186 Hours In The Looney Bin

"I bought this book because I wanted to hear someone else's experience in the "looney bin". I was flabbergasted at how our experiences were different and the same. Reading how someone else experienced something difficult, that I've also experienced, actually make me feel more normal. Great read." -Cara

"I laughed. I cried. I was amazed at how brave you were to publish this." - Keely

"Even when everything is seemingly perfect on the outside, your mental state can be in shambles. This book is a must read. It reflects on the real and raw reality of mental health and the healing process. This book is a reassurance that we are not alone in our mental health journey. I can't stop thinking about it, since I've read it." - Heather

"First, realize this is a journal of someone walking through stuff, real stuff. This read is a walk through surviving when stuff 'hits the fan'. I can't thank the author enough for laying out what was going through his mind each day in a way that makes those who struggle with mental health not feel so isolated. If you are looking for a book that has magical answers ... probably need to keep looking. If you're looking for a book that lets you know, "You're not alone," then you've found it." - John

It's the Looney Bin. My life is a Looney Bin. The terminology is so inaccurate and yet accurate. It's a preposterous way to phrase something. It's a crazy way to think of such a place. Absurd, considering a bin has an easily-removable lid and the term looney has silly connotations. Perhaps the word meant to something else entirely to a different shade of people from a forgettable time.

It certainly is not a term that I would use to describe a psychiatric hospital anymore. It isn't silly, it isn't easy to escape. But it is the term I've chosen, simply because my time there has been both chaotic and beautiful. Such a dichotomy.

Looking at me, my family - my beautiful wife and children (sorry, no dog) you wouldn't have believed that I would be in this place. Many of my friends and family still have trouble accepting the truth. But it is a hard truth that I have come to face, a place that I spent one hundred and eighty-six hours of my life.

Whether we admit it or not, we have our own Looney. Binds. It's a truth that I believe everyone experiences, though. All of us have our own unique mental-health journey. All of us experience situations where we require resilience, compassion, and help.

When we're overwhelmed with this, we need healing. What I've discovered is that healing is not a linear process and that everyone's journey is uniquely their own. But there are some underlying currents that speed healing: human connection and empathy. They break down the barriers that mental health issues often build.

So if you've picked this up and are wondering what it is all about, why someone may have referred you to this book ... know that it is just a story of my experiences with mental health, this journey we call life, the constant struggles, trauma and recovery. I only hope it encourages you wherever you are. Journaling in the Loonie Bin certainly encouraged me - and perhaps it will encourage you to see someone who has walked the same path as so many other humans.

In our Looney Bins.