Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller

19 reviews

wickedgrumpy's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

I find myself torn about this book.

I think the thing that frustrates me is that the intended audience switches between the chronically ill, those who are close to chronically ill people, and anyone who is curious about what it's like to live with chronical illness.  To me, that is too broad of a scope.  Since I fit into the first category, I find myself irked when the tone shifts to address the others.

That is to say, it's partly a memoir, partly a self help book, and partly reference material.  I do think that there are some parts that are beneficial and good, but there are others that are so bizarre that I struggled to finish it.  Also, reading it might be a triggering experience.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

gracegeeks's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol

rhia_a's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

4.0

As someone who has been chronically ill from a young age but had it go from mostly functional to mostly incapacitating in the last few years, this was a relateable read... sadly. I feel seen now but if the book had existed a few years back in my darkest times, I would have found it cathartic, oddly comforting and informative (it still is those things) - it could have led to easier 'aha' moments along the grieving process. I wish the author well on her journey and hope that it's an easier ride for her from here on out.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Medical trauma

eeenou's review

informative reflective medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Excrement

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Death of parent

imstephtacular's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

kennyrae89's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

Great book to read for people dealing with chronic illness. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

readalongwithnat's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I received a free ARC from Henry Holt Books in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. My chronic illness differs from Tessa's, but I still found this book to be incredibly relatable. I also liked how it was part memoir and part educational. I want everyone in my life to read this so they can better understand living with a chronic illness.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent

melsuke's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Excrement, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction

diversifyyourshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Miller places a heavy emphasis on the mental and emotional toll of chronic illness, issues I don’t see discussed nearly enough! It is lonely and hard and exhausting being sick all the time, and she 1) shows us we’re not alone and validates those feelings and 2) offers help and advice from someone who has been there. 

 

I really enjoyed this book, and I do highly recommend it, with some caveats.  On one hand, I want everyone I know to read this, but on the other, Miller’s experiences, even before her diagnosis, are quite traumatic. There are descriptions of physical abuse, addiction, domestic violence, sexual assault, eating disorders (check the content warnings for the extensive list of possible triggers). 

 

I’m not at all saying that Miller shouldn’t have written this part of her story – in a lot of ways, I feel it was necessary to give a holistic view of her life experience - but it can be difficult to read. While a lot of Miller’s writing is highly specific to her and to her own diagnosis of Crohn’s, she does a good job towards the middle and end of each chapter in connecting her story to the broader chronic illness community. For sensitive readers, it may be helpful to skip the starts of each chapter. 

 

This book undoubtedly helped me, and there are actionable steps that I plan to take based on it! If you are chronically ill or are close to someone who is chronically ill, I advise you to pick this up. Thank you to Tessa Miller for using your voice to help the rest of us. And thank you to Henry Holt for sending me an advanced copy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma