused on what it is to live with poor mental health but it is also a defiant celebration of survival and the redeeming power of familial love sport and the arts.