Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood

Well this was...brutal. This is not Munchausen by proxy as a genteel, invisible kind of child abuse; this is Munchausen by proxy as part of a whole slate of abuses, physical and mental, not only by a monther but also by a father, an incapable child welfare system, and the medical establishment. It's rough to read - I read the book in one sitting mostly because I didn't want to keep it around - but the passages about Julie's coming to terms with herself as an adult are gorgeous. I'm immeasurably glad she was able to build a meaningful life for herself, and I hope she was able to make a difference for her siblings as well.

The first part of this book was very interesting, though a bit disturbing. The part where Julie's mother took her in for an unnecessary heart catheterization and later tried to insist on open heart surgery sent chills up my spine. I cringe at the thought of my child having surgery, so it's so hard to imagine a mother doing this to her own daughter. After Julie separated from her mother toward the end and began her own downward spiral, the book became much less interesting. Even when she saw her mother again near the end, it wasn't as interesting as the first part of the book.

I would like to think that doctors today would be more educated about mental disorders and would call Child & Family Services to investigate this family. I am a show more social worker and can say from experience that this does not always happen. Though there is more information out there today about various types of mental illness, there are still so many doctors and other professionals who would rather just "pass the buck" because this is not their area of specialty. show less

This book was fascinating read. Gregory in very plain language explains her childhood, from the point of view of a child. Others have criticized that the ways in which Gregory's parents have abused her are not made explicitly clear by the book, but what makes Sickened such a powerful memoir is that it is written from Gregory's point of view, and therefore all along the reader is left equally in the dark as Gregory herself as to what is actually wrong with her, versus what is inflicted upon her by her parents. Gregory's slow realization that she is, indeed being abused is both the turning point and the most poignant part of the book.

Julie Gregory grew up in an abusive household with a mother that constantly told her she was sick and what her symptons were. Julie was starved, beaten, and taken out of school for doctor's visits and hospital stays. Her mother insisted that every possible test be done, in order to "get to the bottom of this". When one doctor could not find a problem Julie would be taken to another doctor. Julie was punished if she didn't go along with the symptoms her mother told the doctors she had. While attending College Julie learns of a disease - Munchausen by Proxy and an understanding of what she has been through all her childhood is realised. I was a bit disappointed with the ending.

This was an intriguing read and I applaud the author for trying to raise awareness of Munchausen by Proxy and how unrecognized it is as a form of child abuse.

The book itself was okay. There is a lot of excellent description in here; the copies of medical records and photos of the author really drove home that this was real and added a lot to this memoir. This memoir touches on a lot more than just the main topic of Munchausen by Proxy; there are many other forms of abuse in here. This is not a comfortable and happy read; it is a disturbing read. However, it was a pretty quick read.

The author jumps around in time a bit, so at points it was hard to figure out how old she was during certain incidents. The ending seemed rushed and show more unfinished; I do understand this is a memoir and isn't a complete story, but I wish the lessons and themes had been brought together a bit better at the end.

I did learn a lot about Munchausen by Proxy; I knew some about this mental illness going in. However, it was an eye opener how the offending parent draws the affected child into complacency. I never fully realized how much kids will try to please their parents even though what their parents are doing is incredibly damaging to them. It also really drove home the helplessness of children in our society as a whole.

Overall this was an intriguing read and I applaud the author for writing this. The book itself is mediocre in writing quality and organization but it does paint an eye-opening picture and educate about Munchausen by Proxy. show less

What an absolutely horrible way to grow up. This book was so scary and horrifying. Even today, this would be so hard to diagnose, who doesn't want to help a sick child get better? But to the point of wanting open heart surgery to heal something that isn't broken? Disgusting. The only thing I wonder about is that at the end of the book, she says she is suing her mom. I got curious and went to her website to see how that turned out......no mention of a court case, no mention of any of that. There was so little on her website that I kind of wondered if any of the book was true. Even if it's not, I wasn't able to put it down.

A powerful memoir about a young woman's messed childhood dealing with Munchausen by Proxy (MPB) at the hands of her mother. Prior to this book I had never heard of MPB, but after reading this sordid tell all, I definitely have a grasp for how horrible it is. Basically a parent or other figure convinces you that our sick and you need to go to doctor to doctor to find out what is wrong with you. Unnecessary tests, surgeries, and being forced to lie to doctors is just the tip of the ice berg. Her parents were also mean, abusive, belligerent, and uncaring. It's a horrifying book reminiscent of "A Child Called It." It's eye opening and I hope to God, that Julie Gregory is able to move on with her life for good. Soo much trauma, I can't even show more imagine. show less