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ABOUT IN HANDCUFFS

Inside the Methadone Clinic. Addiction to heroin, methadone, and other opiates. The destruction to one's life. The "primal addiction" of the child, power and control over your own life, the institutions and the characters, the love between a mother and son. This book is a sequel to "The Tree Outside the Window." It answers the question, "What happens to Jill next?"

    

ABOUT GET OUT OF MY GRAPE FACTORY

This is a book of short stories that are diverse, and written over a lengthy period of time. I chose the best of the batch. There are some very sad, tragic stories that will make you cry, some that will make you laugh, many that are enlightening and insightful, and others that will simply entertain you. I've wanted to put this volume together for a long time. So, here it is! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

 

     ABOUT THE TREE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW

"The Tree Outside the Window" is based on autobiographical information about the author, and describes a girl's encounters with schizophrenia and the mental health system. It begins with the childhood experiences of Jill Walker, the main character, and follows with the chronological events leading to her initial psychotic breakdown. The story continues through treatment by various psychiatrists, therapists, and city, state, and county institutions, and culminates in the character's conquering her insanity, and achieving autonomy into adulthood. Above all, it's a tale of hope, that the will and spirit can overcome the horrors and devastation of a mind ravaged by mental illness.

Many of the incidents and descriptions relating to the doctors and psychiatric hospitals were actual occurrences, revealing the problems, inadequacies, and abuses that are common in the mental health system.  The story is fast-paced, insightful, and often amusing, and could be enjoyed by persons of any background, from the age of puberty and up. Mental health workers are encouraged to read the book - it conveys the firsthand experience of schizophrenia, as well as the patient's perspective on life in the mental health establishment. The reader will be enlightened as well as entertained.    

 

                                                                             

 

                                  

                                                                                               

                                                                                         Al and Klepp                                                                                                                                                     Klepp

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I gave myself this haircut, since no salons were open during the Virus crisis.

R. Burrow grew up in a small, hilly town in West Virginia. In her teens, she traveled to various parts of Europe with her family, and went to school in the U.K. Before graduating high school, she began to suffer from symptoms of schizophrenia, and would continue to struggle with the illness for the next ten years of her life. During this time, she was able to travel to Buffalo, and attended the State University of New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After winning the long, hard battle with mental illness, she married a man she loved, Martin, and settled in Upstate New York. After years of living a quiet home life, she felt a sudden and strong desire to tell her story; it was then, at age 31, that she began to write about her experiences, in the hope that it would educate and inform others from the rarely-heard point of view of the patient.

The material seemed to flow almost effortlessly, and the novel was completed in a year and a half. About the same time "The Tree Outside the Window" was published, the author was blessed with a beautiful boy, James, and wrote a collection of short stories, as well as another long fiction novel about heroin addiction and the methadone clinic, entitled, "In Handcuffs."


Where authors and readers come together!

 

REVIEWS

 

Ms. Burrow has penned an exceptional memoir. She has opened her life and her heart to be of help to others. It was an engrossing book that I had to read from beginning to end. Ms. Burrows has openly shown the suffering the mentally ill must often endure and the coldness of those who profess to help them. The story begins and progresses in a very dark place but bright hope is offered in the end. I highly recommend this book, if you haven't suffered from mental illness, you will surely know someone who has and can use the wisdom contained in "The Tree Outside The Window." -- An Amazon customer

 

Excellent.  A moving and authentic young person's inside view of our disgraceful mental health system.  It's fiction, of course, but sensitive reader can tell author knows whereof she speaks.  For a first book four stars is big praise for me.  I look forward to her next book.  I hope publisher markets this book to the mental health professionals who usually only read each others' work. -- a reviewer, a writer in Western New York

 

I found this to be a moving, candid account of one young person's long journey through our arcane, often destructive, mental health system. This personal story should be on the top of the list for mental health workers to experience what it really feels like to be on the other side of institutional treatment -- Spirit of Aphra Behn "actor/playwright"

 

...interesting, supportive, suspenseful, and informative as well as entertaining...I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy reading it as well as benefit from it. Some parts of the book will affect everyone's life. ...I can't wait to read the next chapters in "Jill's" life.  I've already recommended it to others. -- Brenda Ainsworth

 

 ...I have worked within mental health, and I agree with all that you say...It is totally wrong that such already very sensitive people are treated with such inhumanity...  Thanks for the inspiration.  -- Catriona Muir 

 

This book tells an intense story from a fascinating perspective. The main character's experience with schizophrenia is presented through her relationships with her family, boyfriends, doctors, and other patients. This creates an interesting web of emotions that carries the story along, allowing the readers to glimpse what life is like for a teenager battling a mental disorder. This is certainly not a "feel good" novel, but it will truly make a reader reconsider the mental health system in modern America.  -- J. Kandel

 

