Week 13- The Serious One

Hi! I just finished Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets and I loved it! I cried a little because thank god for therapists. And the last chapter was a few pages of free verse in the style of Walt Whitman that were really… I don't know how to describe it. They gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, basically. I was really worried for James, because he's honestly so sweet and emotional, but at the end of the book he finally stood up for himself and convinced his parents to pay for his therapy. Well actually he stole some money at first to get a few sessions behind their backs, but then he actually had the courage to ask for help.

I think I need to address that, actually. This book is… it's inspirational, honestly. And the ending might not be super realistic compared to some kids with similar mental health problems, but it’s kind of like those It Gets Better videos: it shows people that it's okay to ask for help, and that if you do, you'll feel better about yourself, your condition, your life in general. And one thing that I think is really important is that admitting you need help is the first step to improvement. James had his imaginary therapist, Dr. Bird, but one distinction James makes is that talking to someone who is part of you, who you are imagining, is not the same as talking to a real person. He says this specifically, but there are also instances early in the book where he mentions that he's not sure what Dr. Bird means, or rather that he does but won't admit it. Because he admitted he needed help, because he went to a real person and got his issues out in the open, even just those first few sessions dramatically changed his disposition. And in the last chapter, once he can see that real therapist on a regular basis, and he has someone he knows he can talk to, he really picks up. He's like another person almost, and it's a gorgeous if not saddening way to depict mental health: as something that keeps you not only from being happy, but from being your true self. I know this blog has been pretty serious, but I feel really strongly about this book. I'm definitely going to write my monologue from James' point of view; I can't imagine doing it with any other character.

Thanks for reading and putting up with my sappiness! I'll start a new book next week. Yawp!