NAMI RAMSEY COUNTY

Blog

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • What We Do
    • LEADERSHIP >
      • Our Board
      • Committees
    • Mental Illnesses
    • Press
    • COVID-19
  • FIND SUPPORT
    • SUPPORT GROUPS
    • RESOURCES
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Book Club
    • NAMIWalks
    • Summer Picnic
    • Day on the Hill
  • GET INVOLVED
    • VOLUNTEER
    • BECOME A MEMBER
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Book Club

7/22/2021

July Book Club Summary

Comments

Read Now
 
This month, our Book Club discussed Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. The book has two main themes, racism in the Deep South and mental health. 

Trigger Warnings: Racism, Graphic Violence, Deaths, Anxiety, Alcohol Use, and Depression 

Kay King, Community Educator at NAMI Minnesota, facilitated this Book Club discussion and provided discussion questions to guide the conversation.

One question prompted the group to discuss how many people still believe that people living with mental illnesses should just “snap out of it” and “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” The causes of mental illnesses are not simple ones. Kay and the group discussed that we don’t know what causes a mental illness. We know environment, genetics, biology, brain chemistry, life experiences, and trauma can be factors. The present theory is that some of us are born with a predisposition and something puts it into motion (a second hit). That trigger could be something like trauma, poverty, deaths in the family, war, losses, other illnesses, the birth of a child, a lack of sunlight, major long- and short-term life stresses, etc. The group discussed what some of the triggers may have been for Hazel in the book.

Another question highlighted how Hazel’s husband, Floyd, could have been more supportive of her recovery from depression and alcohol-use disorder. In the book, Floyd is often saying something about thinking positively. After Hazel loses her son Davie, she becomes very depressed and turns to alcohol. Floyd thinks that Hazel can cure herself from her depression and alcohol-use disorder by positive thinking.

The group continued to discuss Floyd's response to Hazel's illness. Hazel is hospitalized in a place called Whitfield for her co-occurring disorder. Toward the end of the book, Floyd says to Hazel, “Do you want me to send you back to Whitfield? You know I could have you committed again.” The group discussed how Floyd could have been more supportive toward Hazel and some of the other things that he could have said to her. One of the things that Floyd could have said was, “I am worried about you. How can I help?” instead of threatening to send her back to Whitfield.

Miss Hazel in the Rosa Parks League is a very complex book, and the group enjoyed discussing it.

Join us on Thursday, August 19th for another rousing discussion. It will be on the book, Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. We hope to see you there!

https://www.namiramseycounty.org/bookclub.html 

Author: Ann Resemius

Ann Resemius is an advisor on the NAMI Ramsey County board and has earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Share

Comments
Details

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020

    Categories

    All
    Abuse
    Advocate
    Alcohol-use Disorder
    Anxiety
    Bipolar Disorder
    Books
    Calls To Action
    Children's Mental Health
    Civil Commitment
    Community
    Coping Skills
    County Services
    Crisis De-escalation
    Cultural/Spiritual Beliefs
    Delusions
    Depression
    Emergencies
    Employment
    Family
    Hallucinations
    Hospitalization
    Law Enforcement
    Letters Of Support
    Listening Sessions
    Mania
    Medication
    Mental Health Crisis
    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
    Perfectionism
    Police Interactions
    Racism
    Reports
    Self Injury
    Serious Mental Illness
    Service Animals
    Services For Engagement In Treatment
    Smoking Cessation
    Suicidal Ideation
    Teen Mental Health

    Sign up for our monthly newsletter for blog updates!

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • What We Do
    • LEADERSHIP >
      • Our Board
      • Committees
    • Mental Illnesses
    • Press
    • COVID-19
  • FIND SUPPORT
    • SUPPORT GROUPS
    • RESOURCES
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Book Club
    • NAMIWalks
    • Summer Picnic
    • Day on the Hill
  • GET INVOLVED
    • VOLUNTEER
    • BECOME A MEMBER
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Book Club