|
Loading... My Lobotomyby Howard Dully
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Wow - the things people have to endure. It's a miracle this guy functions at all, but he actually wrote a book about it. Very eye-opening. My Lobotomy by, Howard Dully This book was a sad yet fascinating story of a man looking for the answers as to why he was given a lobotomy at the age of 12.Howard's mother died when he was young and his father remarried,his stepmother pretty much hated him from the start and was mentally and physically abusive to him.She went from doctor to doctor trying to have him committed ,anything to get him out of her house. She finally met Dr.Freeman the pioneer of the ice pick lobotomy in him she thought she'd found the solution to her problems, as I read the book I had to wonder if she hoped it would kill him.He was the youngest person to have a lobotomy and most medical professionals at the time were very much against this procedure in general and especially on children. The books tells of Howard's life after the lobotomy ,his stepmother continued to send him away he grew up in juvenile homes and state hospital's to being homeless and alcoholic.When he was finally clean and sober and in a stable relationship and had children of his own he decided he wanted answers to his lifelong question -Why?. In doing research Howard was contacted by NPR Radio the last three chapters are on this radio show.They found his medical record's that Dr.Freeman had donated to a library,he finally got some of the answers he was looking for.Howard to me is a fasinating man for all he's been through and survived my hats off to him! I went on NPR.org and listened to the radio show it was very interesting and emotional. I recommend this book whole-heartedly. I'm not sure what was more horrifying, that a doctor saw a lobotomy on a 12 year old as a good "cure" for what sounds like ordinary teen behavior, or the author's parents. Follow Howard as he searches for answers about the procedure and events that have shaped his life. If you are interested in the history of the treatment of mental illness, this book is a must read. Although the procedure the author endured at the age of 12 is unthinkable, his later search for answers lead him to turn around his life. While simplistically written and some times repetitive, when one considers the author was lobotomized it's a wonder the book exists. no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Book description |
|
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:56 -0400)
The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.
Quick Links |
My husband and I listened to this book on CD together. We were both amazed and appalled by some of the things that happened. We felt priviledged to have gotten to know Howard through this vital piece of history and information. (