Loopey to Beau
In this brutally honest memoir, renowned author James W. Bennett takes the reader through his forty-plus-year struggle with a relentless mental illness. Along the way, he provides fully developed profiles of the many dogs who shared the journey, bringing support and comfort.
James W. Bennett is a critically-acclaimed Young Adult novelist, college English teacher, special education program assistant, photographer, basketball coach, husband, father, and grandfather. In "Loopey to Beau," he turns to adult non-fiction in this compelling personal narrative of relentless mental illness and dog love.
With uncompromising candor, he describes his crushing experience over several decades of disabling mental breakdowns, mixed and disorienting diagnoses, professional counseling, psychiatric care, a range of medication protocols, and family dislocation. His relationships with loving dogs that mitigated the suffering is highlighted in detail. He describes "Loopey to Beau" as a dog book and a mental health book. The book contains some Christian content, as well as substantial discussion of the mental health community.
"For anyone with a heart for animals or anyone who is familiar with the challenges of mental illness, this is an absolute MUST READ. James Bennett will take you on a heart-wrenching, heartwarming journey through his struggles of living into wellness. His accounts of the four-legged friends that accompanied him are a reminder that our canine friends speak, without the ability of human language, to the deepest places of the heart. Without shame, the author's honesty and vulnerability help lay to rest the stigma surrounding mental illness. His story will give you courage to embrace your own journey and find comfort and healing. If you suffer from mental illness, love someone who suffers, or are a professional in the field of mental health, you won't want to miss out on all this book has to offer." ----Jan
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-- James Bennett