History of Present Complaint by H.L.R

SYNOPSIS

After a traumatic psychotic episode, a nameless young woman recounts past psychiatric crises in an attempt to make sense of her present and fight for her future.

A genre-defying debut collection of prosetry, History of Present Complaint reveals the devastating reality of living with chronic mental illness. HLR writes of the human experience in her distinctive style: knock-out blows of blistering truths are tempered with shots of sardonic British humour, and the lines between fact and fiction, safety and danger, sanity and insanity are blurred beyond recognition through her bold poetry and sharp prose. History of Present Complaint is a damning depiction of under-funded mental health services and serves a vital role in giving a voice to the voiceless, shining a light on the darkest corners of the human condition and forcing the reader to see what has been there all along.

REVIEW

Despite how short this piece is, it presents a deep and resounding gravitas that leaves you speechless.

Weirdly enough, I do know a little bit about this topic about mental health and the strain that there is on the services provided. I studied about it in a criminology class at university and it left a mark on how little was being done for such an important part of all our wellbeing. But HLR struck that cord differently. Instead, flipping roles where alternatively you are the one experiencing mental health in a broken system, rather than being the onlooker being told of the situation. You are in the driver's seat.

This is truly a powerful piece which not only looks at how we treat those with mental health but society around us. It is more important than ever to have some form of empathy and understanding as to what people are going through mentally. It is an incredible source to look over again and again, whether it be for yourself or for someone else.

The difference that this piece has is that it portrays a story within poetry itself. Anyone of any age or capability would not just be able to follow it but figure out their own feelings towards the system. It is universal.

I think that this is a piece that I will take with me everywhere I go. It's indeed a hard topic but it's an important one that makes it truly special.

RATING: **** (FOUR STARS)

BUY LINKS

Amazon: History of Present Complaint: Amazon.co.uk: R, HL, Douglas, Craig: 9798703799475: Books

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