I was given a chance to read this book for an exchange of an honest review . Let me start off by saying that this book was simply amazing. I read it in about 3 days which is very good for me...I thought that this book was very thought provoking and had well developed characters. I was hooked after the first couple of chapters. Initially I thought that it was gonna be kinda slow because of how it started and boy was I wrong. The book flowed and didn’t miss a beat . It was. Very informative letting us into the life of a person with mental health illness. I think that everyone should read this book especially if they have a love one or even a friend that deals with mental health. I hope that this Author continues to flow in what I deem as excellent writing skills and I definitely look forward to future work from them. You will definitely want to pick up a copy of this boom and it’s guaranteed to not disappoint. -- Debby Deshan

 

 

MORE REVIEWS

 
Kim Aalaie 2/26/2019
 
A very well-written story about a very harrowing subject. 'The Tree Outside the Window' is a vivid account of the "dark side" of the world of psychiatry and drug rehab. It is a "touchy" subject to broach and many authors shy away from it, but this book does an excellent job combating it head-on. The story line evolves around Jill and her family, beginning at the age of seven, when she is taken to see a psychiatrist. Her clinical problems start there and follows her into adulthood with each doctor and hospital stay being worse than the last. Jill becomes very well versed in the name and conditions treated of a variety of psychiatric medicines having been diagnosed as schizophrenic. As she enters her teen years, Jill begins mixing alcohol and illegal drugs with her other pills and tranquilizers, meant to keep her stable. There is a light at the end of the tunnel however as Jill manages to pull herself together to some degree, finishing school, somewhat repairing her broken relationship with her mother and eventually falls in love and gets married. R. Burrow has written a great book on a very heartbreaking subject. She has found away to shine a light on a "taboo" topic, exposing and explaining the life behind the psychiatric abuses and drugs in this country. I recommend you check this book out! A definite thumbs-up!

 
 
 
Laura H. 1/7/2019
 
This publication was an in depth look at the mental health issues as told by the patient herself. The incidents that happened to her were sad, sickening, and disturbing on so many levels. The author's use of writing this publication in the first person was brilliant and gives the reader a first-eye view of what is happening in the psyche of a mentally-ill person. This publication should be read by all parents and/or individuals who have chosen healthcare as their occupation and soon-to-be parents alerting them to the real consequences of the healthcare system, some of the pitfalls that may go unchecked along the way of bringing up their children, and what a person in crisis is feeling. Kudos to the author for this extensive and well-documented publication.

 
 
 
Kim Aalaie 2/26/2019
 
'In Handcuffs' is a wonderful sequel continuing the story of Jill, as she stumbles her way through life. The book is a great stand-alone but, I suggest if you can, read the books in sequence. 'The Tree Outside the Window' shares Jill's childhood, but 'In Handcuffs' continues with Jill's path in life as an adult. Still in treatment for her mental health and drug rehab, Jill is married and blessed with a baby boy, James, which she dotes on. Jill struggles with parenthood as a working, mom barely getting paid enough to cover living expenses and there are problems in her marriage. On that note, I am not going to divulge additional tidbits of the book because I want you to read it! R. Burrow writes a fictionalized memoir that shines an alarming and disturbing light into the world of drug rehab and psychiatric care. She handles the frightening subject matter head on, providing the reader with a vivid picture. She has an unique writing style that is definitely worth checking out. A five star book, to be sure!

Jamie Holton

Great book. I want to say how relatable "In Handcuffs" is, and how you can really put yourself in Jill's shoes. The way it is written is so truthful, brutally honest. Anyone who's gone through this (addiction) can put themselves at any place in this book. I love how it ends. I still to this day feel the same way. You can get straight, but you're never promised a rose garden. Love it!

Anna

A very moving very real depiction of what life is like in situations usually not discussed. The author's style is very inviting and poignant and you learn alot as you're invited into Jill's inner world. Very memorable. Go get it !!

 
 

 

                

                                   Hi                                                                                        Jane with her toy

                                                   

              

                                   Jane and Klepp                                                                                     Al with his meal

  

                                

                                                  

                                          Rupert                                                                                    Bingo

                                 

                                                                            

                                                                                                 Sweet Susie

                

Quest for an apology, at the very least, from those who persecute us as a result of their ignorance and abuse.

There is too much prejudice and ignorance with regard to mental illness. The vast majority of the mentally ill are non-violent. It takes a violent, cruel person, I believe, to commit a violent act, regardless of whether he or she is bipolar, schizophrenic, or mentally intact. We don't hear about those who are peaceful, those who do not aggress against others. Even the best educated among us have a distorted view. The schizophrenics and manic-depressives who brutalize their kids or kill their spouses give everyone else a bad name. Unfortunately, they are the ones who make the headlines, who make people afraid. Sure, there's an occasional tragedy. But an illness does not change our character. Lots of "sane" people are guilty of rapes, murders, and assaults. They are often accused of mental illness to explain what they do (though they sometimes use it as an excuse). Calling someone mentally ill usually comes with a derogatory tone of voice. The scapegoating and dumping on sick people needs to stop. We are human beings, loving parents, mature adults, and well-meaning adolescents, like most of the general population. This should be well-known to everyone, but I feel that it needs to be restated often. Thanks for reading and letting me vent my opinions.

                                                                           

Click Chapter One to read an excerpt from "The Tree Outside the Window."    

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