Christine Montross Knihy

"Galvanized by her work in our nation's jails, psychiatrist Christine Montross illuminates the human cost of mass incarceration and mental illness. Dr. Christine Montross has spent her career treating the most severely ill psychiatric patients. Several years ago, she set out to investigate why so many of her patients got caught up in the legal system when discharged from her care--and what happened to them therein. Waiting for an Echo is a riveting, rarely seen glimpse into American incarceration. It is also a damning account of policies that have criminalized mental illness, shifting large numbers of people who belong in therapeutic settings into punitive ones. The stark world of American prisons is shocking for all who enter it. But Dr. Montross's expertise--the mind in crisis--allowed her to reckon with the human stories behind the bars. A father attempting to weigh the impossible calculus of a plea bargain. A bright young woman whose life is derailed by addiction. Boys in a juvenile detention facility who, desperate for human connection, invent a way to communicate with one another from cell to cell. Overextended doctors and correctional officers who strive to provide care and security in environments riddled with danger. In these encounters, Montross finds that while our system of correction routinely makes people with mental illness worse, just as routinely it renders mentally stable people psychiatrically unwell. The system is quite literally maddening. Our methods of incarceration take away not only freedom but also selfhood and soundness of mind. In a nation where 95 percent of all inmates are released from prison and return to our communities, this is a practice that punishes us all"--Provided by publisher

Exploring the intense dynamics of psychiatric care, the book delves into the lives of patients facing severe crises in a locked inpatient ward. Through the lens of psychiatrist Christine Montross, readers encounter a range of compelling cases, including a self-harming young woman, a recent graduate exhibiting erratic behavior, and a new mother struggling with harmful thoughts. Each story raises critical questions about diagnosis, treatment, and the emotional challenges faced by healthcare providers, highlighting the complexities of mental health care.

Exploring the profound connection between a medical student and a cadaver named Eve, this memoir delves into themes of mortality, empathy, and the human experience. Through the student's journey, readers witness the transformative impact of medical education and the deep respect for life and death that emerges from this unique relationship. The narrative offers a poignant reflection on the intersection of science and humanity, inviting contemplation on the ethics of medical practice and the stories that every body holds.

A woman habitually commits self-injury, a new mother has incessant visions of harming her child, a recent uni graduate, dressed in a tunic, declares that love emanates from everything around him. These are among the patients new consultant physician Christine Montross meets during rounds at her hospital's locked inpatient ward - and whom we meet as she struggles to understand the mysteries of the mind, most especially when the tools of modern medicine are failing us.