We Don't Use Words Like 'Crazy'

On the Frontline of Mental Health

Elliot Sweeney, Elliot Sweeney

$45

Hardback

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English

BLINK Publishing
24 April 2025

Autobiography: science, technology & engineering; Memoirs; Mental health services; Psychiatric nursing; Coping with illness

An illuminating memoir of life working on the frontline of mental health

'Gripping, empathetic, and honest, this account of what it's like to care for the mentally ill as they sink into schizophrenia, depression, self-harm, delusion, anorexia, dementia and more, is both an education and a wake-up call. Sweeney writes with brilliance about a vulnerable population that deserves our respect and compassion.' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

We Don't Use Words Like Crazy is a 'professional confessional' from Elliot Sweeney, a mental health nurse who works on the frontline of mental health services. His touching and often humorous memoir lifts the lid on the realities of the profession, in an attempt to highlight the need for compassion for some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and the very committed people that work with them on a professional basis.

The book is for anyone who wants to know what it's really like to work in contemporary mental health services in the UK, and why people like Elliot stick at it. Described as 'funny, frank and beautifully observed', Elliot's memoir explores all aspects of mental health care, including hospital, youth care, dementia, community care, and the more extreme experience of working with risk, highlighting a service that underpins our society and that reflects the full spectrum of humanity.

By: Elliot Sweeney
Narrator: Elliot Sweeney
Imprint: BLINK Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 499g
ISBN: 9781785122064
ISBN 10: 1785122061
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 24 April 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

'I'm a Londoner born and bred, but these days divide my time between the capital and my adopted home in Lancashire, where there's a bit more space to write. By day I'm a community psychiatric nurse specialising in adolescent mental health and post-traumatic stress. Through fiction, my aim is to fuse my professional interests with a love of fast-paced crime writing.'

Reviews for We Don't Use Words Like 'Crazy': On the Frontline of Mental Health

'Gripping, empathetic, and honest, this account of what it's like to care for the mentally ill as they sink into schizophrenia, depression, self-harm, delusion, anorexia, dementia and more, is both an education and a wake-up call. Sweeney writes with brilliance about a vulnerable population that deserves our respect and compassion.' -- Author of Lessons in Chemistry * Bonnier Garmus *