Ex-Inmate in Exile: The Autobiography of Philip A. Kumin

Rating:
Summary: The Book Title is Slightly Misleading
Review: Philip Kumin is a Jewish man that went in-and-out of many mental institutions for most of his life. When he was not in the asylum, he was a homeless drifter.

The first third of the book mostly discusses the author's family. Although the this part of the book does discuss himself, it also spends a lot of attention on his family in general. Home life for the author was not pleasant, as his parents argued frequently.

After the first third, the book gets to the point where the author begins his experiences with psychiatry. He first went to counseling at the suggestion of his mother. The book describes the author's increasing frequency of therapy that his father did not think he needed, yet paid for anyway. Eventually, Kumin is institutionalized on and off for a number of years. His stays in the asylums were voluntary in nature. Furthermore, the author describes himself as mentally impaired, and reports being diagnosed schizophrenic and depressed.

For a number of years, the author reports resisting taking medication, but also blames his inabilities on not taking them. Eventually, Kumin decides that drugs are helpful for him, and he reports he still takes them. Overall, I got the impression that nothing therapy had to offer really helped him. Institutionalizing him was to free his family of the burden of taking care of him, but did not really help him. He eventually did pull his life together, but it was because of his own determination.

Although the author is critical of some aspects of psychiatry, such as being institutionalized and that the mental health system is flawed, the book is not overly critical of the field. As the title suggested, I expected a stance against psychiatry and something less wishy-washy. After all, Kumin had an affinity to therapy and walked into the asylums of his own will, which is hardly an inmate.

Rating:
Summary: The Book Title is Slightly Misleading
Review: Philip Kumin is a Jewish man that went in-and-out of many mental institutions for most of his life. When he was not in the asylum, he was a homeless drifter.

The first third of the book mostly discusses the author's family. Although the this part of the book does discuss himself, it also spends a lot of attention on his family in general. Home life for the author was not pleasant, as his parents argued frequently.

After the first third, the book gets to the point where the author begins his experiences with psychiatry. He first went to counseling at the suggestion of his mother. The book describes the author's increasing frequency of therapy that his father did not think he needed, yet paid for anyway. Eventually, Kumin is institutionalized on and off for a number of years. His stays in the asylums were voluntary in nature. Furthermore, the author describes himself as mentally impaired, and reports being diagnosed schizophrenic and depressed.

For a number of years, the author reports resisting taking medication, but also blames his inabilities on not taking them. Eventually, Kumin decides that drugs are helpful for him, and he reports he still takes them. Overall, I got the impression that nothing therapy had to offer really helped him. Institutionalizing him was to free his family of the burden of taking care of him, but did not really help him. He eventually did pull his life together, but it was because of his own determination.

Although the author is critical of some aspects of psychiatry, such as being institutionalized and that the mental health system is flawed, the book is not overly critical of the field. As the title suggested, I expected a stance against psychiatry and something less wishy-washy. After all, Kumin had an affinity to therapy and walked into the asylums of his own will, which is hardly an inmate.