New Book Brings Mental Illness to the Forefront

Las Vegas, NV, June 07, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Outskirts Press author Two Lenz gives readers a first-hand look at the American mental health care system in Walking Through Walls: Overcoming the Barriers of Serious Mental Illness. In 39 years of hospitalizations, Lenz finds the inner strength to make it through, and shares her hope—and insights into the country’s treatment system—in this remarkable book.

Research shows mental illness troubles an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans—6 percent severely—and is blamed as the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada among those ages 15-44. But those staggering numbers don’t make it any less lonely for people who travel the poorly understood roads of the American mental health system.

Now, one woman is seeking to increase awareness of mental health suffering and give hope to those affected by telling the remarkable story of her 39-year journey through a slew of hospitalizations, diagnoses and medications.

Walking Through Walls: Overcoming the Barriers of Serious Mental Illness (Outskirts Press), by writer Two Lenz, weaves autobiographical narrative with a historical look at our understanding of mental health and problems in modern treatment. Two Lenz (not a pseudonym) was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1970s, after suffering from symptoms of mental illness since childhood. Over the years, she would be hospitalized 25 times, undergo a host of treatments and be diagnosed incorrectly until doctors finally found her to be suffering from schizoaffective disorder.

In the meantime, holding a steady job became impossible, and her personal relationships suffered. But through the care of some amazing doctors and therapists, along with her own steadfast resolve, Lenz made it through. In Walking Through Walls, Lenz marshals supreme storytelling skills and an expert’s research abilities to paint a candid and highly intimate portrait of the struggle to take control of her own personal destiny while advocating a more promising future for others. In the process, she explains the basics of the major mental illnesses, strategies for receiving effective help and tips for living a full and enjoyable life.

“Let this book be proof to the mentally ill and mentally healthy alike that the label ‘mentally ill,’ which typically involves extensive brain pain, does not necessarily cancel quality of life,” Lenz writes.

Lenz’s first-hand, yet authoritative viewpoint makes the book a must-read not just for those suffering from mental illness, but also family, friends and co-workers of the mentally ill, and those looking for a more thorough understanding of what these people go through on a daily basis. More than just an autobiography, Walking Through Walls resonates with the experiences of millions of Americans who suffer from mental disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and clinical depression.

Walking Through Walls: Overcoming the Barriers of Serious Mental Illness is now available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and the online bookstore of Outskirts Press, at outskirtspress.com/store.php.

About the Author: Two Lenz has sat on multiple committees pertaining to matters regarding mental illness. As a member of the Alliance for the Mental Ill of Nevada, she earned the 1997 Nevada State Humanitarian Award. Lenz has worked as freelance journalist and college instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a Master of Arts degree in sociology. Lenz has won four national awards in writing competitions.

ISBN: 978-1-4327-1845-9 / 978-1-4327-1877-0
Format: 6 x 9 paperback / 6 x 9 hardback w/ jacket Pages: 320
SRP: U.S.$19.95/CAN$20.95 / U.S.$28.95/CAN$29.95 Genre: Psychology/ Mental illness

Author Contact: Visit her on the Web at www.outskirtspress.com/agirlmistreated

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